Cake recipe

[rie'smom]

Someone posted here a while back about how to make a boxed cake mix taste like a scratch cake. I accidentally deleted it-PLEASE if you have this,post it. My hubby's birthday is next week and he loves cakes that I've baked using this recipe. Thanks so much!

 

[Imzadi]

Do you mean The Cake Mix Doctor cook book recipes by Anne Byrn?
I love The Cake Mix Doctor cook books. What's great about her recipes are that she's researched & tested what ingredients to add so that the "box-mix flavor" of cheap vanillin is covered up. Adding things to a chocolate cake mix such as pure vanilla extract or cinnamon or sour cream or extra cocoa can banish that boxy flavor & boost the chocolate flavor. yet she also found out adding too much additional cocoa powder to a cake mix makes for a dry cake.

Another example: Adding a mashed banana or box of pudding makes a moister, denser "mix" cake. A denser cake is crutial if you are making muli-layers with lots of filling, or a wedding cake with tons of iced flowers. A lighter cake will collapse under all the weight. She also teaches how to lighten up a cake mix for a fluffier cake.

Here's a web excerpt where she talks about adapting cake mixes:
"The theory behind The Cake Mix Doctor is to use handy yet flavorful ingredients to enhance boxed cake mixes to make a dessert which has that "from scratch" taste. I was a from-scratch girl before this project. Although with three children I was using mixes for their school cakes and cupcakes. I tinkered with a white mix, adding whole eggs for more color and moisture. I substituted buttermilk in the chocolate cake mix recipes because I knew buttermilk and chocolate were great partners.

I tell readers not to follow package directions literally but to use them as a framework for what is needed. For example, if the layer cake needs three eggs, 1 1/3 cups water and 1/3 cup oil, use three eggs and the 1/3 cup oil, but don't add water! Add orange juice to a yellow cake mix for fabulous orange cupcakes.

Once you begin doctoring you'll become more confident, adding fruits for flavor and moistness, adding sour cream or yogurt for richness. Doctoring a cake is great fun, which is why this book has done so well. I tell food snobs that baking isn't about the recipe, it's about the moment. It's showing children how to bake, it's whipping up a fast cake even if you think you're too busy. And if I can keep one cook a day from buying a supermarket cake, then the Cake Mix Doctor is happy."

Here's the website for Cakemixdoctor.com and some of her recipes for cakes.
Also: Cake Mix Doctor's Top 10 Tips for Chocolate Cakes

 

[sammielynn]

I have the Cake Mix Dr. Book if you let me know name, kind or flavor maybe I can find it and post for you.

 

[rie'smom]

Thanks y'all!!!!!!!! The recipe is for a white layer cake but Imzadi's post sounds like what I was trying to remember.

 

[Natalie77]

Hey I was also wanting a cake recipe I had seen on here a while back. It used a yellow cake mix and cherry pie filling and I can't remember what else. If anyone remembers that would be great! TIA

 

[Imzadi]

Natalie, are you thinking perhaps of a Dump cake? It's really more like a cobbler but, nevertheless, very tasty

Pour 2 cans of cherry pie filling into it greased cake pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle a yellow cake mix dry over the top. Slice up 3 - 4 Tbsp of butter and dot top of cake mix and bake at about 400 degrees until it's bubbly and the top is browned. (Bake about 20 min.) Serve over vanilla ice cream.

Variations:
Take a large can of pears, with the juice, and dump it into a greased cake pan. Sprinkle a package of blueberry muffin mix over the top. Slice up 3 - 4 Tbsp of butter and dot top of cake mix and bake at about 400 degrees until it's bubbly and the top is browned. SOOOO delicious. (This one was published in Taste of Home's Quick Cooking a while back.)


Pour one large can of peaches in a 9x13 cake pan, sprinkle one spice cake mix over the top, dot with butter and bake.


Cherry Pineapple
Take 1 can of cherry pie filling and put in 9x13 greased cake pan spread out on bottom, then 1 can of crushed pineapple spread on top of cherries, do not mix. Then spread one box of yellow cake mix (any kind). Dot with butter. Optional: top with one cup of crushed pecans.
Put in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30-45 minutes (until top is nicely browned).

2 cans Apple Pie Filling
1 (18 oz) Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix
1 stick of butter or margarine (cut into pats or melted)

Dump pie filling into a 9"x13" baking pan. Dump cake mix evenly over pie filling. Dot top with pats of butter or pour melted butter over mix. Place in 350 degree oven and bake 35 or so minutes. The top will be golden brown and bubbly.

To use fresh apples, peel and slice 5 cups of apples. put them in a kettle along with 3/4 cups sugar, 2 TBSP. cornstarch, 1 tsp. cinnamon (more or less to your liking) and pinch of salt. Stir well, then add 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until apples are soft and mixture is thick. Proceed with recipe above.


Here's a WW dump cake recipe. Very tasty and only costs 3-4 points per serving, depending on the cake mix & kind of fruit I use.

1 box of cake mix
(2) 12 oz. packages unsweetened frozen fruit and/or berries
2 cups diet lemon-lime soda (Sprite, 7-up, etc.)

Spray 9X13" pan with Pam. Spread frozen fruit in bottom of pan. Sprinkle cake mix over fruit. Gently pour soda over cake mix. DO NOT STIR Cover with foil & bake at 350 for 20 min. Uncover & bake 20-30 minutes more till cake topping is set & light brown. Makes 12 servings

 

[lovemygoofy]

There is also a very nice cake thread on the Community Board about cakes and homemade icings that has great recipes.

 

[Natalie77]

Thanks Imazdi! I am going to try on of those this weekend. The blueberry sounds yum!