The Christmas Chaos Cake is the ultimate holiday crowd-pleaser. By combining a dense, high-viscosity chocolate batter with a variety of festive textures—like crunchy pretzels and peppermint—you create a dessert that is as visually exciting as it is delicious.
Ingredients
- Base: 1 box dark chocolate cake mix and 1 box instant chocolate pudding.
- Moisture: 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, and 4 large eggs.
- The Chaos Mix: 2 cups of M&Ms, crushed candy canes, white chocolate chips, and chopped pretzels.
- Finish: 16 oz cream cheese frosting and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract.
Detailed Instructions
1. Build the High-Viscosity Batter
Whisk the cake mix, pudding, sour cream, eggs, and oil until thick. Folding in the peppermint extract and 1.5 cups of the “chaos” inclusions. The thickness of this batter is essential to prevent the heavy candies and pretzels from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
2. The Precision Bake
Bake in a greased 9×13 pan at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes. Avoid overbaking to keep the internal chocolate chips melty and the cake moist. Let the cake cool completely before frosting to ensure the cream cheese frosting doesn’t slide off.
3. Frosting and Topping
Apply the frosting in “snowdrift” peaks. Scatter the remaining candies and pretzels over the top. For the best presentation, add a white chocolate drizzle to lock the toppings in place and enhance the “chaos” aesthetic.