I freely admit it: This cake came straight out of a grocery store box mix. (It was probably Duncan Hines brand). When push comes to shove (i.e., no time to bake from scratch), I will choose a box mix cake over an over priced, but not necessarily any tastier version from the local grocery store bakery section. Sitting on my cook book shelf is a book called The Cake Mix Doctor, which gives you a baziilion ways to modify a cake mix to create special desserts that you would never guess were based on a mix. You can consider this cake my "before" picture, as in "before I read that book and applied one of the techniques." I promise to review future doctored cake mixes here, if and when I get around to it!
Here's Ethan's 17th birthday cake, complete with orange sprinkles on chocolate because he was born two days before Halloween. I remember sitting on the couch with him, barely 48 hours old, cradled in my arms, getting up only to hand out candy to the trick or treaters that year.
Happy birthday to "my little pumpkin!"
Happy Belated B-Day Ethan!
Posted by: Joe | November 09, 2006 at 05:26 PM
I love Duncan Hines box brownies. I buy them 4 or 5 at a times. White cake mix, raspberry jello powder, and rasperry wine make an awesome cake too (thank you allrecipes.com).
Posted by: Garrett | November 10, 2006 at 03:45 PM
Hi guys!
Joe, your "belated" birthday wishes for Ethan are appreciated, especially since it was almost two weeks after the event that I posted that article! (Talk about belated... Sheesh.)
Garrett, your cake sounds a lot like my favorite as a kid: It was lemon or yellow cake mix, infused with lemon jello, with a super intense lemon icing on top.... Hoo boy it makes me pucker to think about it but boy was it good. Now I need to see if I can dig up the recipe!
Posted by: Andrea | November 11, 2006 at 10:03 AM
Since I enjoy decorating so much and make the frosting from scratch, I use the DH box a lot. According to Alton Brown AND Wilton (decorating), Duncan Hines M*ist Deluxe is the best box mix to use. A lower cal variation is to mix one box of mix and one can of diet soda. No eggs, no oil. Just bake as directed. The cake is less in volume, but very tasty with less guilt per serving!
Posted by: cakegrrl | November 11, 2006 at 02:41 PM
Great picture! It would be funnier if he were wearing a crown, though ;).
There's a big old cake mix debate on eGullet. It's kind of funny. I don't have the link, but I believe it keeps getting bumped up in the pastry forum.
Posted by: Anna | January 31, 2007 at 10:33 AM