This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UVA chapter.

Have you ever found yourself salivating over the baked goods on the Food Network or Pinterest, but been too lazy to do more than throw mix in a bowl? As college students, few of us have the time or the resources to be the next Julia Child, so we need Betty Crocker’s hasty helping hand.

Apparently my great-grandmother was also looking to cut corners in the kitchen because her famous “Great Mom Cake” only calls for boxed ingredients. Even better, you can easily find these ingredients at any convenience store on the walk home from class, so there’s no need for the trek to the grocery store.

The secret is instant pudding. A small box of chocolate instant pudding can transform your simple vanilla cake mix into a fluffy chocolate cake that you can easily mask as homemade. Your great-grandmother would be proud.

Best yet? The recipe serves fifteen, so your roommates will thank you. This cake managed to disappear from my kitchen counter in a short twenty-four hours—and I only have five roommates. I think the math speaks for itself.

Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 15 (unless you have some hungry roommates)

Ingredients: