Thus Baked Zarathustra

It's nearing the end of the week of St. Patrick's Day, and I had promised some friends that I'd bring something over last night. I found myself with very little time, and therefore couldn't make the Bailey's Irish Cream cupcakes that began my little cupcake obsession (they tend to take me an hour or two to prepare, and I wanted something that I could make in about half an hour). And so... I resorted to something I rarely do: cake mix. It's been such a long time since I've had a date with Betty Crocker, so at first it was awkward. Like any date with an old friend you haven't spoken to in years, naturally.

I wasn't about to make a ho-hum boxed cake that's subtly spiked with some Irish cream. So... I did a little experimenting, and it turned out as this fluffy, moist, and very slightly boozy cake with a lovely flaky top. How does one make THAT out of boxed cake (not that I don't respect you to the utmost, Mrs. Crocker)?

Things I learned from this cake:

1. No one is limited to a boring boxed cake.
2. Interesting things happen when you swirl frosting INTO the cake!
3. Whipped frosting makes the cake fluff up more (although I guess that makes sense).
   
4. If you don't know what else to do with your cake before you throw it in the oven, ADD SO MANY CHOCOLATE CHIPS. Like how many? SO MANY. An entire 12 oz. bag went into here. Why add more chocolate chips? I am woman, therefore I love chocolate. By rule of the chocolate lover's creed that reads "one can never have enough chocolate," more chocolate chips = better.

So... without further ado, here is the recipe:

Fluffy/Flaky Irish Cream Cake (makes one 13x9 sheet cake)

• 1 box of yellow cake (feel free to use any other kind as well!)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup Bailey's or Carolan's Irish Cream
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 can of your choice of frosting (I used whipped cream cheese frosting by Pillsbury)
• 1/4 cup of Irish Cream
• 1 12 oz. package chocolate chips (or as many as you'd like... white chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, or vanilla chips would work as well)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Mix yellow cake mix, eggs, and 2/3 c. Irish cream into a bowl. Pour half of it into the baking pan.
3. In the bowl with the remainder of the batter, empty out the can of frosting, and stir in 1/4 c. Irish cream and however many chocolate chips you want in there. Combine well.
4. Spoon out the batter-frosting mixture onto the top of the batter in the baking pan.
5. Swirl things around with a fork.
6. Optional: sprinkle chocolate chips on top of your unbaked cake as well.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

And voila... you end up with the fantastic deliciousness of a fluffy Irish cream cake.