Doctored Cake Mix Recipes
For nearly 45 year I've been expertly doctoring cake mixes. Never one to stick to the instructions on the box, I've always preferred to add my own touch. Whether it's substituting buttermilk, milk, coffee, espresso, liquid coffee creamers, or liquors as the liquid component, or swapping out oil for melted sweet butter, using extra-large eggs, incorporating dry instant pudding, or adding in ground chocolate chips, nuts, melted chocolate, candy pieces, coconut, and more – these techniques have elevated my cakes to a simple gourmet flair.
But that's not all. In addition to doctoring the cake mixes themselves, I also craft all my own flavored simple syrups, ganache, fillings, and mousses. This allows me to achieve a gourmet cake without the fuss of starting from scratch. The result? Most people can't tell if the cake is a doctored mix or made entirely from scratch.
However, I firmly believe that certain flavors like applesauce, carrot, spice, or other unusual varieties are best when made from scratch.
Please enjoy the following cake recipes; these tried-and-tested creations have been savored by countless customers, family members, friends, and students over the years.
Before starting, preheat your oven and bring all ingredient to room temperature.
Chocolate Kahlua Cake
Ingredients:
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix
1/4 cup instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding, Dry Mix
1/2 teaspoon powder vanilla - More Than Cake
3/4 cup Kahlua
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted.
4 large eggs
1/2 cup ground chocolate chips (ground with metal blade of food processor)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325-350°F (163-177°C) Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, dry pudding mix, Kahlua, buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs.
Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for an additional 2 minutes until well combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth with a spatula.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Frost with Kahula Frosting.
Chocolate Truffle Cake
Ingredients:
1 Duncan Hines Devil’s Food or Homemade Chocolate Stout Cake
1/4 cup instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup fine quality chocolate chips, ground in food processor
1/2 teaspoon powder vanilla - More Than Cake
1/2 cup unsalted sweet butter, melted.
1/4 cup dry Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer
1 cup milk, water, liqueur, or dark beer
4 extra large eggs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325-350°F. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans.
Mix and bake the cake according to the directions on the mix, the length of time will vary when baking at lower temperature.
Let the cake cool completely before filling and frosting.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients:
Make 1 recipe Dark or Milk Chocolate Ganache. Recipe follows; set aside to cool.
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
2-3 cups Whipped Pastry Pride, medium peaks (from Bakery Supplier)
1 teaspoon vanilla (or) 1/8 tsp of Perfect Palate Powder - More Than Cake
1/8-1/4 cup ground dark or milk chocolate
Instructions:
Continue whipping slowly, add approximately 1/2 cup cooled dark chocolate ganache or to taste.
Raspberry (or) Strawberry (or) Orange Filling
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Strawberry filling, preserves, jam, puree, or bakery filling (for orange, add Perfect Palate Powder - More Than Cake or oil-based flavoring to ganache)
Instructions:
Assemble Cake: Torte each white cake layer, spray with simple syrup, spread dark chocolate orange ganache on each layer and/or spread a thin layer of Strawberry Filling, then fold a slight amount of Strawberry Filling into Dark Chocolate Mousse, spread on top of dark chocolate/strawberry layer, then place the next cake layer. Repeat until you have three layers of filling. Crumb-coat the cake with remaining Pastry Pride, continue to frost cake, comb sides, and drizzle with slightly melted ganache or decorate as desired with chocolate ganache-dipped strawberries.
White Chocolate Raspberry (or Strawberry) Truffle Cake
Ingredients:
1 Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
2 tablespoons Cake Flour (if using Duncan Hines)
1/2 teaspoon Perfect Palate Vanilla Powder More Than Cake
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted.
1/3 cup vanilla Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer
1 cup Milk, Water, or Liqueur (or) 1/2 cup Milk & 1/2 cup sour cream.
1 extra-large egg,
2 extra-large egg whites
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325-350°F (163-177°C). Prepare 2-8” cake pans. Mix and bake according to directions on the mix, the length of time will vary when baking at lower temperature. Always bake the cake at least one day prior to filling and frosting.
Note: If using Betty Crocker or Pillsbury with pudding in the mix, you may need to adjust the oil and liquid amounts. Feel free to use your favorite homemade white cake recipe or explore recommendations from Kathleen's suggested websites.
White Chocolate Ganache:
Make 1 Recipe White Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows); set aside to cool.
White Chocolate Mousse:
2-3 cups Whipped Pastry Pride, medium peaks.
1/8 teaspoon powder vanilla (or) white chocolate flavor by Perfect Palate - More Than Cake
Continue whipping non-dairy topping slowly. Add approximately 1/2 cup cooled white chocolate ganache; do not over whip.
Raspberry (or Strawberry) Filling:
1-1 1/2 cups Raspberry filling (may use preserves, jam, puree, or bakery filling)
Assemble Cake:
Torte each white cake layer, spray with simple syrup, spread white chocolate ganache on each layer, then spread a thin layer of Raspberry Filling. Fold a slight amount of Raspberry Filling into White Chocolate Mousse, spread on top of white chocolate/raspberry layer, then place the next cake layer. Repeat until you have three layers of filling.
Crumb coat cake with remaining Pastry Pride, continue to frost cake, comb sides, and drizzle with slightly melted ganache or decorate as desired.
Helpful Websites for Cake Recipes
These websites are great assets when searching for new and old family recipes. They have wonderful cake recipes from scratch and using cake mixes:
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