Chocolate Cakesters

I’ve never eaten a store bought cakesters before but I’ve seen them during many a grocery shopping experience. I imagine that this recipe is pretty close. Actually its probably even better! Just tooting my own horn here, people!

I know I am gonna get so much crap for using a cake mix *cough NIKKI cough* but before you push the delete button… hear me out!

I am not anti-cake mix esp if you use it as another ingredient and not the star of the show. I found the original recipe online back in the day when I could barely do more than microwave so its a little nostalgic for me. I was a little apprehensive the first time so I did it the easy way – cake mix and canned frosting – but this time I decided to do it a little more scratch to hopefully satisfy my curiosity about canned frosting vs homemade debate.

Even though its semi-homemade, the recipe is a little time consuming and I am choosy about when I make them but when T’s students requested it for their end of the year pot luck party, I couldn’t say no. T thinks its crazy that they can’t remember their city councilman or presidents for the test but they remember cookies that I made for them at the beginning of the year. Gotta love kids. They know their priorities!

(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com | photos from me!)

Makes about 80 cookies or 40 cookie sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

For cookie
2 (18.25 ounce) packages devil’s food cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup shortening

For frosting filling
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 lb (~4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

[NOTES: To save time you can use a can of pre-made cream cheese frosting too]

INSTRUCTIONS

To make cookies—
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Blend the above ingredients together with a pastry blender until mixed. Roll in balls about the size of a quarter and place on ungreased baking sheets. Make an even number of balls.

[NOTES: I used my KA mixer and flat beater to blend the ingredients a little then used my spatula to really combine everything.]

[NOTES: Call me anal or OCD but I think its easier to weigh the balls of dough with my kitchen scale so that they are all the same size when they bake therefore your sandwich is uniform. I weighed mine at about 0.5 – 0.6 oz for each ball.]

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies stand on cookie sheet for 5-6 minutes before removing them to cooling rack.

To make frosting—
Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Add vanilla extract. Gradually add powdered sugar to the butter-cream cheese mixture. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

To assemble—
After cookies have cooled, use a spatula and spread some frosting between two cookies, putting bottom sides together. Roll sides in sprinkles for additional fun!

Click image to enlarge

ENJOY! :)

Husband rating: A+
He loves this cookie and said its almost as good as the peanut butter ones… almost.

Wifey rating: A+
I could easily eat all 40 sandwich cookies by myself. They are a moist cookie-cake and the combination of frosting is SO good! But I can’t believe I am saying this… I think the canned frosting is better for this recipe than the scratch. Something about canned frosting. I have eaten it for breakfast on more than one occasion.

Other rating: A++
T said he opened up the tupperware and the kids pummeled him to the ground to get a cookie. After about 10 seconds (he can’t remember exactly how long b/c he got knocked to the ground) the cookies were gone and many students wanted the recipe.