The Ultimate Way To Enjoy Cake For Breakfast

It's hard to find a person who doesn't enjoy cake, whether it's for a special occasion or a regularly scheduled after-dinner treat. But if you've ever woken up in the morning and wished you didn't have to wait for a socially acceptable time to have a slice, there's a super easy way to make that dream come true and still maintain the appearance of eating proper breakfast food. You can upgrade your boxed cake mix with a variety of simple ingredient swaps and hacks, but it turns out, this stuff can also return the favor by elevating a breakfast favorite — in this case, your waffles.

Instead of making the standard kind from a classic buttermilk-based batter, grab a box of your go-to cake mix and fire up your waffle iron to make a totally new creation. You may have already learned that a waffle maker could be your shortcut to crispy, gooey brownies, but follow this easy tip, and pretty soon, you'll have a fusion of two favorites that no one will turn down, no matter the time of day.

To prepare your cake waffles, all you need to do is follow the directions on your box of cake mix and get your waffle iron greased and ready. Once heated, it should take about four to six minutes to get these cake waffles to golden-brown perfection with a tender crumb that is moist on the inside while bearing that signature crisp waffle exterior.

Once you have this process down, you can experiment with different cake flavors. If you're looking to pair with classic maple syrup or honey as a topping, a pumpkin spice cake waffle can be an ideal option, while a chocolate cake iteration might call for a dusting of powdered sugar and a pile of syrupy strawberries instead. Try a carrot cake spin with cream cheese icing if you want to stay close to the breakfast food category. You can even swirl different batters together to create fun flavor combinations with visual impact, like red velvet and strawberry or confetti with gingerbread. Either way, a scoop of ice cream to make them a la mode can't hurt, and you can even opt for fresh mint or some slivered almonds sprinkled on top for added texture, too.

There may have been a time when making cake was among the things you didn't know your waffle iron could do. But with this inspired take on a breakfast favorite, you get to have yours, and eat it for breakfast, too.