Cake Mix Magic [Paperback]

Jill Snider (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2001

When you're pressed for time, what's the easiest way to prepare a moist, delicious cake for dessert? A cake mix, of course! Just follow the instruction on the package, pop the cake in the oven and it's ready in no time. With that kind of convenience, it's no wonder that North Americans buy over 400 million cake mixes a year.

But let's say that with just a few more ingredients and a little more preparation time, you could turn a good cake into something even better. That's where Cake Mix Magic can help.

Here you'll find over 125 fast and easy recipes, each starting with a basic cake mix and turning it into a scrumptious dessert. In minutes you'll be baking up a delicious Cinnamon Brunch Cake or Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake. Need to prepare something special for a birthday party or family gathering? You'll be amazed at the "made from scratch" flavor of Chocolate Raspberry Torte or Chocolate Toffee Crunch Cheesecake.

With Cake Mix Magic, the sorcery extends far beyond cakes. You can make a wide variety of other baked treats, including Cranberry Pecan Buns, Butterscotch Nut Bars, Chewy Cherry Bars, Gingerbread People, Peach Cobbler and Black Forest Trifle. Who'd believe cake mixes could be so versatile?

Simple recipes, basic ingredients and no experience required -- all the elements necessary for dependable and outstanding results. Whether you are an experienced baker or a novice, this book will give you great recipes that work every time.

DUNCAN HINES®
Since 1951, the Duncan Hines® brand has been identified premium-quality food products, particularly its "good as homemade" baking mixes, and is today one of the most recognized trademarks in the world. The Duncan Hines® commitment to quality -- to making a great cake even better -- is an essential feature of Cake Mix Magic.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I've been experimenting with cake mix-based desserts, with excellent results. I recommend these books. (Anne-Marie Seltzer Arlington Advocate )

About the Author

Jill Snider has 30 years of baking experience including almost 25 years as the Kitchen Manager for a major North American flour maker.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Robert Rose (April 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778800296
• ISBN-13: 978-0778800293
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars better books out there, August 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cake Mix Magic (Paperback)

Overall not a bad cookbook but I think that there are better cake cookbooks out there. I much prefer the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook by Ann Byrn along the same lines and here's why. There is a picture of every cake, something that is missing in this book. Also there are recipes for homemade frosting, glazes etc instead of just instructing you to use canned frosting. Just a little something more to give it the "homemade" feel.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Use, But With Challenges, October 10, 2002

By 

C. Bennett (New England) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cake Mix Magic (Paperback)

Jill Snider proves the versatility of cake mixes in her book Cake Mix Magic: 125 Easy Desserts...Good as Homemade. Snider uses basic cake mixes to create Pineapple Mandarin cakes, Lemon Glazed Cheesecake Squares, and even a Chocolate Yule Log. In total, there are over 150 recipes in this book.

The most popular recipe in this book in my household is the Chocolate Nut Bars, on page 148. The recipe only uses ingredients that I readily have on hand: chocolate cake mix, eggs, butter, brown sugar, canned icing. The recipe was simple, easy-to-follow, and tasted great.

While I had success with the Chocolate Nut Bars, many of the recipes in the book rely on ingredients that I don't have readily at hand. For example, sour cream, cream cheese, light cream, plain yogurt and heavy cream are called for in many of the recipes. These ingredients spoil quickly, and I only buy them when I need to "plan" for some baking. If the idea of this book is for use by cooks "on the go," I'm not sure how successful they will be using the recipes in a hurry if planning is required for the ingredients.

The format of the book made it easy to use. The pages utilized white space effectively, and the side bars containing tips and variations really added value. However, the recipes were lacking nutritional information. In today's health conscious society, nutrition information is essential, even if the recipes are far from "health conscious." For a future revision of this book, I would strongly recommend adding that information.

When compared to The Cake Mix Doctor, I'd buy that one instead, on pictures alone. With over 150 recipes in Cake Mix Magic, there are only 11 pictures of the cakes, and no decorating ideas or tips.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EASY BAKING. SERVE AND ACCEPT THE COMPLIMENTS!, February 12, 2003

By 

Alan W. Petrucelli (THE ENTERTAINMENT REPORT (ALAN W. PETRUCELLI)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cake Mix Magic (Paperback)

Love great desserts but hate spending all that time shaking and baking? Talk about just desserts! Jill Snider has compiled a volume of nifty recipes that promise tasty treats that are, well, a piece of cake. Thought he Duncan Hines logo implies the book has been sanctioned by them, you can use any boxed cake mix, even your favorite store label. Starting with a box of mix immediately cuts out several time-consuming steps, such as measuring and sifting. And those cake mixes will help create scores of incredible edibles --- not just cakes, but cookies, muffins and tortes.techniques The (few) color photos enhance the
easy-to-follow recipes. Just add your appetite.