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?

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🎧 Want to Listen?

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🎁 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.

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