Cake Mix Chocolate Waffle Cake

by Intensive Cake Unit

1 Cake

1 hr

Was in a conundrum the other week – I SUPER wanted to bake a cake, and had a free afternoon. The down side….it was already almost 90 degrees outside, and forecasted to hit almost 100 before the end of the day.

Who wants to turn on their oven in that weather?? Yuck.

Fortunately….a Pinterest board I’d seen earlier in the week came to the rescue and gave me an idea. Waffle cakes are apparently a much more popular thing than I’d realized, and waffles don’t need an oven to make!

I’d heard you can make waffles from cake mix, and I had a couple of chocolate cake mixes on hand – and that’s how the cake came to be!

Cake Mix Chocolate Waffle Cake

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Recipe details

Yield 1 Cake
Time spent: Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 40 Minutes Total time: 1 hr

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Ingredients

Chocolate Waffles:

1 Chocolate boxed cake mix
½ cup unsalted butter (or 1 stick) melted & cooled
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (or buttermilk powder with water is an option if you can’t find liquid buttermilk at your grocery store!)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

8 oz (one package) cream cheese, softened
16 Tablespoons (two sticks) butter, softened
6-7 c powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 T clear vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt (if using unsalted butter)

Additional supplies/decorations

- 1 7- or 8-inch cardboard cake circle (I prefer Wilton’s center-punched circles) or an 8” acrylic cake disc (I started using these so I wouldn’t waste so many cake circles!)
Small piping bag – this set has been one of my favorites!
1-2 cups chocolate chips (more or less to your preference)
Cocoa powder (for dusting) & Sieve or sifter
Cake leveler, cake turntable, large offset spatula, and pastry cutter/bench scraper - not all 100% necessary but incredibly helpful! (Here’s a link to the cake turntable I use)

Instructions

Chocolate Waffles:

(I LOVE our Hamilton Beach Waffle maker – the removable plates make cleanup SO easy! )
Melt butter and whisk in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk in cake mix for 2-3 minutes until well combined.
Measure about 1 cup of batter into your waffle maker – I found about one cup filled the waffle maker completely without overflowing too badly, and I had enough batter for 4 waffles. I recommend filling the waffle maker fully so your waffles are even and stacking them is easier.
Once all your waffles are cooked, let them cool to room temperature before stacking/decorating – I found putting them in the fridge to cool actually made them more brittle and prone to cracking, so I don’t recommend it. :/
While you’re waiting, make your filling/frosting!

Filling/Frosting/Decorating:

Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Once your waffles are cool, you’re ready to decorate! Use some frosting to stick the waffle to your cake circle, and center your first waffle on the circle. I found filling the waffle easiest with my piping bag, but you could use an offset spatula to fill the center and just pipe around the outside – up to you! Sprinkle some chocolate chips over the frosting, and add your next waffle on top.
Repeat the process with your remaining waffles!
I piped the top waffle to make the top look more decorative, and added a generous sprinkle of chocolate chips and a dusting of cocoa powder.
And you’re done! Cut in and enjoy – your cake and your cool house!
Make this recipe? Let me know how it went - or find me on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!

Comments

Mary knight on May 11, 2021

I haven't made this. The picture shows flattish layers with tons of frosting filling. If you don't close the lid of the waffle iron, would the layers cook and rise higher, for a more cake-like layer? Maybe you could cover the waffle iron to retain the heat or possibly just put the removable waffle forms directly into the oven . A higher cake layer would look and taste great with less filling needed. Thank you.

1 Reply
- See 3 previous
- Charlee Hunter on May 11, 2021
  
  Well you haven't made it... waffles tend to be very dense.. not sure fluffy is what she was going for... and , who doesn't like more frosting!! (coming from a frost a holic family.."
  
  4
- Sandra Parkes on May 11, 2021
  
  I agree, the more cream cheese, the better the taste. I might add strawberries 🍓 to the top also.
  
  1
- Jeri Mc Cleery-Collins on May 11, 2021
  
  I think you are missing the point of this recipe. It is a waffle cake, not a layer cake. The purpose of her making this was so that she did not have to use the oven.
  
  9
- Intensive Cake Unit on May 17, 2021
  
  Lol to each their own; you're welcome to try whatever you'd like! ;)
  I have a Belgian waffle iron that actually has to be closed and flipped to cook properly; if you read the recipe description the whole point of substituting waffles for cake layers was to avoid turning on the oven ;)
  
  12
Lindzey Nicholson DiVietro on May 11, 2021

Beautiful cake and quite cleaver!

3 Reply
- Intensive Cake Unit on May 17, 2021
  
  Thank you so much!
  
  Like