Home Made Cake Mixes (Big 3 brands now smaller!)
Sept 6, 2012 17:25:34 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 6, 2012 17:25:34 GMT -5
For those of you who enjoy baking, you probably have some recipes that start out with a box of cake mix. Personally, I like to make cookies for the troops that start with a boxed mix, because they stay fresh longer, and I have at least a half dozen cookbooks that are solely recipes that start with a mix.
Well, corporate greed has decreed that the standard size boxes will no longer be 18.25 ounces, which is required for all the recipes that I have...the "Big Three" (Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury) have downsized their boxes to 15.25 ounces. Did they think no one would notice?
Obviously, the recipes don't work anymore.
The Cake Mix Doctor - who has several cookbooks out for "doctored" cake mix recipes - has come out with her own line of cake mixes....but they're $5 a box, plus S&H, which brings them to about $7.50 a box. Thanks, but no thanks!
There are are few ways to get around this so you can use your old recipes. One thing you can do is add 1/3 cup of additional mix to the box you're using to make up the difference. Of course, that involves always keeping a partial box of cake mix on hand, and from reviews I've read, the mixes in the smaller boxes have been reformulated and don't taste as good as they used to. You can still find store brand mixes in the old size, but double-check before buying to make sure they haven't gotten on the greed bandwagon. Finally you can make your own mixes; here are the recipes:
Yellow Cake Mix
Recipe By : Make Your Own Groceries - Hartwig
1 7/8 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend; resift with sugar. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly. Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Makes 1 pakage mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9 x 13 x 2 inch rectangle.
TO USE: Pour 1 package of mix into a mixing bowl; add 3/4 cup milk and 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract. Using either an electric or manual rotary beater, beat at slow to medium speed for two minutes (by hand, beat 3 minutes averaging 135 strokes per minute). Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as you beat. Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more (2 minutes by hand). Grease and dust with flour your choice of pan(s); spread batter evenly in pans. Bake round cake pans at 375 degrees F. for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; bake the 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake(s) for 10 minutes in their pan(s) before turning out on racks.
WHITE CAKE
Follow the same directions as for Yellow Cake replacing the 2 eggs with 3 unbeaten egg whites. Use an electric mixer for beating.
SPICE CAKE
Add to the package of Yellow Cake Mix: 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of ground allspice. Follow Yellow Cake directions.
EXTRACT FLAVORED CAKES
Replace the vanilla in either the Yellow or White Cake recipes with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the extract of your choice. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring for the flavors like lemon, orange, or cherry, etc.
FRESH ORANGE CAKE
Pour 1 package of Yellow Cake Mix into a bowl; add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel (1 teaspoon dried). Squeeze the juice from 1 large orange and add to it enough water to measure 1 cup. Add this orange juice to the mix, beat for 2 minutes as directed previously; add 2 eggs; beat and bake as directed.
CUPCAKES
Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Makes about 2 dozen.
NOTE: To prevent a cake from sticking to its pan, put the pan on a wet towel to cool as soon as you take it out of the oven.
Chocolate Cake Mix
Recipe By : Make Your Own Groceries - Hartwig
1 7/8 cups cake flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt; stir to blend; resift with sugar. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly. Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Makes 1 package of mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9 x 13 x 2 inch rectangle.
TO USE: Pour 1 package of mix into a mixing bowl; add 1 1/4 cups milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract. Using an electric mixer, beat at a slow to medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently. Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more. Grease and dust with flour your choice of pan(s); spread batter evenly in pans. Bake round cake pans at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; bake the 9 x 13 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in their pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto racks.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES: Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 2 dozen.
Well, corporate greed has decreed that the standard size boxes will no longer be 18.25 ounces, which is required for all the recipes that I have...the "Big Three" (Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury) have downsized their boxes to 15.25 ounces. Did they think no one would notice?
Obviously, the recipes don't work anymore. The Cake Mix Doctor - who has several cookbooks out for "doctored" cake mix recipes - has come out with her own line of cake mixes....but they're $5 a box, plus S&H, which brings them to about $7.50 a box. Thanks, but no thanks!
There are are few ways to get around this so you can use your old recipes. One thing you can do is add 1/3 cup of additional mix to the box you're using to make up the difference. Of course, that involves always keeping a partial box of cake mix on hand, and from reviews I've read, the mixes in the smaller boxes have been reformulated and don't taste as good as they used to. You can still find store brand mixes in the old size, but double-check before buying to make sure they haven't gotten on the greed bandwagon. Finally you can make your own mixes; here are the recipes:
Yellow Cake Mix
Recipe By : Make Your Own Groceries - Hartwig
1 7/8 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend; resift with sugar. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly. Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Makes 1 pakage mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9 x 13 x 2 inch rectangle.
TO USE: Pour 1 package of mix into a mixing bowl; add 3/4 cup milk and 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract. Using either an electric or manual rotary beater, beat at slow to medium speed for two minutes (by hand, beat 3 minutes averaging 135 strokes per minute). Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as you beat. Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more (2 minutes by hand). Grease and dust with flour your choice of pan(s); spread batter evenly in pans. Bake round cake pans at 375 degrees F. for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; bake the 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake(s) for 10 minutes in their pan(s) before turning out on racks.
WHITE CAKE
Follow the same directions as for Yellow Cake replacing the 2 eggs with 3 unbeaten egg whites. Use an electric mixer for beating.
SPICE CAKE
Add to the package of Yellow Cake Mix: 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of ground allspice. Follow Yellow Cake directions.
EXTRACT FLAVORED CAKES
Replace the vanilla in either the Yellow or White Cake recipes with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the extract of your choice. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring for the flavors like lemon, orange, or cherry, etc.
FRESH ORANGE CAKE
Pour 1 package of Yellow Cake Mix into a bowl; add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel (1 teaspoon dried). Squeeze the juice from 1 large orange and add to it enough water to measure 1 cup. Add this orange juice to the mix, beat for 2 minutes as directed previously; add 2 eggs; beat and bake as directed.
CUPCAKES
Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Makes about 2 dozen.
NOTE: To prevent a cake from sticking to its pan, put the pan on a wet towel to cool as soon as you take it out of the oven.
Chocolate Cake Mix
Recipe By : Make Your Own Groceries - Hartwig
1 7/8 cups cake flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt; stir to blend; resift with sugar. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly. Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Makes 1 package of mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9 x 13 x 2 inch rectangle.
TO USE: Pour 1 package of mix into a mixing bowl; add 1 1/4 cups milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract. Using an electric mixer, beat at a slow to medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently. Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more. Grease and dust with flour your choice of pan(s); spread batter evenly in pans. Bake round cake pans at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; bake the 9 x 13 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in their pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto racks.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES: Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 2 dozen.
