ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

[Sewcute]

I am looking for the BEST from scratch recipes... Im tired of all the crap in the box mixes. I want to be adventurous!
TIA

[jackibowen]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

Sewcute,
This is a recipe for The Commisary's signature dish their Carrot Cake it's awsome.
http://athomebysteveposes.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/commissary-carrot-cake-recipe/

[Bean]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

This cake is AMAZING! Make it ahead a day or two, it’s even better!

I use dark chocolate cocoa powder.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (up to 1 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source – AllRecipes

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I have made it many times, using different frostings, here are a couple -



Rick's Special Buttercream Frosting

2 cups shortening
8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.
Add salt, vanilla, and 6 ounces whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional 2 ounces whipping cream if necessary. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

Source - AllRecipes

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Butter Cream Frosting II

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy. Add salt, vanilla, confectioners' sugar and milk. Beat well.

[Bean]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

I have to add this one, even though you use a box mix...

This cake was outstanding. You would never ever guess there was sherry in it. So moist and highly addictive.

*I used the baker’s spray for the pan and used lemon pudding in place of the vanilla.

Charleston Poppy Seed Cake

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350º. Lightly mist a 10 inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Set the pan aside.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. Batter should look well combined and thickened and the poppy seeds should be well distributed. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place pan in oven.

Bake cake until is golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and sides are pulling away from pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so that the cake is right side up. Allow the cake to cool completely, 30 minutes or more.

Source - The Cake Doctor Cookbook

[Bean]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

A great way to use up those ripe bananas! Watch the time, it only took 28 min. in my oven.

Banana-Nut Coffee Cake

This is a wonderful breakfast or dessert recipe. It is best if served slightly warm. Serve with strawberries, bananas, or a mixed fruit cup.

Serves 10-12

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 soft-ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 sour cream
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Streusel Topping

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbs. butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy with electric mixer; Blend in banana, sour cream, and egg.

Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture alternately with milk, blending after each addition until combined.

In a small bowl mix flour, sugars, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle the top with streusel, then with walnuts.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares, but serve warm.

[Bean]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

I have several more using boxed mixes to jazz the cakes up, let me know if you are interested.

[Sewcute]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

These look AWESOME! Thank you!

Bean - I have three cook books of the "jazzing up the box mixes" , and I cherish them... I just want from SCRATCH ya know?
Thank you for eveything!

[JoycerAz]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

[QUOTE=Bean;431848]I have to add this one, even though you use a box mix...

This cake was outstanding. You would never ever guess there was sherry in it. So moist and highly addictive.

*I used the baker’s spray for the pan and used lemon pudding in place of the vanilla.

Charleston Poppy Seed Cake

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350º. Lightly mist a 10 inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Set the pan aside.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. Batter should look well combined and thickened and the poppy seeds should be well distributed. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place pan in oven.

Bake cake until is golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and sides are pulling away from pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so that the cake is right side up. Allow the cake to cool completely, 30 minutes or more.

Source - The Cake Doctor Cookbook[/QUOTE]

Love the Cake Doctor recipes--have several of her cookbooks! I do cook alot from scratch but also love the box cake mix recipes! There have been quite a few on Pinterest (I am addicted!) and plan to make them soon--

[Rubelishous]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

I had a lot of bananas to use up.

Chocolate chip Banana Bread

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 bananas, mashed (1 cup mashed banana)
1 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F .

Grease and flour an 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or use baking spray).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in the oil, bananas and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips (do not over mix!) and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70-80 minutes. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely, right side up.


Chocolate Banana Bread

1/2 C toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch processed or regular)
1 C granulated white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C white, dark, or milk chocolate chips
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe bananas (approx. 1 pound, mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse brown sugar (optional). Bake until bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be covered and stored for a few days, or frozen for longer storage.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

[Kayce]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

Italian Cream Cake

Use the cream cheese frosting listed below and you have a scrumptious dessert!

* 2 c. sugar
* 1 stick butter
* 1 T. butter flavoring
* 2 c. flour
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 c. shortening
* 5 eggs, separated
* 1 c. buttermilk
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 2 c. coconut
* 1 c. chopped pecans

Cream sugar, shortening, and butter. Beat until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add butter flavor and buttermilk alternately with flour and baking powder. Mix well. Add coconut and pecans. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.

For the cream cheese frosting:

* 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
* 1 stick butter, softened
* 1 tsp butter flavor
* 4 c. super smooth icing sugar

[Kayce]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

this is our favorite pound cake the edges are crusty and yummy.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1- 8oz. cream cheese
1 cup margarine ( I use butter)
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. orange flavoring
1 tsp. vanilla
6 eggs
3 cups Swans Down cake flour (don't sift)

Cream cheese, margarine and sugar together mixing well;

Add flavorings; Beat in eggs one at a time mixing well after each one.

Gradually add cake flour blending well'

Grease a tube,or bundt pan, pour in batter.
Place in a COLD oven turn on to 300º .Bake approx. 1 hour 20 minutes, or till tester comes out clean,and cake is light brown in color.

[night-angel]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

I can't thank Gary Solomon for this recipe..... AMAZING, never a crumb left.


Gary Solomon's Carrot Cake

CARROT CAKE

2c. All purpose flour
2tsp. soda
1/2tsp. salt
2tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4c. vegetable oil
3/4c. buttermilk
2c. sugar
2tsp. vanilla
1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapples, drained
2c. grated carrots
1 (3 1/2oz.) can flaked coconut
1c. chopped walnuts

Combine flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. Combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture, pineapple, carrots, coconut and nuts.

Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round pans. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Immediately pour buttermilk glaze evenly over layers. Cool in pans 15 minutes, remove from pans and let cool completely. Spread orange cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Store cake in refrigerator.

BUTTERMILK GLAZE:
1c. sugar
1/2tsp. soda
1/2c. buttermilk
1/2c. butter
1Tbsp. Light corn syrup
1tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup in a dutch oven; bring to boil, cook 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over cake layers in pan.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1/2c. butter, softened
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1tsp. vanilla
2c. sifted powdered sugar
1tsp. orange juice
1/2tsp. grated orange peel

Combine butter and cream cheese, beating until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, orange juice and orange peel; beat until smooth. (You may need to add more powdered sugar to get the desired consistency for spreading.) Spread on cake.I know it sounds like a good bit of work, but it is SOOOOO good.

Courtesy of www.RecipeCake.com

[grammygram]

Re: ISO: your BEST "from scratch" cake mix recipes!

The recipe for the one bowl chocolate cake that was posted by Bean is like mine except instead of 1 cup boiling water, I use 1 cup hot coffee. I think it gives it a richer cake, imo.