Cake mix extender recipe

'Tis the season to make cupcakes and cakes.  I'm sure that a lot of you have classroom parties at school for the next couple months with all the holidays coming up.  But what happens when there is 32 kids in your child's class?  A cake mix only claims to make 24 cupcakes.  So do you bake two boxes of cake mix?  No!  Use the cake mix extender recipe!  This is a recipe that takes the basic cake mix a little bit further. I was able to make 36 cupcakes.  That's 50% more than the regular cake mix.  Or you can make 2 9x13 cakes (just not as high)  Plus I think the cake is just a little bit denser as well.  This recipe is all over the internet, but I've had friend ask for the recipe, so I thought I'd post it here.  (Or maybe it's more for me just in case I ever lose my original piece of paper)

Click here for printable recipe.

Ingredients:

 1 cake mix of choice PLUS all the ingredients listed on the box (eggs, oil, water)
Add:
1 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 pkg instant pudding mix , small size (make sure you pick the flavor of pudding the matches the flavor of your cake)
1 egg
1/2 c water
1 tsp vanilla

The Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients into a bowl.  (the cake mix, and all the extra dry ingredients)

 Now add all the wet ingredients.  Both what is listed on the box PLUS what to add.

 Mix well for a couple minutes with an electric beater.  Scrape down the sides periodically.

 Pour into desired baking pans.  Here I made cupcakes for a Halloween party.

 Follow the directions on the box for how long to bake and the temperature.  (usually 325-250 degrees for about 18 minutes).  See, this made 36 cupcakes with one cake mix box!

I was helping with a cupcake decorating activity at a Halloween party.  Here are some of the cupcakes that the kids made.  I guess with a large supply of sprinkles and candy, they don't know when to stop.

Here are a couple other ones:

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How to Make a Rainbow Layer Cake

Recently I attended a class with my daughters where we learned how to make a rainbow layered cake.  Normally not much a cake baker myself,  I fell in love with seeing everyone's reaction at the end when they cut the cake and pulled out that first rainbow colored slice.   I enjoyed the reaction so much that when my son's birthday rolled around recently I decided that I would make one for his birthday party.  I was impressed with how simple it was to make (using 2 cake mixes) and I loved that it had every bit of that WOW factor for the 10-year-old boys as it did for the teen girls!  

This recipe is very versatile and could be made festive for a number of different holidays (send me pictures of your versions and I'll add them onto the end of this post with a link back to your blog!)

pink and red for Valentine's Day
red and green for Christmas
two different shades of green for St. Patrick's Day (or the rainbow colored)
red, white, and blue for Independence Day
orange and brown for Halloween (1 white cake mix and 1 chocolate)
orange and yellow for candy corn (as shown)

Taking the inspiration from the rainbow colored cake, my 11-year-old daughter decided to make her own version.  She thought it would be fun to create this  candy corn colored cake and decorate the outside with candy corns.  I think it turned out beautifully well, although I had to laugh that at eleven-years-old, her cake decorating skills have already bypassed my own! 
Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:


CAKE  (the ingredients listed are if you are using a Duncan Hines white cake mix.  If using another brand, prepare as directed on that box.)
2 boxes white cake mix
6 egg whites
2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
food coloring (you'll need at least the primary colors for a rainbow)   
at least one 9-inch round cake pan and parchment paper

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
1 cup butter
8 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1+ Tbs. milk (until good frosting consistency has been reached)
food coloring (if desired)

Directions:
CAKE:  Mix together the cake as directed on box.  Divide the batter evenly among seven small bowls (if you're using a double Duncan Hines cake mix it should be about a heaping cup of batter in each bowl).  Dye each bowl of batter your desired color.  


You will have to be liberal with the food coloring in order to get it bright enough.  Read the box of food coloring to get an idea of amounts.  



After each bowl of batter is mixed well and dyed to your desired color, add to a greased 9-inch circle baking pan with parchment paper lining just the bottom.  Spread batter evenly to the edges and pound pan on counter top to get rid of any air bubbles that may remain. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-minutes. 

Repeat for each layer. 

Allow each layer to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.  After layers are cool, wrap in plastic wrap and place on a flat surface in a freezer.  It's okay to stack them.

Allow to freeze for 1 hour or more, then place the color of layer you want on the bottom onto a cake platter. 

FOR FROSTING:  Mix all ingredients together, adding a tablespoon of milk at a time until the right consistency is reached. 

Frost each layer liberally to the edge of the round and place the next layer on top until you've reached the top layer. 

Frost tops and sides of cake. 

If you have time, do a light layer of frosting over the whole cake, then place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, then refrost with a pretty layer of icing. 

If you don't have time to do a second coating, just frost it the best you can. 

To serve, cut into slices and wait for the oohs and aahs! 

Enjoy! 

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Woopie Pie Spiders

Whoopie pies seem to be pretty popular over the past year, so when I wanted to come up with something for a Halloween party, I thought of making these tasty treats into something fun.  While these little cream filled sandwich cakes are super cute,   I thought that it would be yummy and easy to stick licorice in between the two halves and then put eyeballs on top.  Thus the Whoopie Spider was born.  The kids loved it (as well as the adults).  And I have to admit that I had fun making them. 

Don't forget to check out this post for a compilation of all of our favorite fun Halloween ideas in one place!.

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Jen.

 Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix
1/2 c oil
1/2 c water (if free forming your little cakes)  3/4 c water if you have a little Whoopie mold pan)
3 eggs

Container of frosting
shoestring licorice
red hots/M&M's, Skittles, etc for eyes
other decorative sprinkles
Corn Syrup (optional, but to help stick on the eyes)

Directions:
Add all the cake mix ingredients into a bowl and mix together well.

Use a spoon to blob cake dough onto a baking sheet (use parchment paper!).  Try to make the shapes as equal as possible.

OR, if you have a Whoopie pan mold (like the one from Williams Sonoma) , then scoop 1 heaping Tbsp of batter into the pan.  

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool completely.

See how the free form ones worked perfectly fine?  No need for a special pan.  

Turn half of them upside down and spread some frosting on the half.

Lay your licorice legs across the frosting.  Use 4 strings of licorice.  Remember that spiders have 8 legs.  I actually used Pull-n-Peel and then cut each licorice in 1/2 (or even smaller) to make it so the legs weren't too long.

Place the other half of the cakes on the top to make a sandwich.

"Glue" the eyes on with either corn syrup or frosting.  I also spread a tiny bit of corn syrup across the backs to help other sprinkles stay on.  But the sugar sprinkles seem to stay on without extra help. (hey, I never said this was healthy!)

I experimented with other colors as well.  These were a lot of fun to make and I know the kids really enjoyed eating them.  Get your kids involved to help make them as well.  I think I'll have to create these little Whoopie cakes more often!

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