I love hosting dinner parties – 1 guest, 5 guests, 20 guests….the more the merrier. There’s something so exciting about planning a menu, cleaning the house, preparing the table…my husband might tell you differently but in those moments of chaos while getting ready for a party I am really happy and pumped up. A couple of years ago we had a holiday dinner for our families so that we could all get together…but also so they could see how cute our holiday decorations were. That dinner was the first time I made this Flip Cake and it was a hit. Let me tell you, for the baker, the true reward of this cake is cutting into it and seeing your magic at work……but we’ll get to the magic. Let’s start at the beginning. Jump to recipe.
The first thing you need to do is preheat your oven to 350°. Also go ahead an spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. I’ll tell you that the deeper the pan is the better. This next part is super tough…..select your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix and mix it according to the instructions on the box (tough right) – set batter aside. In a separate bowl you’re going to mix 2 lbs. of ricotta cheese (heaven), 4 eggs, 3/4 cup granulated white sugar, and 1.5 tsp of vanilla extract until smooth.
Now things are going to get interesting. Pour your chocolate cake batter into your prepared 9×13 pan. Next, gently pour the cheese mixture over top of the cake batter and spread slightly. You do not want to push the cheese mixture down and it’s okay if you can’t get it to spread across the entire pan.
Place the pan onto a baking sheet and pop it into the preheated oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely.
While your cake cools, mix together 1 pack of instant chocolate pudding (I prefer sugar free), 1 cup of milk, and 8 oz. of whipped topping. Place in fridge to set while your cake cools.
Once your cake has cooled – ice the top with the chocolate pudding mix, cover, and pop it in the fridge for 6-8 hours. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.
After your cake has set in the fridge for 6-8 hours it’s time to cut and devour. Here’s where the magic comes in. When you cut into the cake you will notice that your cake layers have flipped. The cheese layer will now be the creamy bottom layer and the chocolate cake will be the decadent top layer. Magic, right? I am continuously impressed by this magic trick and keep my fingers crossed for the perfect result each time I make it – but I don’t need luck because this cake is really fail-proof.
Now that you’re a culinary wizard share your magic with family and friends….I bet they’ll be spellbound. Ugh! I could feel the eye rolls after that joke. Enjoy!
What You Need
- Boxed chocolate cake mix + all ingredients needed to make it
- 2 lbs. ricotta cheese
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup what granulated sugar
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.4 oz pack instant pudding mix
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz. whipped topping
The Steps
- Heat oven to 350° and prepare a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
- Mix boxed cake according to directions; set aside.
- In a separate bowl mix ricotta, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter into the 9×13 pan.
- Spread the cheese mixture over top of the chocolate batter gently. The cheese does not need to cover the entire top.
- Place on a baking sheet in the over for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean; set aside to cool.
- Combine pudding mix, milk, and whipped topping and place in fridge to set while your cake cools.
- Cover cooled cake in the pudding mixture.
- Cover the cake and place it in the fridge to rest for 6-8 hours.
- Once set – cut cake and chow down.