Customer Reviews

Cake Mix Magic

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

In Cake Magic, expert cake baker Jill Snider has compiled an impressive and mouth-watering collection of outstanding recipes for cakes, bars, squares, and more. From Lemon Tote Cake, Apricot Hazelnut Torte, Pumpkin Cheesecake; Apple Nut Coffee Cakes; and Brazil Nut Fruitcake; to White Chocolate Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies; Applesauce Loaf; Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake; Lime Daiquiri Cake; and Peach Cobbler, Cake Magic recipes are showcased with clear and easy-to-follow instructions. Wither a novice in the kitchen or an experienced family cook, Cake Magic will be the cookbook of choice when planning deserts for all manner of family meals and celebratory events.

I knew how easy it is to bake a cake using a cake mix from my pantry as a starter, but the results with the recipes in cake mix magic were overwhelmingly good. I served two cakes-Chocolate Cherry Cake and Blueberry Coffe Cake-at a recent party and they were both gone before I even had a piece. But I did get four requests for my recipes.I will certainly recommend this book to my friends.

This is an easy to use cookbook, and oh boy, the results are fabulous. A real family pleaser.
Highly recommended!