# What can I substitute for cake mix?



## lezlishoemaker (Jun 9, 2009)

I just received all of my mother-in-law's recipes and have learned that the woman I thought was a from-scratch baker (the way I was taught!) only has recipes that start with a yellow or white cake mix!!!
Is there a way to make her recipes without using a cake mix. I have none of these lying around, and don't believe I ever have...
Help!


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## SRL (Jun 9, 2009)

If you enjoyed her baking and would like to continue to use her recipes, embrace the dark side! Nothing wrong with using a cake mix and many people actually prefer their spongy, but tender, texture to scratch recipes.

OK, I'm gonna go hide now before people beat me up for saying that.


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## babetoo (Jun 9, 2009)

SRL said:


> If you enjoyed her baking and would like to continue to use her recipes, embrace the dark side! Nothing wrong with using a cake mix and many people actually prefer their spongy, but tender, texture to scratch recipes.
> 
> OK, I'm gonna go hide now before people beat me up for saying that.


 
i won't beat u up, i agree with you. flour, salt leavening sugar is the same in cake mix as it is in measuring it out for yourself. some worry about the chemicals. i don't. if they were really much of a threat , i would be dead already. my dad would never eat anything with chemical in it. he died of cancer. so go figure


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## kadesma (Jun 9, 2009)

If you truly don't want to use a cake mix, google up a yellow or white cake  and make it and finish it off with your m-i-l's recipe, I'm sure it will be great.
kadesma


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## mombearto4 (Jun 10, 2009)

Does this help?

Cake Mix

3 1/3 cups shortening
5 tablespoons double-acting baking powder
7 2/3 cups granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons salt
11 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Place shortening at room temperature in a large mixing 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.

Sift together 3 times, flour, baking powder, salt, and 3 2/3 cups of sugar. Sift last time into a clean mixing 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-type plastic bags. Cover and store in a cool, dark place; or place in a metal can, cover, and store in a cool place. When stored properly, mix stays fresh for up to a month. For longer shelf-life, store in the freezer.

Yellow Cake

3 1/2 cups cake mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
3/4 cup milk

Place mix into a 2-quart bowl. Make a well in center of mix. Add eggs, vanilla extract and all the milk to the mixture. Beat mixture 1 minute with electric mixer at low speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl to be sure all ingredients are mixed. 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 to 40 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back up when pressed lightly in center.

Variations:

White Cake

Use 3 medium egg whites instead of whole eggs.

Spice Cake

Add to the mix for cake:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
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 extract.

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.

Yield:

1 (8-inch) square cake
2 (8-inch) round layer cake pans
1 (10 x 6 1/2 x 2-inch) loaf cake
1 (12 x 8-inch) sheet cake


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## letscook (Jun 10, 2009)

mombearto4,  love the idea of having making your own mix on hand but Question???  storing the flour mixture in with the shortening, won't the shortening absorbe the flour and make the whole thing oily blob? 

lezlishoemaker  No violence here !   I had always made my cakes by scratch, now that it is just the hubbie and me  I find myself using box mixes and find them enjoyable, on special occasion I make from scratch.


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## lezlishoemaker (Jun 11, 2009)

*Thank you!*

Thank you guys so much! I will see what I can do for this. As far as the dark side goes, my husband and stepson are obsessed with Star Wars so I get enough of the dark side. 

Y'all have been a big help!


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## magnoliasouth (Jun 11, 2009)

letscook said:


> mombearto4,  love the idea of having making your own mix on hand but Question???  storing the flour mixture in with the shortening, won't the shortening absorbe the flour and make the whole thing oily blob?


Actually no. Think Bisquick, as that's the same principle. Mixing shortening and flour makes it crumbly but it can be stored very well.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jun 11, 2009)

Also, the basic ratio of fat to flour is three tbs. oil or fat per cup flour.  A boxed mix contains about 3 cups of flour and typically uses 1/3 cup of oil.  For sweetening power, it really depends on what flavor you want to obtain as some cakes are sweeter than others.  For a mildy sweet cake, use about 4 tbs. sugar for every cup of flour.  1 egg per cup of flour is the rule as well.  2 tsp. double acting baking powder works for a cup of flour.  If you want a loftier cake, increase the baking powder by 1 tsp., but you also have to add an extra egg to maintain enough elasticity in the product to keep it from falling apart once it's baked.  If you are using cocoa, read the label.  If it's dutch-processed, that means its been treated with an alkalye to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa.  It helps the cocoa to mix in with the liquids better.  It also means that it won't work with baking soda, called for in some cake recipes.  you will need to use baking powder with dutch-processed cocoa.  Untreated cocoa will react with baking soda and leaven the cake correctly.

I have used my basic pancake recipe and modified it slightly to make a host of different cakes successfully.  If you want the recipe (Goodweed's World Famous, World's Best Pancakes) PM me and I'll pass it along.  It also makes great pancakes.

I'll also give tips on how to modify it to make everything from banana bread to a pineapple upside down cake, to devil's food cake.  Cakes, pancakes, waffles, and breads such as banana bread, zuchini bread, etc., are all very similar in formulation and fall under the "quickbread" category in baked goods.  They are all leavened chemically with either baking soda and an acidic ingredient, or with baking powder.  They are worked lightly to avoid developing gluten int the batter, and are all light and airy, with a tender crumb.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Constance (Jun 12, 2009)

SRL said:


> If you enjoyed her baking and would like to continue to use her recipes, embrace the dark side! Nothing wrong with using a cake mix and many people actually prefer their spongy, but tender, texture to scratch recipes.
> 
> OK, I'm gonna go hide now before people beat me up for saying that.



I agree with you! There's nothing wrong with using a mix...a lot of professionals do. 
Besides, my aunt helped to develop the cake mixes, among other things, in the Betty Crocker Test Kitchens many years ago.


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## jasonr (Jun 18, 2009)

> I agree with you! There's nothing wrong with using a mix...



Yes there is.


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## katybar22 (Jun 18, 2009)

jasonr said:


> Yes there is.


 

Now Now...you may not want to use a mix but if someone else wants to there is nothing wrong with that.  No more frowns.


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