Chocolate Cake Three Ways | Baking and Crafting in the Kitchen
Chocolate Cake Three Ways | Baking and Crafting in the Kitchen  
Podcast: Chewed UP
Published On: Fri Jan 16 2026
Description: January is cold, resolutions are failing, and chocolate is doing the heavy lifting. In this episode, Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall, and Michael Symon start with one deceptively simple chocolate buttermilk sheet cake—and immediately blow it wide open. Clinton bakes a fast, sturdy, ultra-moist chocolate cake designed to be messed with. From there, the kitchen turns into a full-on dessert lab: peanut butter layers and butterscotch chips become party-ready petit fours, Carla builds a stacked, Black Forest–inspired showpiece with sour cherry jam and triple frostings, and Michael leans into coconut nostalgia with a ganache-topped chocolate coconut bar finished with sea salt. What starts as baking quickly becomes crafting—complete with piping bags, Jenga-style cake engineering, knife-dragging debates, and the philosophical question of whether decorating is worth the emotional damage. Along the way, the trio talks cake-cutting technique, party shortcuts, trifles, grandkids, baking patience (or lack thereof), and why this cake works as a base for just about anything. The takeaway: this isn't about perfection. It's about giving people a great cake and letting them go feral with toppings. 👉 Grab the full recipe + more at: https://www.chewedupshow.com/recipes ⏱️ Timestamps (YouTube & Spotify) 00:00 – Chocolate cake immediately causes problems 01:00 – Why January requires chocolate 02:00 – Sheet cake as a fast, even-baking hero 04:00 – Flavor lanes chosen: peanut butter, coconut, cherry 06:00 – Cake-cutting technique and Carla's knife standards 09:00 – Petit fours vs. patience 12:00 – Piping bags enter the chat 15:00 – Coconut cream + ganache build 18:00 – Taste tests and immediate regret (in a good way) 21:00 – Why this cake works for parties and trifles 24:00 – Fan questions and kitchen philosophy 31:00 – Giveaway reveal 34:00 – Final cake recap and controlled chaos 🙌 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors FreshDirect → Fresh groceries delivered straight to your door. https://www.freshdirect.com Frontgate → Premium home, kitchen, and entertaining essentials — including Michael Symon's collection featured on the show. https://frontgate.com Canopy by Hilton → A lifestyle hotel brand by Hilton that aims to provide a local experience. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ewradpy-canopy-jersey-city-arts-district/ 🏡 Production Credits Kitchen Designed by Anthony Carrino → https://anthonycarrino.com Produced by Simple Alien → https://www.simplealien.com/ Camera, Audio and Crew provided by TV Boy → https://tvboynyc.com/ 🍽️ About Chewed Up Three lifestyle icons reunite with zero filter, strong opinions, and even stronger flavors. Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall, and Michael Symon are back in the kitchen with comedy, comfort food, and unfiltered conversation — served loud. Episodes drop 3x a week: Monday – Appetizers Wednesday – Mains Friday – Desserts Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a bite. ▶️ Want to Watch? Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3Z9NDuHH7XP03FXQIhHlQ3 YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@ChewedUpShow 🎧 Want to Listen? Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3Z9NDuHH7XP03FXQIhHlQ3 Apple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chewed-up/id1840993910 Amazon → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1fc5d229-459b-4334-8970-ce0d6f925982/chewed-up RedCircle → https://redcircle.com/shows/c42dbec1-e576-4927-acc7-f22e988c1a81 🎁 Fan Giveaway Every episode we pick one lucky subscriber for a fan giveaway. This Week's Giveaway: A signed copy of Clinton Kelly's book Freakin' Fabulous — personalized with a custom poem. Want in? 👉 Subscribe and sign up here: https://chewedupshow.com/fangiveaway Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy