Think outside the (cake mix) box

I’ve got a love/hate relationship with boxed cake mixes. I suspect they are getting smaller over the years and they have a particular kind of taste not matched by scratch-made cakes, but the ease of making a cake with them is hard to beat. I don’t have a lot of room to bash on them as on my birthday I ask for a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

I recall making cakes from scratch years ago for entry into the Grant County Fair, and while they were good, they never were quite as tender and light as a boxed mix. I know there are recipes today that can get you close to that boxed mix texture, but that’s not what I am focusing on today.

I do like the idea of using the boxed mix as just another ingredient in a recipe, an ingredient that packs a lot of flavor and leavenings.

If you would rather make up the box into a stand-alone cake, you might consider the easy step of poking holes into the cake while still warm with a handle end of a wooden spoon. Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill until cold. Make up a batch of instant pudding. I’d recommend using half-and-half instead of milk. Hey, you’re having dessert anyway, so you might as well indulge! Pour freshly prepared pudding onto chilled cake and place back in the refrigerator for at least another hour.

One thing I haven’t tried yet is taking a fruit flavored gelatin and mixing it into a white cake mix. Sounds interesting and nice a fruity. I’d probably top it with freshly cut fruit that compliments the gelatin flavor and a spritz of freshly whipped cream.

If you would prefer just to make the cake as directed on the box, read the directions carefully first. Preheat your oven. Use size pan specified. Use the liquid called for, usually water. Don’t substitute milk for water or water for milk. You can use liquefied dry milk or half evaporated milk and half water in place of fresh fluid milk. Follow mixing directions exactly. Don’t overbeat or underbeat. That recipe is depending on the air you beat into the batter to help the leavenings work properly to give you the cake you expect. Try to not overbake your cake. Test it when the minimum time is up. You can always leave it in the oven a few more minutes if needed.

PEACH DUMP CAKE

2 15-ounce cans sliced peaches in syrup

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

Ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Empty peaches into pan and carefully spread out. Sprinkle cake mix lightly over the top of the peaches. Gently pack mix into peaches by hand. Drizzle butter over top of mix evenly. Sprinkle with cinnamon as desired. Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

YELLOW CAKE BARS

1 box yellow cake mix

1 large egg

1/2 cup 2 percent milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup white baking chips

1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine mix, egg, milk and oil. Stir in baking chips and sprinkles. Spread into baking pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

BLUEBERRY CRUMB SQUARES

1/2 cup cold butter

1 box yellow cake mix

1 21-ounce can blueberry pie filling

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan. In a food processor, cut butter into cake mix until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup. Press remaining mix onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the baking pan. Pour pie filling over mix. Combine pecans with 1 cup mix and sprinkle over the top of the pie filling. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into bars.

MOLASSES SPICE COOKIE

1 box spice cake mix

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup molasses

6 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or use a pan liner. In a bowl, combine the mix, ginger and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in liquid ingredients until well combined. Scoop by teaspoon fulls onto baking pan, allowing room for cookies to spread. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from pan.

CAKE MIX BROWNIES

1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix

1 box chocolate cake mix

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1 baking pan. In a large bowl, prepare pudding according to package directions. Stir in cake mix then fold in chocolate chips. Pour into baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the middle is set and springs back when touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

BUTTER TOFFEE COOKIES

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 box butter pecan cake mix

12 ounces butterscotch chips

1 cup milk chocolate English toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or use a pan liner. In a large bowl, beat eggs and oil until blended. Stir in mix until well blended. Fold in chips and toffee bits. Scoop by teaspoon fulls onto baking pan, allowing room for cookies to spread. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from pan.