Is it just me, or does the phrase "light summer dessert" seem like a fancy way of saying "low fat, dull suffering"?
Luckily, there's an antidode: Aimee's Chess Cake, a recipe I found in The Cake Mix Doctor Returns . Similar to that St. Louis specialty called Gooey Butter Cake, this dessert is decadently, deliciously, delightfully, thick as a brick.
The recipe I adapted suggests cutting "into small bars because it's so rich"--but my vote goes for big, fat slices. Topped with candied nuts. Take that, low-fat dessert!
Yellow Chess Cake
Adapted from Aimee's Chess Cake from The Cake Mix Doctor Returns
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for the pan
- Flour, for dusting the pan
- 1 package plain yellow cake mix
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup candied walnuts (I used these ones ) --these are optional but I like the texture and flavor they add
Procedure
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl mix together cake mix, butter and 1 egg. Pat batter into greased 9x13 inch pan.
- In a medium size mixing bowl mix together cream cheese, 2 eggs and sugar. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake mix batter. Sprinkle the nuts on top.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown on the edges (the middle will still be soft but will set to a solid but gooey consistency as the cake cools).
CakeSpy Note: Like this cake? You might also enjoy Houdini Bars.