Them: These cookies are really good, where did you get the recipe?
Me: No where. I made it up.
Them: Really? How do you do that?
Me: I dunno, I just kind of... do.
Or they go like:
G: Kim makes marshmallows.
Co-worker: You make marshmallows?
Me: I make marshmallows.
Co-worker: How do you make marshmallows?
Me: Oh, it's easy. You just cook some sugar to the soft-ball stage, add it to the softened gelatin, then whip it until it's nice and airy.
Co-worker: ... Right.
Or like recently:
Co-worker: And you make everything from scratch? You don't use mixes?
Me: I actually make my own mixes.
Co-worker: To sell?
Me: No, just... cause. It's fun.
You can't beat a mix for convenience when baking, I will freely admit to that. But a boxed mix tastes like a boxed mix. You can't beat homemade for taste.
That's right: the convenience of a mix plus the taste of homemade. And it's so easy to make your own mix; it only takes a few minutes, and then you can whip up an entirely homemade cake easy-peasy next time you need it. Seriously, there's no downsides here. Plus, in the cake batter All THE THINGS era we live in at the moment, you can use homemade mix instead of the preservative-laden, pricey boxed alternatives.
Now, I use butter-flavored shortening in my mixes because it's shelf-stable. I know a lot of people are weirded out by shortening, and I've already been over the reasons that you shouldn't be (non-hydrogenated shortening is available if you're worried about trans fat, and shortening actually contains less saturated (bad) fat and more unsaturated (good) fat per serving than butter.), but you're not likely to change your minds on my say-so, so you can use cold butter, you just have to store the mix in the freezer.
(And please, do not suggest coconut oil to me. That is a pet peeve of mine when people assume something is healthy just because they use it. It's great for cooking, but I've done the research and it's most certainly not health food. Although, if you want coconut cake, that might work as a substitution)
That's Cupcake 'Bot, the cupcake-inspired robot I designed and got 3D printed. Isn't he sweet? (I may or may not have been completely at a loss as to how to photograph cake mix and so broke out the toy robots)
Anyway, yellow cake is one of the most basic staples in any baker's repertoire, and the best for getting that real cake batter flavor. I based this mix off of my favorite yellow cake recipe (bet you can't guess from where), and doesn't have any weirdy powdered ingredients like powdered peanut butter or powdered food coloring. (Although I did see powdered vanilla at Candyland today, and I was tempted to buy it)(I seriously may have a cake mix making problem). So take 5 minutes out of your day and make this mix. Next time you need to bake a cake, you'll be so glad that you did.
Yellow Cake Mix
Yield: Approx. 5½ cups dry mix
Ingredients
2¼ cups flour
1½ cups sugar
½ cup powdered milk (optional)
2½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup butter flavored shortening
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the shortening. Using a pastry cutter (or pulse in a food processor) cut in the shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 6 months.
To bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease and flour, or line with parchment paper, two 9-inch round cake tins. Combine the mix with 3 eggs, ¾ water (or milk, if not using powdered), 1 tsp. almond extract, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Mix well until no lumps remain. Divide the batter equally between the 2 prepared pans, and bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
Based on the Yellow Cake recipe from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook
Covered Appetizers and Entreés
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Party Mix from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
- Personal Steak Pot Pies from The Foodie Army Wife
- Slowcooker Bean and Ham Soup from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
- Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes Au Gratin from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Salmon en Croute from Curious Cuisiniere
- Excellent Beef Stew from Noshing With The Nolands
- Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy from Food Lust People Love
- Pigs in a Blanket (Cabbage Rolls) from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel from Killer Bunnies, Inc
- Bacon Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
- Streusel Topped Apple Pie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Dark Chocolate Cake Batter Truffles from Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Chocolate Satin Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Banana Butterscotch Muffin-Cake from What Smells So Good?
- Chocolate Banoffee Pie from Happy Baking Days
- 1 Easy Chocolate Macaron Recipe, 3 Japanese Wine Fillings from NinjaBaking.com
- Chocolate Covered "Party Popcorn" from Ruffles & Truffles
- Caramel Apple Bundt Cake from Pies and Plots
- Cilantro Turkey Salad with Farro and Mango from Shockingly Delicious covering turkey leftovers
- Back to Basics: How to Truss a Chicken for Roasting from Crazy Foodie Stunts covering a cooking technique
- Peppermint Whip Cream from Peanut Butter and Peppers covering a vegan and dairy-free dessert topping
- Gluten Free Lego Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks covering a gluten-free dessert
- Mexican Coffee Bun from The Urban Mrs covering a dessert with an uncommon ingredient
- Cranberry Walnut Crumble Bars from Magnolia Days covering an idea for fresh cranberries
- Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars from Alida's Kitchen covering a quick and easy cheesecake fix
- Prosciutto covered Rosemary Pork from Family Foodie covering a holiday meal on a budget
- Homemade Yellow Cake Mix from Treats & Trinkets covering a cake mix without the chemicals from store-bought ones
- Waffled Cranberry Cream Cheese Turkey Sandwiches from Neighborfood covering turkey leftovers
- Apple Cider Doughnuts from The Texan New Yorker covering a dish made at home so you don't need to wait in long lines for it
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