I collect cookbooks and have many that I have read but never pick up again. Here's one I go back to time and again. Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor. I don't own the the original cake mix doctor book because, well. what for? I would probably only use the chocolate ones anyway.
The whole idea is you doctor up a cake mix with other ingredients and get a great cake in the end (or brownie, muffin, cookie) After looking them over a few times, I found that several are the same recipe with maybe one eggs difference and baked in a different pan with a different icing. Then it is called a different name. I think that is kind of weird but maybe the only way to fill over 460 pages.
I still think it is a great book and the point is you can make your cake from a mix but always use homemade icing and I can't agree more!
Some of my favorites include: Mint Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Dark Chocolate Sheet Cake, and this great one.
Triple Chocolate to Live for Muffins (because you don;t want to die. You want to live to eat them and there are many variations of this recipe all through the book)
1 plain Devils food cake mix (Duncan Hines because it has no pudding in the mix)
1 package chocolate instant pudding mix
1 C. sour cream
1/2 C. water (I use milk)
1/2 C. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 C chocolate chips.
Throw the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and beat for 2 minutes or so. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill muffin papers in pan 2/3 full and bake about 20-23 minutes.
Here are some of MY tips.
Don't over beat but make sure you scrape the sides and mix thoroughly. Don't over bake your cakes or they will be dry. I changed the bake time above because I found most of the recipes in this book have too long of times.
I always use milk in cake mixes instead of water, whether they are doctored or not. I learned that years ago in a cake decorating class and it was great advice. It gives you a more tender cake.
This book is host to many great frosting recipes and I think this one is worth the price of the book.
Orange -Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
4 T. butter
1/4 C. cocoa powder
1 t. orange extract
3 3/4 C. powdered sugar
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add extract (I add a dash of salt, too) and mix well and beat as you add the dry ingredients. Beat until fluffy scraping sides. This makes enough to frost those cupcakes or a 2 layer cake.
My sister likes the original cake mix book and my MIL has the cupcake one. So many recipes in here can be adapted to cupcakes, too.
I also have the Dinner Doctor. It has neat ideas but I haven't used it much. I'll let you know if I do!
The whole idea is you doctor up a cake mix with other ingredients and get a great cake in the end (or brownie, muffin, cookie) After looking them over a few times, I found that several are the same recipe with maybe one eggs difference and baked in a different pan with a different icing. Then it is called a different name. I think that is kind of weird but maybe the only way to fill over 460 pages.
I still think it is a great book and the point is you can make your cake from a mix but always use homemade icing and I can't agree more!
Some of my favorites include: Mint Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Dark Chocolate Sheet Cake, and this great one.
Triple Chocolate to Live for Muffins (because you don;t want to die. You want to live to eat them and there are many variations of this recipe all through the book)
1 plain Devils food cake mix (Duncan Hines because it has no pudding in the mix)
1 package chocolate instant pudding mix
1 C. sour cream
1/2 C. water (I use milk)
1/2 C. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 C chocolate chips.
Throw the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and beat for 2 minutes or so. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill muffin papers in pan 2/3 full and bake about 20-23 minutes.
Here are some of MY tips.
Don't over beat but make sure you scrape the sides and mix thoroughly. Don't over bake your cakes or they will be dry. I changed the bake time above because I found most of the recipes in this book have too long of times.
I always use milk in cake mixes instead of water, whether they are doctored or not. I learned that years ago in a cake decorating class and it was great advice. It gives you a more tender cake.
This book is host to many great frosting recipes and I think this one is worth the price of the book.
Orange -Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
4 T. butter
1/4 C. cocoa powder
1 t. orange extract
3 3/4 C. powdered sugar
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add extract (I add a dash of salt, too) and mix well and beat as you add the dry ingredients. Beat until fluffy scraping sides. This makes enough to frost those cupcakes or a 2 layer cake.
My sister likes the original cake mix book and my MIL has the cupcake one. So many recipes in here can be adapted to cupcakes, too.
I also have the Dinner Doctor. It has neat ideas but I haven't used it much. I'll let you know if I do!
3 comments:
oh my gosh...the kids will be in school and maybe i can make this soon and lick to bowl myself!!! Yummy!
Sounds like a WONDERFUL cookbook and a YUMMY recipe...need to add it to my collection (I seem to collect them ~ don't necessary get around to cooking much but LOVE reading them LOL)!!
I'm following your tips and baking a cake today!
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