Birthday Cake Bites

     I decided to share a sweet treat that we enjoy making and eating together. These bites are FULL of texture from crunchy morsels and sprinkles in between ooey-gooey-chewy top and bottom layers. This recipe is very simple and takes NO TIME at all to throw together. It is my go-to recipe for birthdays, thank-you gifts, or social gatherings. I've heard nothing but amazing reviews! 

Recipe:

• 1 box butter yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup of softened, unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup rainbow sprinkles (not the crystallized sugar kind)
• 4 oz sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 cup white chocolate morsels

- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.

- In a standing mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter until a firm dough is made. Add 1/2 cup of the sprinkles and mix on slow until sprinkles are incorporated into the dough. The dough should have rolled itself into a ball at this point. 

- Remove 2/3 of the dough from the mixing bowl and press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Evenly spread the white chocolate morsels and remaining 1/2 cup of sprinkles over the pressed dough. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the morsels and sprinkles. 

- Now use the remaining dough as the top layer. I find it easiest to partially flatten the dough in my fingers before placing on top of the middle layer, then press/pinch the smaller pieces together.

- Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top layer turns golden in color.

- Try to resist digging in when it's fresh out the oven- I know its hard! If you do not allow it to cool completely before cutting, it will fall apart and you won't have neat bars or bites. (These are very sweet so I prefer to cut into bite size pieces for that reason- and because they will go farther, but bars are great too!). 

This recipe can be transformed into other great combinations by using strawberry cake mix instead of butter yellow, or chocolate cake mix and mint morsels.

Enjoy and be sure to let me know what you think!

-Cydney