Cooking Cake for scout camp?

[MazdaUK]

DS(11) is off to scout camp for a week at the end of the month and the kit list includes " 2 family-sized cakes" - they have them for supper with hot chocolate in the vain hope the boys will sleep longer if they've had something last thing Has anyone got any good recipes for a cake which will stand up to 3 hours travel in a mini-bus without a/c, and which does not contain anything which will go off (cream), and preferably no jam (DS doesn't like it) or dried fruit (children are so picky!). I've got an idea for one cake but I don't want to send two the same as I'll have to make them on the same day.

Also, I have a tub of Betty Crocker chocolate frosting - will that spoil if I use it on a cake for camp or will it be OK?

TIA!

 

[rlovew]

Canned frosting will definately last if you send it with them to frost there- I am pretty sure it will last if you put it on as welll but since they don't need to be refrigerated before opening you definately don't need to worry if they just frost it themselves there.

 

[tyniknate]

How about a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. I usually make homemade icing, but have done it with canned icing to send to camp. You just take a can of the vanilla icing and mix in peanut butter. The boys loved it. I have a cake recipe that's really easy for the chocolate cake and really stands up to the heat. It's moist and delicious and very dense....just what the kids need to hold them over till breakfast!

Chocolate Crazy Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 Cups cold water
2 tsp vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Put all ingredients into large bowl and mix.
Bake in prepared cake pan 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Have made this cake for scouts MANY times and the kids all love it!
It works really well for cupcakes too. Made 75 cupcakes for my son and the rest of the staff at camp this past weekend and they were gone in less than15 minutes after he arrived at camp. So much for dessert after dinner!

Hope your son has a great time at camp. Mine is there all summer. He enjoyed it so much as a camper that he decided he wanted to apply for staff. Has worked there the past three years and this year his dream came true - he became a certified climing instructor and is teaching that this year. He is so happy and I am so proud. Couldn't think of a better place to have him spend his summer than at scout camp. In fact.....this is our 11th year in scouting and my DS #3 is now old enough to be a Tiger cub. One working on his Eagle project and one as a newbie - guess we didn't plan that very well, did we?

 

[MazdaUK]

I'll have to try that chocolate cake recipe In fact I'd better practice it How big a cake tin do you use? 10"?

I don't think I trust the male leaders with frosting a cake but as it doesn't say on the tin you have to refrigerate the cake I'm guessing it should be OK - its probably more to keep it soft for longer that you have to fridge it

 

[Arizona Rita]

Mazda, are the leaders really expecting these boys to eat cake every night for a week? By the end of the week the cake will be thrown at the leaders!
Can you change it up a bit with cookies or brownies? Cookies will keep and what about the fixings for smores?
Im not big on cake recipes but could send you some brownie or cookie recipes.
I do miss encapments but dont miss selling cookies any more!

 

[MazdaUK]

They've been doping this since before DS(17) was in scouts, so it must work for them! Not all the mums bake, so they eat the home-made stuff first and bring out the shop stuff later in the week

Do brownies keep OK? Mine are always gone by the next day so i can't tell


I will send a couple of bags of marshmallows, but I don't think British scout leaders know about smores Kicky is at a water sports day so I will ask the leader when I pick him up - it would certainly save baking! What would I need for 12-16 scouts plus leaders?

 

[rlovew]

For smores for 18ish I would get 2 bags of marshmellows, 2 boxes of graham crackers, and 12 chocolate bars. That should be enought stuff for everyone to get 2 smores- the chocolate bars get divided into 3rds.

Brownies will keep better than cake.

Rebecca

 

[Arizona Rita]

I would add a bit more to what Rebecca said especially if you have any sweet tooths in your group. Always safer than sorry.
Brownies can last, mine are usually gone too but if you pack them and hide them then they could make it.

 

[MazdaUK]

And I can use Digestives instead of graham crackers? (we don't have them here) 2 or three tubes should be OK. How big a bar of chocolate?

I'll need to include instructions too - what is the best way to help make sure the mess is minimal?

Or I might just make brownies to save confusion

 

[rlovew]

You need crackers that will taste good with chocolate and marshmellows but it doesn't matter what kind specifically- you need 2 3x3 squares of the cracker for each top and bottom of the smores.

 

[clh2]

two comments - I definitely would go with unfrosted brownies - it will be easier to transport than cake. Frosting can get messy quickly in the heat.

And...if you do have to go with cake - what about cupcakes? I would definitely bring canned frosting instead of frosting them first. Unfrosted cupcakes will be far easier to pack and transport than frosted ones. And - really, all the scoutmaster will need to do is just scoop out a little bit of frosting for each cupcake. It isn't like the boys will care if "Betty Crocker" actually nicely frosted the cupcakes with pretty swirls.

 

[MazdaUK]

Thanks all!

Anyone have a no-fail brownie recipe which fits a 9x13 pan? (or one I can double for two 9x9 pans) I've only made the Pampered Chef easy brownies and it doesn't really make enough! TIA

 

[clh2]

Thanks all!

Anyone have a no-fail brownie recipe which fits a 9x13 pan? (or one I can double for two 9x9 pans) I've only made the Pampered Chef easy brownies and it doesn't really make enough! TIA

I know...things are different across the pond...

Most people in my circle of friends just use a mix. Counts as homemade, cuz you do, in fact need to turn on the oven! (but then - just add something fun before you bake it...chocolate chips, white choc. chips, mint chocolate chips...etc.

 

[MazdaUK]

I only use cake mixes to make cookies from cake mix Does that make me weird