My grandmother was widely regarded as an expert cook in her small town in Wyoming. During the time when box cake mixes were just beginning to be a thing, granddad stated he didn't think they were any good and didn't want grandma to use them. One day things were a busy and grandma broke out a Duncan Hines box mix. "Dear how was the cake?"" she slyly asked. Followed by "It was delicious as usual." End of the box cake ban.
Of course grandma never made anything "straight" she always used the directions as a guide not a requirement. If asked what she added to the basic directions it was always a pinch of this, a handful of that, a dash of something else. For context, her hands were bigger than the average man's so her pinch was...?
One of the big mix makers changed ALL of their recipes last year, for some stupid reason or other. They make less now and they're not as good. I can't remember if it was Duncan Hines or Better Crocker or both.
The lowered the weight by 2.5 ounces or so (maybe more). So the yield is a LOT less. They also changed a number of the ingredients, though I'm not sure what. I guess I'm not going to be buy pre-mades anymore and go back to making them from scratch.
I use lard quite often in baking, if it is good lard then it won't add any flavor. I substitute it in for butter with no trouble.
I would use fresh herbs where you can, keeping in mind that you use a bit less of the dried for the same flavor as they are a bit more concentrated.
Avocado oil, likewise, isn't going to add a lot of flavor, so anything you like should work just fine!
Beef tallow, (pork tallow is lard) may bring a flavor, and it will be up to you if you want to try it in a sweet dish - I'd hesitate, but that's up to what you like, and how much scent your tallow had. I'd lean towards a heavier spice mix for it, adding more to cover the flavor/scent.
so I was inspired by your recipe here, but used 1 cup of plum wine in place of the white and replaced the spices with chinese 5 spice. I haven't even topped with with whipped cream yet, but they are fantastic! I had never thought about using wine in a cake mix before!
I used to use box mixes for making cookies. So many combinations! Sold them at the concession stand for basketball games for HS. Never had any left over.
Funny, I keep a stock of cake mixes, but cookies I just whip up from scratch. I used to bake them constantly, so I guess they are just easier for me to throw them together.
Let's see if I remember....1 box cake mix (the cheaper the better - but any flavor), 1 egg, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 (or less) cup water. Add whatever additions (nuts, baking chips, nuggets and so on, sky's the limit) bake at 350 (I think, -could be 375? been a while), for 13-15 min (depending on size and/or elevation) I always used parchment paper under so I could slide the whole shebang over to cooling racks and get the next set started, as I usually did somewhere between 6-12 dozen. Slightly soft and chewy with golden edges.
I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of canned frosting. But I always keep three boxes of powdered confectioner's sugar and extra butter and creamcheese in the fridge - just in case.
On making the cakes, I do 'cheat' more these days than I used to and use a mix. Well, except on devil's food cakes. Those are just incredibly simple.
My grandmother was widely regarded as an expert cook in her small town in Wyoming. During the time when box cake mixes were just beginning to be a thing, granddad stated he didn't think they were any good and didn't want grandma to use them. One day things were a busy and grandma broke out a Duncan Hines box mix. "Dear how was the cake?"" she slyly asked. Followed by "It was delicious as usual." End of the box cake ban.
Of course grandma never made anything "straight" she always used the directions as a guide not a requirement. If asked what she added to the basic directions it was always a pinch of this, a handful of that, a dash of something else. For context, her hands were bigger than the average man's so her pinch was...?
Thanks for the memories.
One of the big mix makers changed ALL of their recipes last year, for some stupid reason or other. They make less now and they're not as good. I can't remember if it was Duncan Hines or Better Crocker or both.
Sad.
Just found out it was all of them :-(
A lot of them are made in the same places, using the same formula, and then just put in different packaging. Do you know what the change was?
The lowered the weight by 2.5 ounces or so (maybe more). So the yield is a LOT less. They also changed a number of the ingredients, though I'm not sure what. I guess I'm not going to be buy pre-mades anymore and go back to making them from scratch.
When you are making the olive oil + herb combo where tartness is going to come from lemon frosting, are dried herbs better than fresh?
Also what fun spicevflavors would work with avocado oil. Or rendered pork tallow?
(Yes, I discovered I can make my whole grain buttermilk bread with tallow. W00t)
I use lard quite often in baking, if it is good lard then it won't add any flavor. I substitute it in for butter with no trouble.
I would use fresh herbs where you can, keeping in mind that you use a bit less of the dried for the same flavor as they are a bit more concentrated.
Avocado oil, likewise, isn't going to add a lot of flavor, so anything you like should work just fine!
Beef tallow, (pork tallow is lard) may bring a flavor, and it will be up to you if you want to try it in a sweet dish - I'd hesitate, but that's up to what you like, and how much scent your tallow had. I'd lean towards a heavier spice mix for it, adding more to cover the flavor/scent.
so I was inspired by your recipe here, but used 1 cup of plum wine in place of the white and replaced the spices with chinese 5 spice. I haven't even topped with with whipped cream yet, but they are fantastic! I had never thought about using wine in a cake mix before!
I used to use box mixes for making cookies. So many combinations! Sold them at the concession stand for basketball games for HS. Never had any left over.
Funny, I keep a stock of cake mixes, but cookies I just whip up from scratch. I used to bake them constantly, so I guess they are just easier for me to throw them together.
Let's see if I remember....1 box cake mix (the cheaper the better - but any flavor), 1 egg, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 (or less) cup water. Add whatever additions (nuts, baking chips, nuggets and so on, sky's the limit) bake at 350 (I think, -could be 375? been a while), for 13-15 min (depending on size and/or elevation) I always used parchment paper under so I could slide the whole shebang over to cooling racks and get the next set started, as I usually did somewhere between 6-12 dozen. Slightly soft and chewy with golden edges.
I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of canned frosting. But I always keep three boxes of powdered confectioner's sugar and extra butter and creamcheese in the fridge - just in case.
On making the cakes, I do 'cheat' more these days than I used to and use a mix. Well, except on devil's food cakes. Those are just incredibly simple.