Cake Mix

Hey there...I went to Cooking School this winter in Sebring with Michele. She told us a tip about using a boxed cake mix, substitute a couple of ingredients and no one would know you didn't make the cake from scratch..... so with everything else I learnt that one went out the window. Can you help.

Cheryl,

This is one someone gave me but I haven't tried it yet.  She says it taste and has the texture of a cake made from scratch.

1 box cake mix

add 1/4 cup powdered sugar

use milk instead of water

soft BUTTER instead of oil

eggs  as directed on box

add 1 teaspoon of vanilla,  or 1/2 teaspoon of almond flavor to mixture (do not add almond to

chocolate or spice mix)

  Everything else as directed on the cake mix box.

Read the label on the box and see if ithas dihydrogen monoxide in it. If you are using milk you don'twant dihydrogen monoxide in your cake

Cheryl,

This is from a cake decorating class I took several years ago.

1 box mix

ingredients on box  using milk instead of water plus ingredients below

1/2 cup self-rising flour or (1/2 cup all purpose flour ,3/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare and bake as directed on the box.

This is a little different variation on the recipe

1/2 cup self rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream (not reduced fat)  I use only 1 cup of liquid called for on the box and sometime use fruit juice or milk

1 teaspoon desired flavoring

Box of mix plus ingredients on box.  Prepare and bake according to box directions.

I have used both of these, but I use the first one more because I don't always have sour cream.

The texture and taste of these are a little different from just plain cake mix. Sorry, I don't know how to describe it maybe a little more like homemade. ???????????

Here's one recipe I used from McCormick & Co.  It tastes like a scratch cake to me.

1 box yellow cake mix (18 1/4 oz)

1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding (I use the sugar-free)

1 cup water

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

4 eggs

Grease and flour 2 8" cake pans.  Beat all ingredients in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just to moisten, scraping sides often.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.  Divide batter between the 2 pans.  Bake 27-32 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool in pans 10 minutes,  Remove from pans;  cool completely on wire racks.

I toss in many differnet things....

substitiute for part of the water: flavored liquid coffee creamer

                                              sour cream

                                              coffee (for chocolate mixes)

                                              orange juice (for white, yellow, or lemon mixes)

other add ins:  2 Tbl cappuchino powder into a spice or chocolate mix

                      1/2 pkg of an instant flavored pudding-

                      grated orand or lemon rind

                      1/2 c crushed oreo cookie crumbs

                      1/2 c mini chocolate chips

                      craisens

.....you get the idea 

I tried the additions you suggested and My cake turned out beautiful.

Oops I forgot to say that I used the suggestions of Sway.

Cheryl,

Which recipe did you use ?

sway

Hi Cheryl,

I went to one the cooking school presentations too.  The presenter mentioned replacing the water called for on the box with milk and replacing the oil called for with butter.

 Happy baking!

     I tried Sway's suggestion and it turned out high and beautiful but it still tasted like a box cake. Next time I will leave out the almound flavoring.

If one has to go to all the trouble to measure, mix and bake why not just make a cake to begin with?  A box cake will never taste as good as a real homemade cake.  No matter what you add there are still all those unpronouncable artificial ingredients in a mix.  The old faithful 1234 cake is always a success.  1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour and 4 eggs, plus 1 cup milk, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 or 2 tsp  vanilla.  Mix by the standard metnod of creaming butter and sugar, adding eggs one at a time and then the dry ingrdients alternately with the milk.  (I usually just put the vanilla into the milk before adding it to the cake) This will make a 10 inch pound cake, two or three layers or 24 cupcakes.  Simple as can be..  This can be changed by using almond or lemon extract, nutmeg or mace or any number of other combinations.

If I have to mess us dishes and turn on my oven, I make it from scratch.  If not I just buy it ready to take the lid off and serve.