The Cake Mix Doctor

I come from a long line of women who cannot bake.  It is some kind of mutation in our genes.  You know the baking gene. I remember when I was growing up my Mom decided to bake a cake for a dinner party she was having. She bought a cake mix. My Mother would NEVER attempt to back a cake from scratch.  I mean she knew deep down that sifting flour was not in the cards for her but she figured she could handle a cake mix.  Of all the cake mixes on the shelf she picks a Boston Crème cake.  That meant that not only did she have to make the cake but she had to prepare the filling and the chocolate glaze as well.  Remember that mutation in the genes?  The cake was a disaster.  In fact, it did not even resemble a cake.  My Dad was quickly dispatched to the bakery to pick up an emergency dessert while my Mom finished preparing the dinner.  My Mom is a great cook so the main course was not a problem.

My Grandmother has the same gene but she overcame the affliction just a little.  She made an excellent chocolate chip biscotti maker.  She made it all the time and she was really good at it.  To my knowledge that is the only thing she ever baked.  But just like my Mom, she was a great cook.

Then there is me.  Happily I can make a cake mix and I have been known to bake a cookie or two.  Of course I have made the obligatory cupcakes for birthday parties and Halloween.  While I love the convenience of the cake mix, the taste is just ok.  That is why I was so happy to see this book, The Cake Mix Doctor.  It really is an interesting read because it is not just recipes.  The author talks about the history of the cake mix, the actual ingredients in the cake mix, the reason why the cake mix is so forgiving (almost foolproof) and the science of baking cakes.  She also gives great tips on such things as greasing a pan, frosting a cake and storing the cake.  And then of course there are some really cool recipes with the cake mix as one of the main ingredients.  Some of the cakes have a few ingredients and some have many.  What the cakes don’t have on them is canned icing. Each cake has a special from scratch frosting/icing on it.  Yum.  So if you are looking for a book that helps you doctor up that cake mix in your pantry, I think I found the right book for you.