Easy Birthday Cake Bars

I referenced in my last post that My Kitchen Little is celebrating its very first birthday this week, so it seems only right that I do so properly – with something sweet … something simple and easy and totally fuss-free. Because when you’re making your own birthday treat, heaven knows you don’t want to spend a whole day in the kitchen. You want to get right to the enjoying part – the celebrating part – because that’s the whole point, right?

Now. I absolutely love making cakes from scratch. LOVE IT. I’ve probably baked hundreds of them in my life. But it’s not something I want to do everyday, as it really does take half a day to accomplish, all told. Sometimes, I just want to whip up something sweet and special that hits the spot all the same. These Easy Birthday Cake Bars are that thing.

They’re nothing more than a quickly doctored up boxed cake mix and they go FAST! Everyone gets visibly excited when I set them out, as there is something undeniably attractive and nostalgically satisfying about a ton of rainbow sprinkles. Also, I like to weave a little drama into the occasion and I pile the bars up on a platter and then drop big, creamy scoops of birthday cake/cake batter ice cream down over top.

This is the recipe for the person who wants to say “Happy Birthday! I like you a lot! You’re special!” But who also doesn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a laundry list of ingredients or half a day (if not more) baking some big production of a cake. Also, buying birthday cakes can get pricey really fast, and this recipe costs so very little.

Another win for the ole wallet.

Kids love them. Kids at heart love them. This is a great back-pocket recipe to keep up your sleeve and here’s how to do it:

Easy Birthday Cake Bars: The Breakdown

What You’ll Need:

1 box yellow cake mix

½ cup vanilla coffee creamer (or sub milk)

½ cup canola or vegetable oil

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup rainbow sprinkles

Cake batter or Birthday-themes ice cream (you choose! Vanilla is great, too)

How to Make Them:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust your rack to the middle position.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, creamer or milk, oil, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles. Mix until blender and spread on the bottom of an 11-by-7-inch baking dish that has been sprayed or greased with butter. NOTE: you can use a smaller pan, but your bars will be thicker and will have a little longer bake time.
3. Allow the bars to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting or flipping out of the pan. You can create individual ice cream sandwiches by placing a scoop of the ice cream between two bars, or to keep it simple and fast, pile the bars up on a plate or platter (or on individual plates) and top with scoops of ice cream. 

If you like the looks of these Easy Birthday Cake Bars, you might want to check out:

Brunettes, or The Ultimate Blondie Recipe

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