Cake Mix Creations

I found a cook book the other day called 101 Things To Do With a Cake Mix.  It got my wheels turning.  What could I create with a cake mix?  So, I started experimenting.

The first thing I wanted to do was figure out what I could do with half a box of yellow cake mix.  Why half?  Well, I used the other half to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

 (You can find that recipe at this link http://hotsouthernmessblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/ode-to-cast-iron-skillet.html )

So, I wanted to use up the other half.  And for something other than a cake.  Well, I had some really ripe bananas.  Really ripe.  Like, if I didn't use them today I'd have fruit flies hanging around.  So, decided to make banana nut muffins.  Then, I realized I didn't have any nuts.  But, I did have peanut butter chips.  I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches, so this was a no-brainer.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA MUFFINS

1/2 box yellow cake mix (measures about 1 1/2 cups of mix)
1 egg
1/2 cup water
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cake mix, egg and water well using a whisk or electric mixer, until smooth.  Add in mashed bananas and peanut butter chips.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners and evenly distribute batter (about 2/3 full).  Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

These are so moist and delicious!  The bananas take the place of the oil in the recipe so they are lower in fat, too!


This next recipe is from a children's cookbook I've had since I was 6.  It used apple pie filling, but I prefer cherry.  It's easy enough for your kids to make with you.

CHERRY CLOUD

1 can cherry pie filling
1/2 package of white cake mix
1 stick butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.  Pour pie filling into dish.  Sprinkle dry cake mix over the pie filling.  Slice butter into thin pats.  Place pats over cake mix.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Great served warm topped with vanilla ice cream!


I make this next recipe on July 4th every year.  It's fun and pretty and patriotic!

RED WHITE & BLUE POKE CAKE

1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake)
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 cup cold water, divided
1 (3oz) package strawberry jello
1 (3oz) package berry blue jello
1 (8oz) tub cool whip

Prepare cake mix according to box directions in a 9x13 inch pan.  Pierce cake with the handle of a wooden spoon all over.  Add 1 cup boiling water to strawberry jello and stir 2 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup cold water and stir.  Then, repeat these steps for the blue jello.  Pour the jello over the cake, alternating red and blue, making sure it gets in the holes you created in the cake.  Refrigerate for 3 hours.  Frost it with the cool whip, then put it back in the fridge for 1 hour to set up.  I always make this the day before and let it set up overnight.  Then you can decorate it in a flag pattern using blueberries for the stars and strawberries for the stripes.

Here's what the inside looks like (this is a pic from the Kraft website using only red jello):

So, when you see cake mixes on sale, snatch them up.  They give you a great head start to a tasty dessert!