Sawyer - The Everything Cake Mix Cookbook

THE
EVERYTHING
CAKE MIX COOKBOOK
Some of my favorite memoriesand probably many of yoursare those of gathering around the table for a dinner with family and friends. But dinners like these are becoming more of a special event than a facet of daily life. Want to make them a more common event around your house? Tempt your friends and family to the table with irresistible home baked desserts. This doesnt have to mean spending hours in the kitchen whipping something up from scratch or doubling your grocery bill buying gourmet ingredients. Prepared cake mixes allow you to create a home-baked treat your family will love. Its easy on your wallet, and it takes almost no time at all.

The trick is knowing what to do with a cake mix. This book offers recipes, tips, tricks, combinations, and preparations that will help you transform the humble box in your pantry into a favorite family dessert. Enjoy them. Have fun baking and savor the time you spend enjoying family dinners with those you love.
Cheers!
Welcome to the EVERYTHING Series!
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You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials.
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We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When youre done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything! Answers to common questions
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PUBLISHER Karen Cooper DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Katrina Schroeder ASSISTANT DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Elizabeth Kassab EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hillary Thompson EVERYTHING SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander LAYOUT DESIGNERS Colleen Cunningham, Elisabeth Lariviere, Ashley Vierra, Denise Wallace
Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com THE
EVERYTHING
CAKE MIX
COOKBOOK
Sarah K. Sawyer
Copyright 2009 by F+W Media, Inc.

All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-60550-657-5
ISBN 13: 978-1-60550-657-9
eISBN: 978-1-60550-667-8
Printed in the United States of America.
J I H G F E D C B A
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963. To Ginny Sawyer, whose legendary
baking started this ball rolling.

Contents Acknowledgments So many people have invested time and effort into making this book a success. Thank you Grandma Ginny for your baking inspiration, and to Mom for teaching me the basics of home baking. Thanks go to Brian, Ken, and Mike for offering my first opportunity to write professionally for home bakers, and to Libby for talking me through the process of recipe creation and presentation. None of this would be happening without you.
Thanks also to Bob and Katrina for seeing me through the process of writing this manuscript. Your patience and guidance are precious and made this possible. Thank you.

Introduction CAKES ARE THE FOOD of celebration. People bake them for the special events in life, or just to celebrate the end of a particularly lovely meal. They can have the simple flavors youd expect from a basic cake, or they can surprise and delight the palate with unusual additions and creative ingredients. They can be homely in appearance or elaborately decorated. They can be a flavorful showcase of the cooks artistry or a fun collaboration for the kids. he possibilities are endless, and cake mix makes them easy enough for cooks of all levels.

Baking a cake is more than ticking off an item on the big nights to-do list; its continuing a traditional art form. Its the creation of something delicious and wholesome to share with others. Every attempt to bake a cake holds within it the possibility that it will become a favorite recipe, one to be shared with friends and family and to be anticipated whenever dear ones gather. The first step in baking a cake is, of course, planning. This doesnt have to include huge amounts of researchthats already been done. All thats really required is calmly thinking through the details.

How many people are eating? Is this event fancy or family style? Do the diners enjoying this cake have dietary restrictions or allergies you must consider? Last, and most important, what recipe, ingredient, or technique would be fun to tackle next? With these questions answered, searching for the perfect recipe is much easier. A quick glance at this books table of contents will point you to recipes designed for holidays and special occasions as well as for family dinners. Youll also find recipes for those with special dietary needs, or cooks ready to try new ingredients. Read interesting recipes through carefully and entirely before selecting one. Its easy to miss a step, a piece of equipment, or an ingredient by reading too quickly, so take it slow. Make a list of things you need and then gather them before you start.

Theres nothing worse than being halfway through a project and realizing youre missing an ingredient or tool. The must-have list of ingredients in this book starts with one thing: cake mix. Some recipes call for a specific brand or flavor, but most allow a little wiggle room. Keep a stash of basic flavors and frostings in a cool, dry cabinet and youll be ready to bake when the event presents itself. Now, a quick word about this main ingredient. Some feel that baking with cake mix is cheating and that a cake isnt truly home-baked unless the cook spent hours in the kitchen measuring, mixing, baking, frosting, and plating the picture-perfect slice.