Cake batter pancakes

I’m fairly convinced that the world would be a better place if more sprinkles were involved.

I know. I just made pancakes. It seems I have an unnatural obsession with cake batter. Well I do.
But hear me out.

When I develop recipes, I try to make all of them for a purpose. We really hate to waste food in this house. Crab cakes for dinner, cake for a birthday party, quinoa as a side dish… it all works out. I get to share it with you and we get to eat it.
Then sometimes, I get ideas in my head. Ideas that get me so worked up that I must attempt the recipe and give it a shot as soon as possible, even if it isn’t something we will eat every day. Otherwise, I cannot stop thinking about it. These are the things that keep me up at night.

Case in point: it isn’t anyone’s birthday. It’s not even really close to anyone’s birthday.

But I don’t need an excuse to eat cake and sprinkles. I believe it should be a daily occurrence.

And because pancakes always need some sort of topping, I went with a sprinkled glaze.

Because nothing goes better with cake than more sugar!

These are just plain fun.

Sure, they would be best for a special occasion like a birthday, but they also work on a random Saturday in January when it’s -2 degrees outside and all you want to see is some sunshine.
And you don’t feel like getting on the treadmill, so you decided to eat cake instead.

That wasn’t me. I swear.

And yes, this means you will have an open box of cake mix, just like you did with the cake batter bark. This is okay. You will manage. Sure, you may find yourself mixing cake mix with odd ingredients, but so what? Mother Lovett always had an open box of cake mix in her pantry. Given hers were usually about 4 years old… but still.
Just do it.

Cake Batter Pancakes

makes about 12 pancakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup yellow cake mix

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 cups milk (I used vanilla almond milk)

assorted sprinkles

Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed. I suggest a small taste test as well to see if the pancakes are flavored enough.

Preheat a skillet on medium heat (I use an electric grilled and turn it to 250 degrees). Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze.
Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

assorted sprinkles

Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or water/milk to reach desired consistency. Mix into glaze and drizzle on pancakes.

Maybe the secret to choking down broccoli is throwing sprinkles on top?

Wishful thinking…

20 Ways to Pump Up a Party

1. "I get a cake for every bash I host: The sugar gives everyone a second wind, jump-starting the rest of the night."

2. "Mood lighting is a key ingredient in every affair, so string up your Christmas lights to everything that's not moving!"

3. "Fill a punch bowl with a jug of inexpensive red wine, toss in a small jar of maraschino cherries including the juice, and add a half dozen each of lime, lemon, and orange wedges. Steep the mixture in the fridge for eight hours for an easy, festive punch to serve."

4. "It is absolutely worth it to plan your party music ahead of time. Start things out mellow, but make sure the songs get a little bit faster and more fun through the night. Burn the songs onto a CD — and don't be surprised if your guests want a copy at the end of the night!"

5. "I was pleasantly surprised to walk into a soiree where only desserts were served. The best part: a banana-split bar including ice cream, hot fudge, and lots of homemade whipped cream."

6. "I rent a karaoke machine — you can find one online or in the yellow pages under 'audiovisual.' My husband and I are always prepared to go 'onstage' (which is just a cleared-out area in the corner of our den) first for a duet in case everyone else is too shy."

7. "I hire a real bartender and set up a bar with the ingredients for two unusual drink options (say, sidecars for old-fashioned glamour and blood-orange martinis for a trendy feel)."

8. "My best theme party was called The Prom From Hell. I had the girls dress up in the worst bridesmaid gowns they've ever worn, and then we danced to the cheesiest music — Peter Cetera, Richard Marx, and Phil Collins."

9. "Go retro when it comes to hors d'oeuvres: Serve the things your mother used to put out when she had parties back in the day, like sour-cream-and-onion-soup dip and baked pineapple chunks wrapped in bacon."

10. "I placed a bowl of temporary tattoos (tattoofun.com) for our guests to put on next to a mirror. It turned out to be the highlight of the night."

11. "Order pizzas a half hour before your company arrives and cut the pies into smaller, bite-size pieces."

12. "Get guests to stay longer: Hire an on-site babysitter (or maybe two, depending on the number of kids) and let people know it's OK to bring the little ones along for the night — and tip the sitter for a job well done!"

13. "Play hit songs decade by decade: Start with the sixties and work up to now."

14. "Huddling over bubbling cheese or chocolate fondue and digging for lost pieces of food really gets people to let loose."

15. "A deck of cards called Party Games: 40 Fun-filled Games to Get the Party in Full Swing ($13,amazon.com) is a great time. Each card explains a game (try Murder in the Dark for an old-fashioned whodunit) that can easily be set up with everyday items."

16. "Once, I hired a dance instructor to give my guests a one-hour group lesson. Everyone had an outrageous time learning dances like the Macarena and the Electric Slide. (I even bargained down the instructor's price by pointing out that he'd probably find some new clients at my bash.)"

17. "Why not throw an updated kegger? Check with your local liquor stores to find out what sorts of imported brands are available in keg size, or order from a little-known local brewery, which can be just as exotic."

18. "Announce that you'll be giving prizes to those who can name everybody in the room. It's an incentive to get everyone trying hard to meet everybody else."

19. "I asked everyone to come as either James Bond or a James Bond babe. I played the album007 Classics and ran a few 007 movies on the TV — with the volume off — as a background effect."

20. "I ensure an interesting crowd by asking everyone to invite along one person they don't know very well (perhaps a friend from their health club or a new person from work)."