The Cake Doctor

[Holly in KC]

I purchased The Cake Doctor this last weekend... on the way home from Barnes&Noble, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up the ingredients to make the light strawberry & applesauce cake.

IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!!

... and easy! White cake mix, pureed frozen strawberries, applesauce, a couple of eggs, mix & bake. Cool & frost with light cream cheese mixed w/ powerdered sugar & some more frozen strawberries.

I'd be happy to post if anyone is interested.

This cookbook could become addictive.

[Robyncz]

I've had this cookbook since it came out. Although I love to bake "for real" sometimes I just don't have the time/energy. We've tried several of the recipes and our favorite so far is the Bacardi Rum Cake. Yummmmm! No one would EVER guess it was based on a mix.

[Lynn B]

Holly,

I would LOVE that recipe! Thank you!

Also, could you tell me a little more about that cookbook? Is it "The Cake MIX Doctor"? That one I have seen - but I've never gotten a chance to really look at it. What are some of the other recipes? What do you love most about it? Thanks!

Lynn

[Jessica]

I went to a birthday party last weekend and the cake was a coconut cake from the Cake Mix Doctor. It was not light--frosting was coconut, sugar and sour cream--but it was fabulous.

[Chefzhat]

FAVOR PLEASE????

I have two yellow cake mixes in my cabinet that I was ready to donate (not that that's a BAD idea) but would love to use them. Would you be so kind as to post a recipe that will use them? They are the little Jiffy boxes.

I would really appreciate it!! I have been wanting to buy that book, I'll have to put it on my christmas list!

Thanks!
Debie

[wyopatti]

Sounds like a great book, but I'm interested to know if there are a lot of light recipes in the book?

[RobinC]

Heck! That's all I needed to hear. I've had my eye on The Cake Doctor for a while now. All I needed was to hear one good review. Somehow I can see myself stopping at the bookstore on the way home tonight.

[Holly in KC]

Oops - Lynn - you are correct, I was referring to The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. I usually like to make most things from scratch, but sometimes I just don't have the time. I've only made the one recipe so far, but there are A LOT of recipes that look fantastic! And it was so easy!! No need to worry about making sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature, no need to worry about mixing "just right"! And I thought the added flavors really masked the typical "box" taste. I can think of lots of occasions that I'll be able to use this book.

One chapter is devoted to "lighter" recipes. Here's the list of the light recipes:

Better-for-you Pound Cake
Strawberry Applesauce Cake
Zesty Cranberry Cake
Pear and Toasted Pecan Buttermilk Cake
Classic Orange Chiffon Cake
Apricot Lemon Chiffon Cake
Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake
Orange Almond Angel Food Cake
Chocolate-Speckled Peppermint Angel Food Cake
Cinnamon and Pineapple Carrot Sheet Cake


The rest of the chapters are:

Chocolate Cakes (Rich Buttermilk Devils Food w/ White Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, etc.)

Cakes with Fruit (Hummingbird Cake, Peaches & Cream Cake, etc.)

Strike it Rich Cakes (Rich & Decadent: Caramel Cake, Sweet Potato Cake with Coconut Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting)

Cake Mix Classics (Quick Red Velvet Cake, Tomato Soup (!!) Spice Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting)

Special Occasion Cakes (Cannoli Cake, Pumkin Roulade)

Cheesecakes & Gooey Cakes (Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake, Chocolate Marble Gooey Butter Cake)

Coffee Cakes (Cinnamon Breakfast Cake, Honey Bun Cake)

Cakes with Spirit (Chocolate Kahlua Cake, Bacardi Rum Cake, Fuzzy Navel Cake)

Incredible Bars & Comforting Cookies (Apricot Almond Squares, Cranberry Oat Crumble Bars)

This Can't Contain Cake Mix (Desserts that don't look like cake - like Cherry Dump Cake, Sour Cream Pear Buckle)

Here's the strawberry cake I made:


Strawberry Applesauce Cake
Cake:
1 package plain white cake mix (18.25 oz)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed & pureed
1/2 cup sweetened applesauce
2 large eggs

Frosting
4 ounces (I used more) reduced fat cream cheese - room temp
1/2 cup strawberry preserves (i used more strawberry puree)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Lightly mist a 12 cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour.

Place cake mix, strawberry puree, applesauce, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides if necessary. The batter should look well combined and thickened. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothig it out with the rubber spatula. Place in the oven.

Bake the cake until it is light brown and springs back when pressed lightly with your finder, 30 - 35 minutes (mine took a little longer). Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long sharp knife around the edge of the cake (not really necessary) and invert onto a plate. Let cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Place the cream cheese and the strawberry preserves in a medium-size mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low spped until just combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the confectioners sugar. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, one minute more.

Spread the frosting over the top and sides fo the cooled cake with clean smooth strokes (I used a fair amount of strawberry puree in my frosting, so it never really thickened up... I just spooned it over the cake).

Store the cake, covered in waxed paper, in the refrigerator up to 1 week

Note: This cake is delicious unfrosted. So if you are in a hurry, just dust it with 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar. Or, if you have fresh strawberries on hand, omit the frosting and fill the center of the cake with 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt topped with the berries.

Robyn - thanks for the review of the Bacardi cake -- I thought this looked yummy!!

Debie - all of the recipes call for 1 18.25 ounce cake mix... will you be able to use the Jiffy boxes? If so, here are a few that call for yellow cake mix:

Light:
Better for You Pound Cake
Pear and Toasted Pecan Buttermilk Cake
Classic Orange Chiffon Cake
Cinnamon and Pineapple Carrot Sheet Cake

Others (not a complete list)
Finger Lickin Good Cake (with mandarin oranges, pineapple & pistachio pudding frosting)
Orange Dreamsickle Cake
Better than ? Cake
Bacardi Rum Cake
Orange Rum Zum Cake
Pina Colada Cake
Fuzzy Navel Cake
Kentucky Buttermilk Raisin Cake
Amaretto Cake
Apricot Nectar Cake
Festive Cran-Orange Cake
Hummingbird Cake

Let me know if the Jiffy mixes will work - and if you are interested in any of these recipes.

-h

[Peeps]

Holly- Can I ask you about the Cherry Dump cake? Is that the one with a chocolate mix and a can of cherry pie filling? If so, would you mind terribly posting the recipe (hate to ask since you've posted so generously already!). I am normally a complete from scratch kinda gal but I heard someone mention this cake recently and it intrigues me - especially if they have it listed in the "This Can't Be Cake Mix" section - I feel like I can always taste a "box" mix cake...but this just sounds too good not to try.
THANKS!

[Lynn B]

Oh Holly - thanks for all the prolific posting! That book sounds like it'll be on my kitchen bookshelf soon...

Lynn

[Robyncz]

Peeps,

I'm answering this one because it looks like Holly has already typed her fingers to the bone today--and I also like to "spread the gospel" of The Cake Mix Doctor! The Cherry Dump Cake in the book uses crushed pineapple, cherry pie filling, and yellow cake mix (among other ingredients) so I don't think it's what you're looking for. I grew up on dump cake and it is VERY sweet! It's really more like a cobbler than a cake. You don't slice it, you scoop it and eat it warm.

There is a recipe similar to what you descirbed called "Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake" so here goes. . . (Please excuse any typos--I'm going fast!)


Chocolate-Covered Cherry from The Cake Mix Doctor

Cake:
Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix or devil's food mix with pudding
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure almond extract

Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 package (6 ounces; 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350. Lightly mist a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Back the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack while you prepare the glaze.

3. For the glaze, place the sugar, butter, and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips. When the chips have melted and the glaze is smooth, pour it over the warm cake so that it covers the entire surface. The glaze will be thin but will firm up. Cool the cake for 20 minutes more before cutting it into squares and serving.

Note:
Store this cake, covered in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze the cake, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.

[Holly in KC]

Thanks, Robyn!!! You saved me from carpul tunnel (SP??)

[Elisabeth]

Ooh! I love this Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake (also appears in a Pillsbury Best of Cookbook, I believe). I was actually planning to make it tonight! Definitely recommended--and doesn't taste like a box cake at all. Must try the strawberry-applesauce cake now--and must get hold of the cookbook too! Thanks for the review!

[pattiarl]

I was given this cookbook by a friend (with ulterior motives) and I have been interested in the hummingbird cake as my mom used to make one from scratch that I liked. But it calls for a mix that doesn't contain pudding and I am having a hard time finding it. It seems that all the Pillsbury ones have pudding and I can't figure out about the Duncan Hines.

Thanks for your help.

[Leonard]

I received the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook as a Christmas gift. I love this book! Before I make one of the cakes, I check out the website for reviews. www.cakemixdoctor.com It's really helpful. Some cakes have "flopped" for people. Kind of like this bb, everyone tries to give advice. I write in my copy of the book what the reviews are. Thumbs up or Thumbs down. So far, I've tried :

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting - great!
Peaches and Cream Cake - great!
Banana Cake with Caramel Frosting - horrible, too heavy and icing was terribly sweet
Lemon Chip Picnic Cake- horrible, too greasy and too lemony
Banana Pudding Cake - great!
Classic Orange Chiffon Cake - my personal favorite, so light and delicious!
Orange Almond Angel Food Cake- great!

[Peeps]

Robyncz - thanks for posting that, it does sound like what I was thinking of! I'm intrigued to try it, I'll let you know how it goes when I do.

[wyopatti]

I guess you guys know there's a Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor cookbook coming out this fall. You can pre-order it on amazon.com.

[Pat]

I was in a TJ Maxx yesterday and saw this cookbook for $9.95 if anyone is still looking for a copy.

[ReneeV]

I love this book. I do cake decorating and confectionary work and I often use this book, instead of baking from scratch, depending on the type, or texture cake I need.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I posted the recipe for the Better-for-You Pound cake. I just loved this recipe. Its taste and texture were remarkably like a traditional pound cake. My family ate this in no time flat and they aren't really cake eaters. Sorry, I don't remember the heading I used, but I did post the recipe less than a month ago.


Renée

[Karen M]

I just bought the two books at Costco yesterday ($9.49/ea)! Made the Fresh Peach Pecan Kuchen last night. Boy, was it good.

I think I'll try one of the poppyseed cakes next.

[BlueMoose]

Originally posted by wyopatti
I guess you guys know there's a Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor cookbook coming out this fall. You can pre-order it on amazon.com.

Isn't it out already? I thought I saw it at Sam's. I had to resist temptation!

[SueK]

Originally posted by BlueMoose


Isn't it out already? I thought I saw it at Sam's. I had to resist temptation!

I thought it was, too. Maybe they're just promoting pretty heavily.

I have to chime in and put in more good words about the Cake Mix Doctor. This cookbook is great! I've whipped up many a dessert at last minute notice and they all turned out great!

[valchemist]

chrisi,

that post you quoted was from last year...

so you are correct.

val

[BlueMoose]

Duh....sorry! I guess I wasn't seeing things, then! Not this time, anyway.

[claire797]

This book is sooooo fun to read, however, I've been trying to make more scratch cakes lately and haven't made much from The Cake Mix Doctor.

I did make her version of the Red Velvet Cake this past week and it was delicious. There are two versions. One is from the Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor and begins with a white cake mix and the other is from The Cake Mix Doctor and begins with a German chocolate cake mix. I made the white cake mix version.

[hendsl]

The best recipe in the book is the Honeybun Coffeecake. It travels great and stays moist for a long time.

[Leonard]

I am a HUGE fan of Anne's. I have both books. I posted my favorite "top 10" list on her website. I make cakes for all my friends parties and their birthdays. In other words, I bake alot. Thank God I don't eat alot of it! Anyway, I must have made 25 or 30 of her cakes. Only 2 I didn't care for. Anyway, you MUST try her "Triple Chocolate Raspberry Cake". It is to die for!! I'm sure it's posted on her website. Just do a search. www.cakemixdoctor.com

[ellielk]

I just saw the Cake Mix Doctor at Half Price Books and think I'll go by there to get it this evening. Someone gave me the Chocolate Cake Mix Dr. book for my work Xmas gift exchange but the recipes just look too rich and I don't bake too many cakes anymore. But...just in case...

[valchemist]

the lemon white chocolate cake posted on that website looks great. anyone here tried it?

I looked for the recipe for the honeybun cake on the website, but couldn't find it. can someone describe what that cake is like for me? I would like the recipe, but if you could just describe it (appearance and taste and key ingredients), that would be fine. I will probably end up getting this book anyway.

val

[valchemist]

p.s.
the reason I ask about the honeybun cake is that it reminded me of a favorite food I had when I was little...Morton's Honeybuns. Oh yummy!! They were (or are still?) found in the freezer case at the grocery store. anyone ever had 'em?