Cook up a delicious, fruit-topped Dutch oven cake

Poppyberry CakeDutch Treat Poppyberry Cake

After a taxing day hike, this cake will sweeten your Scouts’ accomplishments. Perfect for camping or indoor, Dutch oven-inspired cooking activities.

12-inch Dutch oven

16 coals on top, 10 coals below

Cake:

¾ cup water

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 package (3.3 ounces) instant French vanilla pudding

2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. flour

½ cup oil

1 tsp. almond flavoring

1 tsp. butter flavoring

2 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

3 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1 cup sour cream

1 can Baker’s Joy (or nonstick baking spray)

Spray oven lining with Baker’s Joy. In a separate bowl, mix all cake ingredients together until smooth. Pour batter into oven and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (30 to 45 minutes).

Using gloved hands, remove cake from the Dutch oven by inverting the oven onto the lid, and then remove the oven. Place a wire rack on the bottom of the cake and invert the lid. (Be careful not to let the weight of the lid rest upon the cake when you flip it or your cake will become one very thin layer.) Set cake aside to cool.

Icing:

1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese

2 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (21 ounces) raspberry pie filling (or flavor of your choice)

1 cup fresh raspberries

Toothpicks

Mix first four ingredients until smooth. Cut cooled cake in half horizontally and place three-forths of the icing on bottom piece. Spread half the can of pie filling on top of the icing. Stick three or four toothpicks into the cake leaving the ends exposed about ½ inch. Place top half of cake onto the bottom layer. (This is a goopy cake; the toothpicks keep it from sliding apart.) Put the rest of the icing on top and add remaining pie filling to the top layer. Decorate with fresh raspberries. (The icing and filling drip over the sides. You may not need all of the icing.)

Note: You can eliminate cutting the cake horizontally by dividing the cake batter equally between two, 10-inch Dutch ovens. Bake for the same time with 15 coals on top, 9 coals below, and you’ll have two nice, even layers without any cutting.

Serves: 20


H. Kent Rappleye is past president of the International Dutch Oven Society. He’s an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow.

 


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