Cake Poll: Mixing it Up with the Cake Mix Doctor, and a Giveaway!
Monday, September 28, 2009 
Growing up, there were a few things that were forbidden in our house, for various moral or health reasons: Doritos, the show Full House, and cake mix.
As a result, I grew up harboring a secret and dark love for all of these things. The crackle of a Doritos bag opening thrills me; I can't hear the theme song from Full House without feeling just a little shiver of excitement; and while I've come to appreciate homemade baked goods far more, I still don't have a huge problem with cake mix.
So it would stand that I've always been intrigued by the "Cake Mix Doctor" series, and as a result, when Laura at Workman Publishing contacted me to see if I'd like to check out the new and improved The Cake Mix Doctor Returns
If you're not familiar with the concept, basically what author Anne Byrne does is take a cake mix and "doctor" it up, offering creative alterations and ingredients that will make all sorts of desserts (not just cakes) with the mix which taste far better than simply mixing-and-baked per the box instructions. And by starting with a cake mix, you have the added ease of not having to make sure you have all of your dry ingredients on hand, which can be helpful for infrequent bakers.
So I tried out several of the recipes in the book, and I have to say, I have been very pleasantly surprised with the results. One in particular though, the "Houdini Bars"--a dense bar cookie with a yellow cake crust filled with a custardy cream cheese, nut, and coconut filling, was so delectable that true to their name, they disappeared in hours (I'll share the recipe in a few days!). Of course, Byrne isn't offering a quick fix to everything--while cake mixes are the core of the book, she insists that you make your own frostings, citing wise words indeed: "frosting is the first and last taste you experience when forking into a slice of cake. It should never be an afterthought", adding that "you can get away with a cake from a mix, but you must make your frosting from scratch."
So, overall, I have to say I was pretty impressed with the book. And I'm not just saying this because Workman donated three copies to give away (although they did)--which leads to the next subject...
Sweet Giveaway!
So, I have three copies of The Cake Mix Doctor Returns
Let the games begin! The Cake Poll will close at 12 p.m. PST on Friday, October 2; the winners will be contacted shortly thereafter. If you are leaving an anonymous comment, please be sure to leave an email address so you can be contacted if you win!
Reader Comments (295)
Say it's semi-homemade! There should be no shame to start with a pre-made cake mix. Some of us just do not have the time or maybe we just don't harbor awesome cake making skills! "Some of us" meaning "me"!
I am honest with folks, if they ask if it is a mix, I'll tell them. Otherwise, it is my little secret!
I don't tell unless I am asked! Then I can say that I started with a mix and added my secret ingredients!
I always add a little something (chocolate chips, vanilla extract, etc.) so it's not ENTIRELY just from a box, haha.
You change it up, it's yours! (tinareid@gmail.com)
As long as you make it at home, it's homemade. Now, if they ask if you made it from scratch or with a box mix then you might be facing an ethics & morals question in how you answer that! :D
Meri Anne
ncflaggs@ctc.net
I always say it was a joint effort. It was made at my house the cake didn't fall out of the box so I say it was homemade with a bit of help. :)
I have no shame in making a cake from a mix but who is going to ask anyway? If they want my secret I'll point to Ms. Crocker, but otherwise just enjoy the cake!
If they don't ask don't tell! :)
Yes! I'm a total homemade cake snob. It breaks my heart every time I bite into, what I'm told is, a 'homemade' cake only to realize it's a mix. Sigh. Did I mention I'm a cake snob?
I think hiding the origin/method of the cake is wrong, especially when the recipient is expecting and paying for a “from scratch” creation. When I’m serving my friends and family and decide we need a fast cake for dessert, I don’t mind throwing together a box with some touch ups. It does the job in a tight spot and no one minds it’s from a box.
For example, I worked for a summer in a “from scratch” bakery/cafe, and it was an enlightening experience. Making cakes in a commercial setting when you lack formal training is both joyful and disheartening. Near the end of the summer, the cafe got a rush order for a small wedding cake and my manager took on the task of actual creation (there was no way in heck I was touching that one even if there was the option to do so). The cake was nice, light and fluffy, but not spectacular. One day, when the managers’ son was taking out the recycling we noticed boxes and boxes of cake mix. The staff put two and two together, and through careful taste tests of scrap bits, the managers nervous attitude about the taste and whether or not she’d added enough almond extract (it’ll hide the flavor of most fake vanilla) we deduced the wedding cake was mix, doctored up.
And that my cake-loving friends, was wrong.
There should be no shame in using a cake mix! It'd be wrong to lie and say you didn't use a mix if you used one, but I believe it's homemade if it came out of your oven and a few dishes got dirty in the process.
Melissa
http://foodiesatworkdotcom.blogspot.com/
I think everyone can tell when I use a mix...I just serve it right out of the pan. When I make something from scratch, I put a LOT more effort into it :)
Not one bit wrong! Of all the cakes I make, I always get rave reviews about one.....which starts with a Devils Food base...simplest cake to make, and apparently best tasting! And I'm not telling anyone my secret (except for the thousands that read cakespy..whoops).
Not at all. I think it's just fine to lie your butt off about it, because when it comes down to it, you made something delicious and that should be good enough for anyone!
I am always sharing my Neiman Marcus Bar recipe and am not one bit ashamed that it has a cake mix in it! So I say, tell the truth!
Only if they ask! If they don't ask how you made your cake or for the recipe, there is nothing wrong with keeping quiet about the cake mix. If they do ask, however, fess up!
The cake mix becomes an ingredient. I've used her recipes before and you do so much "doctoring" it is just like using a spice blend.
Kathleen in St. Louis
I agree with many people - I don't think it's wrong at all. The difference is that 'homemade' to me and everyone I know means made in my own kitchen and baked with love. 'From Scratch' means we didn't use a mix.
kstorkko at hotmail dot come
I don't care if the recipe starts with cake mix as long as the end result is delicious! Why bother to hide that you used it?
I prefer to bake from scratch, but I don't think it's necessary to hide it if you started with a cake mix. I think it is tacky to lie about it, though. If someone asks you straight out if you used a mix, why lie?
Some people like the fact that some really great desserts are so simple to make, so no.
That's a super tricky question. If you would have asked me before I started baking I would say no. But now that I bake aon a regular basis and know how EASY it is, I'm sorry cake mix isn't homemade. BUT if you doctor it up and make it your own, then I guess it's ok.
When using a mix, it is definitely "made" at "home", it just doesn't fit the definition of "made from scratch." Hiding it isn't really all that great though, but I don't think you need to shout it out to the world. Personally, I love to surprise people with the "truth" after receiving raves for a doctored cake mix recipe.
I rarely use a mix, but a couple of times over the years when I did and people asked I absolutely told them I used a mix in the recipe and then explained what other ingredients were in it. But I wouldn't volunteer that it's a mix if they didn't ask. :) If it's good, most people won't care anyway!