Homemade Cake Mix With Variations Food

HOMEMADE CAKE MIX WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Place shortening in a large bowl; Cream 1/2 minute with mixer at medium speed;
• Scrape sides and bottom of bowl; cream another 1/2 minute at same speed.
• Add 4 cups sugar, 1 cup at a time. After each addition, cream 1 minute at medium speed.
• In separate bowl sift together 3 times flour, baking powder, salt, and 3-2/3 cups of sugar; sift last time into a clean bowl.
• Add 2 cups of sifted ingredients to shortening-sugar.
• Blend 1/2 minute at medium speed.
• Turn mixture into dry ingredients; blend until it looks like cornmeal, be sure all ingredients are well blended.
• TO STORE MIX: Measure mix into 6 equal parts; Spoon it lightly into measuring cup; Each part should be 3-1/2 cups; Place each part into a quart glass jar or zip-lock bags; Cover and store in a cool, dark place; When stored properly, mix stays fresh for up to a month; For longer shelf-life, store in the freezer.
• Each cake mix serving will make the following size of cake: 1 square cake 8x8x2 inches; 2 round layer cake pans - 8 inches; 1 loaf cake - 10x6-1/2x2 inches; 1 sheet cake - 12x8x1 inches.
• TO MAKE YELLOW CAKE WITH CAKE MIX: Use 3-1/2 Cup cake mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 medium eggs, and 3/4 cup milk; Place mix into a bowl; Make a well in center of mix; Add eggs, vanilla and all the milk to the mixture; Beat mixture 1 minute with electric mixer at low speed, scraping sides of bowl; Beat 2 minutes longer at same speed; Batter should be smooth and free of lumps; Pour into desired pans and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 - 40 minutes; Cake is done when it springs back up when pressed lightly in center.
• VARATIONS:.
• WHITE CAKE: Use 3 medium egg whites instead of whole eggs.
• SPICE CAKE: Add to the mix for cake: 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon cloves.
• ORANGE CAKE: Add 1 teaspoon grated orange rind to mix and use 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract in place of vanilla.
• CHOCOLATE CAKE: Add 2 extra tablespoons of milk; Stir liquid ingredients into mix until just blended; Add 2 squares of melted chocolate and blend into mixture; Continue mixing batter as directed.

CAKE MIXES FROM SCRATCH AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• For a Yellow Cake: Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening until fine crumbs are formed. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then high for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently.
• Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Variation for a White Cake: Prepare as for the basic cake except use 3 egg whites for the 2 whole eggs. Whites may be beaten separately and added for a lighter cake.
• Variation for a Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the basic cake mix prior to adding the milk.
• Variation for a Spice Cake: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice to the basic cake mix.
• Variation for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Melt 1/2 cup butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, stirring into the butter. Arrange pineapple slices in the pan. Top with the basic (yellow cake) mix recipe. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, cool 5 minutes, and invert to serve.

HOMEMADE YELLOW CAKE AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, and pudding.
• Add eggs in one at a time.
• Add in sour cream and vanilla. Mix well.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Add flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with milk starting and finishing with flour mixture.
• Pour into well greased and floured 13x9 pan.
• Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
• Variation for White Cake: Use 4 egg whites instead of the 3 whole eggs.
• Variation for Spice Cake: Add 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4+1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4+1/8 teaspoon ground cloves to the flour mixture.
• Variation for Chocolate Cake: Use chocolate pudding mix and 1/3 cup cocoa. (I then up the milk a little.).

BUTTER CAKE WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Grease a loaf tin.
• Preheat oven to 175°C.
• Sift flour and salt 3 times.
• In a mixing bowl cream butter and castor sugar with vanilla essence until mixture is white, light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each.
• Fold sifted flour into creamed mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour.
• When mixture is smooth, pour into prepared tin.
• Lightly smooth top and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a fine skewer will come out clean.
• Cool cake on few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
• VARIATIONS.
• Lemon Cake - add the grated rind of 1 lemon and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, omit the vanilla essence.
• Orange Cake - add the grated rind of 1 orange and 2 teaspoons of orange juice, omit the vanilla essence.
• Sultana Cake - add 4 to 6 ounces of sultanas and 1 teaspoon of spice. (now 3/4 cup sultanas and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice).
• Seed Cake - add 1 tablespoon caraway seeds to mixture and sprinkle extra teaspoon of seeds on top before baking.
• Spice Cake - sift 1 teaspoon spice with flour, add 4 ounces chopped dates or chopped walnuts to mixture. (now sift 1 teaspoon spice - ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom or mixed spice with the flour and add 3/4 cup chopped dates or walnuts to the mixture).
• Chocolate Cake - add 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, dissolved in a little milk. (now - add 60 grams melted dark chocolate to creamed mixture, before the flour).

MAKE YOUR OWN CAKE MIX

Steps:

• Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend.
• Mix in sugar.
• Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly.
• Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature.
• Makes 1 pakage mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9 x 13 x 2 inch rectangle.
• To Use:.
• Pour 1 package of mix into a mixing bowl;.
• add 3/4 cup milk and 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• Using either an electric or manual rotary beater, beat at slow to medium speed for two minutes (by hand, beat 3 minutes averaging 135 strokes per minute). Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as you beat.
• Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more (2 minutes by hand).
• Grease and dust with flour your choice of pan(s); spread batter evenly in pans.
• Bake round cake pans at 375 degrees F. for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• bake the 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool cake(s) for 10 minutes in their pan(s) before turning out on racks.
• Variations:.
• WHITE CAKE.
• Follow the same directions as for Yellow Cake replacing the 2 eggs with 3 unbeaten egg whites. Use an electric mixer for beating.
• SPICE CAKE.
• Add to the package of Yellow Cake Mix: 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of ground allspice. Follow Yellow Cake directions.
• EXTRACT FLAVORED CAKES.
• Replace the vanilla in either the Yellow or White Cake recipes with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the extract of your choice. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring for the flavors like lemon, orange, or cherry, etc.
• FRESH ORANGE CAKE.
• Pour 1 package of Yellow Cake Mix into a bowl; add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel (1 teaspoon dried). Squeeze the juice from 1 large orange and add to it enough water to measure 1 cup. Add this orange juice to the mix, beat for 2 minutes as directed previously; add 2 eggs; beat and bake as directed.
• CUPCAKES.
• Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Makes about 2 dozen.
• NOTE: To prevent a cake from sticking to its pan, put the pan on a wet towel to cool as soon as you take it out of the oven.