I used to pride myself on my baked goods and for years made all my cakes and cookies from scratch - in fact, I turned up my nose at cake mixes. But then, I became a wife and mother, cake mix cakes were all that I started making!
I purchased the first The Cake Mix Doctor book that was published and it helped me tremendously in all my baking endeavors. Now I'm a baker/cake designer who does everything from scratch but a few months ago I came across the original again and decided to find all of the books in the series and share recipe preparation on my YouTube channel. However this post in me talking about each of the books in case someone wants to try them out. They're a great investment for a novice who is afraid to step into the from scratch world.
Let's start with the original Cake Mix Doctor. You'll find many delicious recipes in this book, and most can be whipped up and in the oven in under 30 minutes. I found it easiest and quickest to bake the cakes in a tube pan, and make a simple glaze to drizzle on top. Most also freeze well, so sometimes I'll bake a cake in two loaf pans and store one in the freezer to have available later. I probably bake several cakes a month - to give as thank-you's, to welcome new neighbors, to bring to dinners at friends', for my husband to take to work. You'll also find that once you get the hang of making these cakes, you'll come up with your own combinations. Don't be afraid to deviate from the cake mix and pudding flavors suggested in the recipes. My favorite combination, one that I use in many of the recipes, involves Duncan Hines Golden Butter Recipe and Butterscotch pudding mix. One recipe that took me by surprise was the biscotti - so easy, and so delicious! My only complaint about the book is that Anne offers helpful hints (e.g., substituting pan sizes, add-ins for cakes, loaf pan ideas) that are sprinkled rather haphazardly throughout the book. I find myself marking these pages with little stickies so that I can find them easily. Have fun!
Next was Cupcake by The Cake Mix Doctor. I don't often give cookbooks a 5 star, just because many of them have only a few new recipes that I would try, or because the format is poor. Oftentimes, I check out cookbooks from my local library, pick out the recipes that I want to try, and jot them down. When I started to do that with this book, however, I noticed that I was marking several pages in a row, and pretty soon had most of the pages bookmarked! I stopped marking, returned the book to the library, and purchased my own copy.
What makes this seemingly simple concept so special? Well, as the author points out, most people love cupcakes. They are versatile, portable, and easy to create. You can make cupcakes as simple or as creative as you would like. And this great book of over 135 recipes can help in any situation. Need 2 dozen cupcakes for the class bake sale and want the cupcakes to look incredible? Want to impress your dinner guests but not spend hours in the kitchen? Want to wow your kids with a special treat after school? You can make up a batch of cupcakes that will accomplish all of these tasks. I loved the fact that most of the recipes start with a box of cake mix, and ingredients that I keep in my pantry and refrigerator.
I love this book. The recipes are simple, delicious and fun to make. I particularly liked the explanation of ingredients used and a list of substitutions. There is such a variety of baked goods and frostings that you can make a different one every week. Several customers who are gluten-free and they have loved the ones I have tried and have requested repeats. Even those who are not gluten- free have enjoyed themselves and commented on the delicious flavor.
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns is a compendium of over 160 mouth-watering recipes that turn ordinary cake mixes into extraordinarily scrumptious desserts. Author Ann Byrn has appeared on dozens of television and radio shows such as "Good Morning America" and "All Things Considered" to share her delicacies; now she brings the straight scoop on everything from layer cakes to bundt and pound cakes to sheet cakes, cupcakes, brownies, bars, cookies and more. Many recipes include a space on the left of the page especially for inventive chefs to jot down notes! An absolute "must" for the cookbook collection of any cake lover, highly recommended.
So this is my favored that's why I saved it for last. This is a terrific follow-up to The Cake Mix Doctor. This time around though, the recipes focus on a broader variety of desserts that can be made from chocolate cake and brownie mixes. Making a few simple substitutions and/or additions to a basic chocolate cake or brownie mix can give you a dessert that will silence most "cake mix doubters". No one will believe the Triple Decker Chocolate Raspberry Cake began with a mix! This time, Chocolate From the Cake Mix Doctor adds more variety than just chocolate cakes with a larger number of brownies, muffins, bars and little cakes than seen in the previous book. As in her first CMD book, Byrn gives recipes for terrific scratch frostings which are what really set these cakes apart. There are clear tips and suggestions in a thoroughly updated first section and great ideas in neat boxes at nearly every recipe. My favorite thing about the book is the website that goes along with it, where bakers can ask questions about a recipe in the book and get reviews and suggestions from other bakers.If you are a fan of chocolate, bake a lot or are looking for a way to make your chocolate cakes a bit less ordinary--this book will not disappoint you.
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