Tag: Duncan Hines Cake mixes

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Fall Orange Cake

Chocolate Castles4 Comments

If you are wondering how Fall Orange cake is different from Spring Orange cake…it is really very simple, it is made in the Fall instead of the Spring. Why do I get hankerings (where did that word come from, I’ve  never used that before?) for cakes which I have not ever made before or necessarily even wanted to make? I don’t have an answer for that except to say that maybe as we “mature” (don’t like to say, “get older”) our tastes change and our bodies crave different flavors for what we need? I don’t know, maybe if I ever win the lotto, I will use $100 to do a study on that. But in the meantime, I will just keep baking what sounds good at the time. Today, for some reason, orange sounded good. Maybe because I have looked at an orange staring back at me from the fruit basket on the counter since last Saturday. So today, I could not go another minute without making a fresh orange cake. Randy is eating the piece that I cut for his mid morning snack, even though it is past mid morning. But he is always so eager to show his support for me baking and willing to sample whatever. He IS a jewel! Seriously, this cake is so moist and the homemade orange buttercream frosting just took it to a new level.  If you add a little orange food coloring, wouldn’t it be pretty to have on your Thanksgiving dessert table next to the pumpkin pies? Do not pay attention to the blue tray it is sitting on, that is my “go to” tray when I am taking food someplace where I might not get the tray back, so I use it for times like that.

Ingredients

1 box Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix

1 small box of vanilla instant pudding

4 large eggs, room temp

1 cup fresh orange juice (we had the orange juice with heavy pulp)

1/3 cup veggie oil

2 tables orange zest

About 1-2 tables orange juice (to brush over cake layers after they bake)

Frosting

1 stick softened butter (not margarine, yuck)

3 1/2 cups (or a 1 lb box) of powdered sugar

1/2 teas orange extract

1 tables orange zest

Enough fresh orange juice to get it of spreading consistency. (I added about 1/3 cup of orange juice.

Add cake mix, pudding mix, 1 cup orange juice, eggs, oil and zest to mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes and well combined. Pour into desired baking pans and bake according to back of cake mix box for whatever size of pans you used. When cake tests done, remove from oven and allow to cool. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the orange juice over the top of the cake layer (s). Allow to cool completely and frost.

Frosting

Combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, extract  zest and add enough orange juice to mix until spreading consistency. Frost cakes when completely cooled.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Upon seeing this today on Facebook, I immediately went to the store and bought a spice cake mix and after practicing making more cake balls today then rewarding myself with another piece of Key Lime Pie which I made yesterday for company, THEN I am going to make this cake. One can never have too many desserts in the house. After all, I think I lost a pound this weekend when we skipped breakfast on Saturday. That calls for a celebration of the best kind, celebrating with cake! Thank you Country Cook for sharing this wonderful comforting recipe which will bring in the Fall Season (even when the temps are still above 100.

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teas ground cinnamon

1 box of Spice  Cake Mix

1 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon. Mix well, it will look pretty thin, but that is correct.

Pour this mixture into the baking dish. Then sprinkle the dry cake mix on top of the pumpkin mixture. Drizzle all of the melted butter on top of the cake mix.

Bake for about 55-60 minutes. It might still be just a bit jiggly in the middle when done. It will continue to set up as it cools. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Great with a spoonful of ice cream or whipped cream.

Perfect for those wonderful Pot Luck dinners and so easy to whip up when you have company and put it in the oven while playing Hand & Foot or Dominoes. Will be ready when you take your first break.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts · Fruit

Chocolate Cherry Creme Cake

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Last weekend had me making several cherry pies to help celebrate our son, Cameron’s 30th. He is a cherry pie addict. I guess I had really never noticed recipes on the backs of Oregon Fruit Product Pitted dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup but for some reason, last Saturday I did. This recipe was written on the back of the label. I never thought I would be able to say that I didn’t have cream cheese in my fridge, ready to bake in an instant, but today, I have no cream cheese. As soon as I can get to the store, I am making this cake. I might even add a little hot fudge to the individual pieces when serving.

1 Duncan Hines Chocolate Cake Mix, baked according to directions on box for 9×13 using the eggs, oil and water.

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teas vanilla or almond extract

2 cans Oregon Dark Sweet Pitted Cherries, drained, reserve syrup

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cake according to directions on box and pour into prepared and greased 9×13″ pan. Bake as directed on box. Let cake cool completely. Make cream cheese filling.

Cream Cheese Filling

In small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in Eagle Brand milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and extract. Spread on cooled cake, leaving an edge of the dark cake showing all around for a nice presentation. Refrigerate until set.

Topping:

Drain cherries, reserving syrup. In small saucepan, combine syrup from cherries, cornstarch and sugar. Mix until smooth. Heat and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cherries. Let cool. with a small spoon, arrange the cherries only on top of the cake. Do not use the thickened syrup, only what stays on the cherries. Keep cake in fridge. When serving, use syrup to spoon over individual pieces and top with whipped whipping cream if desired.

Uncategorized

Orange Marmalade Cake

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ImageThis cake is such a refreshing dessert for the hot summer days. I found it on Pinch A Recipe and adapted it to make a quicker version. It had called for a white cake two layer cake, but since I had an orange cake mix, I decided to use it for this.

One french vanilla or orange cake mix baked according to box directions in two 9″ layer pans.  I replaced the water the directions called for with apricot nectar and added about a tables of orange zest to the batter. I froze one layer for later use.

When cake comes out of oven, poke holes in it and brush orange juice or any flavor of nectar over the cake. (I used the apricot that was left over from the can that I used to add to the cake mix, as I had it on hand). Let cool completely. Place on serving plate and frost with the following.

Frosting

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup sour cream

Smooth the marmalade over the cooled layer. Whip the whipping cream and powdered sugar until cream is holding a shape when beaters are lifted. Add sour cream to creamed mixture and beat until all is blended. Top the cake layer with this creamed mixture. Store in fridge. Sprinkle orange zest over top and add cut orange wedges if desired. 

 

 

Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Cookies With Class

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What a weekend. Am baking 400 cookies for a church event next weekend so needed a recipe that was quick and easy. After going on-line to see what I could find, I came across the old fashioned Jello Cookie and the Cake Mix Cookie. Years ago, I had had a cake mix cookie which I didn’t think tasted very good, too salty. I decided that if I substituted unsalted butter for the oil or margarine that the recipe called for, it would help not be as salty, so that’s what I did. These cookies are great, easy and so quick to make. They certainly hold their shape and would make a great cookie if you are mailing cookies to a college student, servicemen or having a group you have having to bake for. Be sure to use the unsalted butter as it makes all the difference in the world. The first recipe just uses cake mix and the second one uses cake mix along with jello. Both make a great sugar type cookie and is cheaper than buying bought rolled cookie dough and I think a lot better homemade taste. It also opens up a world of different flavors besides just peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies. See what you think and remember…baking is a great way to make a new memory

1 box cake mix (15 oz size) any flavor. (I used strawberry and orange and lemon)

1 stick of very soft unsalted butter

1 egg

MIx the 3 ingredients together until they are throughly mixed. Using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon, place balls of batter onto cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. (If you don’t use parchment paper, just be sure to not grease cookie sheet.)
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 10-12 minutes. Bottoms will be a little golden around the edges but just till firm to the touch. Be sure you don’t over bake. These are really good made into a sandwich cookie by spreading about a teaspoon of you favorite frosting between two cookies, flat sides facing in.

Jello Cookies

1 (15 oz) white cake mix (actually any flavor, but if you are wanting to keep colors of jello you are using to stay true colors, use the white, otherwise the yellow or other flavors might change the color)

1 small (3 oz) package jello, regular, not sugar free

2/3 cup oil (what I did was use half melted unsalted butter and half oil) You could use all melted unsalted butter if desired.

1 egg

Mix all ingredients and bake in preheated  350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

A great combination is using chocolate cake mix with raspberry or cherry flavored jello.

I use a yellow cake mix with cherry lemonade jello. Those were really good and so pretty.