Easy Cake Mix Transformations!!

Here are a few easy fixes to fancy up your cake mix creations! (WARNING:  May not be diet friendly! But then again, it's getting colder outside....)

Almond Blueberry White Cake with Strawberry Swirls

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1/3 cup melted butter (in place of the 1/3 cup oil called for in the box)

1 tbsp almond extract

16 oz of fresh blueberries (frozen overnight; do not wash before freezing)

1 cup of strawberry jam (not sugar free)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

1. Mix strawberry jam with lemon juice and zest.
2. Combine cake mix ingredients (replacing vegetable oil with butter) and almond extract according to directions.  Using electic hand mixer, beat the batter on high for 5 minutes or until batter almost doubles in volume.
3. Rinse frozen blueberries. Fold berries into batter gently.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. 
5. Dab the jam on top of the batter in small portions, evenly across batter.
6. Using a spatula or a spoon, gently swirl jam into batter in a zigzag fashion. Do not mix the jam into the batter fully.
7. Bake according to instructions or until toothpick comes out without wet batter. ~ 30 minues.
8. Let cool and serve! 

Milk Honey Spiced Cake

Ingredients: 

1 box yellow cake mix

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 cup milk

3 tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients for cake mix, along with pumpkin spice and chili powder, according to instructions.
2. Whisk on low for 30 sections, then on medium for no more than 2 minutes.  Batter should be thick and dense.
3. Bake according to instructions in a square pan.
4. In a sauce pan, heat milk slowly until steamy but not boiling.  Turn off heat and stir in honey until evenly mixed.
5. Take cake out when done.  With a fork or a toothpick, poke holes all over the cake. 
6. Pour milk/honey mixture on cake.  
7. Let cool and serve, or refrigerate overnight. 

Easy Mint Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 box devil's cake mix

1 10 oz bag Andes mint chocolate chips

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

1 pint whipping cream

1 tsp mint extract

1 cup powder sugar

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients for cake mix, along with chocolate syrup, according to instructions.
2. Whisk on low for 30 sections, then on high for about 4 minutes.  Batter should be thick and but fairly light.
3. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly scattered in batter.
   
4. Bake according to instructions in round or square pan.
   
5. In a bowl, combine whipping cream, mint extract and powder sugar.  Whisk until thick and foamy (we're making whipped cream!).  It should form and hold peaks.
6. Let cake cool and serve with mint whipped cream!

Other Ideas:

Mexican Chocolate Cake - Add nutmeg, cayenne pepper powder, and cinnamon to cake mix.

Strawberry/Peach/Orange and Cream - Take one cup of strawberry/peach/orange preserve or marmalade and mix with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest.  Dab small portions evenly over white cake batter. Swirl gently into batter, but not mix or blend into batter. You should just see mostly white with ribbons of color.  Also, use whole milk or half-and-half instead of water for the batter.

Happy Cooking!!!