Quoted message said:Denise~* said:
I don't want to make a new "recipe" from a cake mix (such as making a
new creature food from a box mix), but does anybody have any small
additions that you do to a box cake mix in order to make the flavor better?
I have a bunch of cake mixes, (standard Duncan Hines style) that I
bought on sale a while back & want to use for a birthday party cake, but
want it to "taste" better than the typical box mix.
I would prefer tried & true suggestions, as I don't have the time for
experiments & re-do's Thanks!
You don't say if you have different flavors, sooo.....
First of all, you can't add a lot of extra liquid or sugar in mixes
because they will be packy.
One of the best things I have found is to use a few drops of vanilla.
As well, there are a wide variety of flavorings such as peppermint,
cherry, strawberry, etc. They come like vanilla. Many are available in the
grocery store, but some are in speciality stores (I found my first ones at
Hickory Farms). There is also an imitation butter (packaged like vanilla
and the others). All of them are very good and a few drops are all that is
needed - just like vanilla.
You can also bake the regular mixes in a sheet pan, poke small (toothpick)
holes or larger (end of a wooden spoon or any thing about that size)
in the cake top and pour almost anything over hot to warm cake. Things
like prepared pudding, condensed milk (not evaporated), cream de coconut,
liquor, wine, etc, jam, jelly, ice cream topping, marshmallow cream,
canned pie filling, etc. Then frost. Match the cake, filling, and frosting
flavors so that they go together.
One of my favorites is white cake, cream de coconut (it's in a can and is
used in tropical drinks. It's in the grocery store) *or* a can of
condensed milk. Topped with real, fresh, sweetened whipped cream (*not
cool whip*) and then covered with coconut. yum.
Food colorings also jazz up boxed mixes. Plus, if you want to use cherry
flavoring in a white mix or yellow mix, make the cake pink or red, etc.
You can use regular food coloring like you get at the grocery store. If
you have a cake decorating store, you can buy paste colorings, but unless
you are going to be using a lot of it or will be making buttercream icing,
it is an expense that is not necessary.
ooops. I guess that this tells on me! I use to bake lots of cakes and I
used lots of mixes - and lots of tricks to jazz them up a bit.
Elaine, too
