Page 21 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

C H O C O L A T E C A K E M I X 1 0 1 3

1. CHOOSE A CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX sons I have included more of them in
• Size: Unlike brownie mixes, which this book.
range in size from slightly over a pound to You can also save a step by using a
nearly a pound and a half, chocolate cake pudding cake mix in a recipe that calls
mixes come in one size. You can occasion- for plain mix plus a package of pudding,
l
ally find the smaller one-layer choco ate al though for some reason these cakes
mixes, but most mixes are 18.25 ounces. don’t rise as well as the plain-plus-pud-
That makes for easy substituting between ding-mix combination.
brands. • Flavor: When making chocolate
• Plain vs. pudding: That said, cakes, devil’s food and chocolate can be
there is a crucial difference among used interchangeably. Dark chocolate
those mixes: Duncan Hines and the mix is just that—very dark in color. Save
generics are plain cake mix; Betty it for those recipes where you want a bold
Crocker and Pillsbury mixes contain color contrast. The German chocolate is
pudding. In The Cake Mix Doctor I said an excellent mix and better suited to
you should not use them interchange- combinations of flavors, such as when
ably, but I have relaxed my rule a bit. adding zucchini or making orange or
You should not use a pudding cake mix strawberry cheesecakes. White mixes can
when the recipe calls for a package of be turned into chocolate by adding a
instant pudding. You should not use a square of melted chocolate or ⁄4 cup of
1
pudding cake mix if the recipe calls for cocoa. There are also fudge marble mixes
plain mix and contains a lot of heavy and pound cake mixes, but I call for them
ingredients like sour cream, nuts, and only a few times. Both yellow and spice
chocolate chips, because the pudding mixes can be used along with chocolate.
mix will make the cake even heavier. Brownie mixes, on the other hand,
But you can use a pudding cake mix in are a confusing lot. Your best bet is to
many layer recipes that call for plain buy as big a box as possible, with few
mix. Just be forewarned that pudding frills (no fudge packets or add-ins); you’ll
mixes do not rise as much as plain; they be doing the doctoring yourself. I have
don’t dome but bake flat; and they will tried to be as consistent as possible in
shrink back from the sides of the pan on brownie testing so that my recipes will
cooling. However, they do make an work with a range of package sizes. As far
incredibly moist cake and they are as various brands go, the flavors differ.
widely available, and for those two rea- To decide which brand you prefer, bake