Doctored Cake Mix Recipes
I have doctored cake mixes since I started, almost 30 years ago. I have never followed the recipe on the box of cake mix. I have always substituted buttermilk, milk, coffee, espresso, liquid coffee creamers and liquors as liquid in the mix; adding melted sweet butter in place of oil, use extra-large eggs, dry instant pudding, ground chocolate chips, nuts, melted chocolate, candy pieces, coconut, etc. These techniques have given my cakes a simple gourmet flair.
Not only do I doctor the cakes, I make all my own flavored simple syrups, ganache, fillings and mousse to achieve a gourmet cake without the fuss of making the basic flavors from scratch. Most people cannot tell if the cake is a doctored mix or from scratch.
I believe you cannot replace an applesauce, carrot, spice or unusual flavor cake with a mix, these are best when made from scratch.
Please enjoy the following cake recipes; these recipes have been enjoyed by many customers, family, friends and students for many years.
Chocolate Kahlua Cake
- 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil’s food cake mix
- 1/4 instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding, Dry Mix
- 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)
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 2 – 8-inch round cake pans, (*Note- See Baking Hints, on how to prepare pans and baking instructions) set the pans aside.
- Place the cake mix, dry pudding, Kahlua, buttermilk, butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. 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 again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
- Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 28 to 30 minutes or longer if oven is turned down. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks run a knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
- Finish cake by frosting with Kahula Frosting, recipe found under “Frosting Recipes.”
Chocolate Truffle Cake
- 1 Duncan Hines Devil’s Food or Chocolate Stout Cake * See Note
- 1 /4 cup instant chocolate pudding
- 1 /2 cup fine quality chocolate chips, ground in food processor
- ¼– ½ tsp Powder Vanilla or other flavor of choice- Perfect Palate Flavors by More Than Cake
- 1 /2 cup sweet butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Dry, Vanilla Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer
- 1 cup milk, water, liqueur or dark beer
- 4 Whole Extra Large Eggs
Preheat oven to 325- 350 degrees. Prepare 2-8” cake pans. Mix and bake according to directions on mix. Always bake cake at least one day prior to filling and frosting.
*Note: If using Betty Crocker or Pillsbury with pudding in the mix, you may have to increase butter and liquid. You may use your own favorite homemade chocolate scratch cake recipe or try one from the websites recommended by Kathleen.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Make 1 Recipe Dark or Milk Chocolate Ganache. Recipe follows; set aside to cool.
Dark Chocolate Mousse
2-3 Cups Whipped Pastry Pride, medium peaks (Bakery Supplier)
1 teaspoon vanilla (or) flavor of choice
1/8- 1 /4 cup ground dark or milk chocolate
Continue whipping slowly, add approximately 1 /2 cup cooled dark chocolate ganache or to taste.
Raspberry (or) Strawberry (or) Orange Filling
- 1 ½ cups Strawberry filling, may use preserves, jam, puree or bakery filling (or) for the orange add flavoring
- Orange – Perfect Palate Powder Flavor by More Than Cake (or) oil base
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 Strawberry Filling, then fold a slight amount of Strawberry Filling into Dark Chocolate Mousse, spread on top of dark chocolate/strawberry layer, then place next cake layer, 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 with chocolate ganache dipped strawberries.
Helpful Websites for Cake Recipes
The following websites are a great asset, when searching for new and old family recipes. These sites have wonderful cake recipes from scratch and using cake mixes.