How to Make a Delicious Coal Miner’s Cake

Hello, Good News! Welcome to our blog, where we share with you the best recipes, tips, and tricks for baking amazing cakes. Today, we are going to show you how to make a coal miner’s cake, a rich and decadent chocolate cake with a cherry filling and a chocolate-nut topping. This cake is so easy to make, you only need a few ingredients and a cake mix. It’s perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a birthday, a potluck, or just a treat for yourself. Let’s get started!

A coal miner’s cake is also known as a dump cake, because you literally dump all the ingredients into a baking pan and bake it. It’s a very popular cake in the Appalachian region of the United States, where coal mining was a major industry. The cake is said to have originated from the wives of coal miners, who wanted to make something sweet and satisfying for their husbands after a long day of work. The cake is also very economical, as it uses canned cherry pie filling and chocolate chips, which are cheap and easy to find.

What You Need to Make a Coal Miner’s Cake

The Ingredients

To make a coal miner’s cake, you will need the following ingredients:

  • 1 package of devil’s food cake mix
  • 1 can of cherry pie filling
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 stick of butter or margarine
  • 1/4 cup of evaporated milk
  • 6 ounces of chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts

You can also use other flavors of cake mix and pie filling, such as yellow cake mix and apple pie filling, or spice cake mix and pumpkin pie filling. Feel free to experiment and find your favorite combination.

The Equipment

To make a coal miner’s cake, you will need the following equipment:

  • A 9×13 inch baking pan
  • A medium bowl
  • A wooden spoon or spatula
  • A saucepan
  • A toothpick or skewer
  • A wire rack
  • A knife or spatula for serving

You don’t need any electric mixer or whisk for this recipe, as everything can be done by hand. This makes it even easier and faster to prepare.

How to Make a Coal Miner’s Cake

The Cake Batter

To make the cake batter, follow these simple steps:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and grease your baking pan.
  2. In your medium bowl, combine the cake mix, the cherry pie filling, the eggs, and the vanilla extract. Stir well with your wooden spoon or spatula until everything is well combined. You don’t need to worry about any lumps in the batter.
  3. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and spread it evenly with your spoon or spatula.
  4. Bake the cake in your preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool slightly.

The Topping

To make the topping, follow these simple steps:

  1. In your saucepan, combine the sugar, the butter or margarine, and the evaporated milk. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
  2. Boil the mixture for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat.
  3. Add the chocolate chips and the chopped nuts and stir until the chocolate chips are melted and everything is well combined.
  4. Pour the hot topping over the warm cake and spread it evenly with your spoon or spatula.
  5. Let the cake cool completely before cutting into pieces and serving.

The Benefits of Making a Coal Miner’s Cake

It’s Delicious

The most obvious benefit of making a coal miner’s cake is that it’s delicious. The cake is moist and fluffy, with a rich chocolate flavor and a sweet cherry filling. The topping is gooey and crunchy, with more chocolate and nuts. It’s like having two desserts in one. If you love chocolate and cherries, you will love this cake.

It’s Easy

Another benefit of making a coal miner’s cake is that it’s easy. You don’t need any special skills or equipment to make this cake. You just need a few ingredients and a cake mix. You don’t even need to measure anything, as everything comes in pre-packaged amounts. You just dump everything into a bowl and a pan and bake it. It’s foolproof and hassle-free.

It’s Economical

A third benefit of making a coal miner’s cake is that it’s economical. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make this cake. The ingredients are cheap and easy to find, and you can use whatever you have on hand. You can also make a large batch of this cake and feed a crowd, as it yields 12 generous servings. You can also store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.

A Table Breakdown of Coal Miner’s Cake

To give you a better idea of what goes into making a coal miner’s cake, here is a table breakdown of the ingredients, the amounts, the costs, and the nutritional values of this cake.

Ingredient Amount Cost Calories Fat Carbs Protein
Devil’s food cake mix 1 package (15.25 oz) $1.50 1680 27 g 360 g 18 g
Cherry pie filling 1 can (21 oz) $2.00 840 0 g 216 g 0 g
Eggs 2 large $0.30 144 10 g 1 g 13 g
Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon $0.10 12 0 g 0.5 g 0 g
Sugar 1 cup (200 g) $0.20 774 0 g 200 g 0 g
Butter or margarine 1 stick (8 tablespoons) $0.80 800 88 g 0 g 0 g
Evaporated milk 1/4 cup (60 ml) $0.20 84 5 g

< td > 6 g

< td > 4 g

< tr >

< td > Chocolate chips

< td > 6 ounces (170 g)

< td > $1.50

< td > 880

< td > 48 g

< td > 104 g

< td > 8 g

< tr >

< td > Chopped pecans or walnuts

< td > 1/2 cup (60 g)

< td > $1.00

< td > 400

< td > 40 g

< td > 8 g

< td > 8 g

< tr >

< th > Total

< th > –

< th > $7.60

< th > 6614

< th > 218 g

< th > 895.5 g

< th > 51 g

Per serving (12 servings)
$0.63 551 18 75 4

FAQs About Coal Miner’s Cake

You may have some questions about coal miner’s cake, such as how to store it, how to serve it, or how to make it vegan. Here are some of the most common questions and answers about this cake.

How do you store coal miner’s cake?

Coal miner’s cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. To thaw the cake, let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving. You can also reheat the cake in the microwave for a few seconds if you want to enjoy it warm.

How do you serve coal miner’s cake?

Coal miner’s cake can be served as it is, or with some whipped cream or ice cream on top. You can also sprinkle some powdered sugar or cocoa powder over the cake for a more festive look. You can cut the cake into any size or shape you like, depending on how many people you want to serve.

How do you make coal miner’s cake vegan?

Coal miner’s cake can be easily made vegan by using some simple substitutions. You can use a vegan cake mix, such as [this one], and replace the eggs with flax eggs, which are made by mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water for each egg. You can also use vegan butter or margarine, vegan evaporated milk, such as [this one], and vegan chocolate chips and nuts. The rest of the recipe is the same as the original one.

How do you make coal miner’s cake gluten-free?

Coal miner’s cake can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free cake mix, such as [this one], and making sure that the other ingredients are also gluten-free. You can check the labels of the cherry pie filling, the chocolate chips, and the nuts to see if they contain any gluten. You can also use gluten-free flour to grease your baking pan.

How do you make coal miner’s cake from scratch?

If you don’t want to use a cake mix, you can make your own devil’s food cake batter from scratch. You will need the following ingredients:

  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of hot water

To make the batter, follow these steps:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
  4. Stir in the hot water gradually until the batter is smooth and thin.
  5. Use this batter instead of the cake mix in the original recipe and bake as directed.

What are some variations of coal miner’s cake?

You can make different variations of coal miner’s cake by changing the flavors of the cake mix and the pie filling. Here are some examples:

  • Lemon-blueberry: Use lemon cake mix and blueberry pie filling.
  • Peach-cobbler: Use yellow cake mix and peach pie filling.
  • Pineapple-coconut: Use white cake mix and crushed pineapple. Sprinkle some shredded coconut over the topping.
  • Pumpkin-spice: Use spice cake mix and pumpkin pie filling. Add some cinnamon and nutmeg to the topping.
  • Caramel-apple: Use yellow cake mix and apple pie filling. Drizzle some caramel sauce over the topping.

What is the history of coal miner’s cake?

The exact origin of coal miner’s cake is unknown, but it is believed to have been invented by the wives of coal miners in the Appalachian region of the United States sometime in the 20th century. The name comes from the resemblance of the dark chocolate cake and the nutty topping to coal and dirt. The cake was a way of using cheap and readily available ingredients to make a filling and satisfying dessert for their hard-working husbands. The cake was also easy to transport and store, as it did not require any refrigeration or frosting.

What are some other names for coal miner’s cake?

Coal miner’s cake is also known by other names, depending on the region or the variation. Some of the other names are:

  • Dump cake: This is the most common name, as it refers to the method of dumping all the ingredients into a pan and baking it.
  • Lazy cake: This name reflects the ease and simplicity of making this cake.
  • Chocolate-cherry cake: This name describes the main flavors of the original version of this cake.
  • Earthquake cake: This name comes from the cracks and crumbles that form on the surface of the cake after baking.
  • Volcano cake: This name comes from the bubbling and oozing of the cherry filling and the topping during baking.

What are some tips and tricks for making coal miner’s cake?

Here are some tips and tricks for making coal miner’s cake:

  • Make sure to grease your baking pan well, as the cake can stick to it.
  • Don’t overmix the batter, as it can make the cake tough and dense.
  • Don’t overbake the cake, as it can dry out and burn.
  • Let the cake cool slightly before adding the topping, as it can melt and run off if the cake is too hot.
  • Cut the cake with a sharp knife or a spatula, as it can be sticky and gooey.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this article about coal miner’s cake, a delicious and easy dessert that you can make with a few ingredients and a cake mix. This cake is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a birthday, a potluck, or just a treat for yourself. You can also customize this cake by using different flavors of cake mix and pie filling, or by making it vegan or gluten-free. Try this recipe today and let us know how it turned out!

If you liked this article, please check out our other articles on our blog, where we share more recipes, tips, and tricks for baking amazing cakes. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on our latest posts and exclusive offers. Thank you for reading and happy baking!

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