POUND CAKES, NO SCRATCH COOKING

I feel blessed  because I was  a wife and mother during the time when bakers discovered that
pound cakes could be made from a cake mix. 
My co-workers shared the secret with me.
I was told to add instant pudding and cooking 
oil to the cake batter.  The only scratch cake I
could make with success at that time  was the 
1, 2,3 cake. I was suspicious of this new pound
cake recipe.  I told my co- worker to bring me a
piece her pound cake to prove that it tasted good.  She bought me a piece of chocolate pound cake 
that had chocolate chips in it.  Of course, this chocolate lover devoured it. I gave her a hug and declared, "Girlfriend you are a genius"!!  

The cake mix companies got smart and started marketing pudding cakes. The texture of cake
mix pound cakes are moist and flavorful. They
are not as dense and heavy as scratch pound
cake. I always use butter, lemon, vanilla, or
almond extracts and whole milk to my cake mix
pound cakes. These ingredients make the cake 
taste like it was made from scratch. I use brewed coffee in my chocolate  pound cakes. It enhances the chocolate flavor. I am sharing recipes for my favorite cake mix pound cakes.  

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

18.25 German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Stick Butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C brewed coffee
1/2 C water
3 eggs


Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour
10 inch tube cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, eggs, coffee, water, and vanilla extract. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes, or until cake when tested with
a toothpick comes out clean.

BASIC POUND CAKE #1

18.25 oz  yellow cake mix
1/4 C sugar
1 C vegetable oii
8 oz sour cream
4 eggs
1 T lemon extract


Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10 inch tube cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and sugar. Then add oil, sour cream,  eggs and lemon extract. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes, or until cake when tested with
a toothpick comes out clean. 

BASIC POUND CAKE #2

18.25 oz yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1/2  tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour
10 inch tube cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix,butter,eggs
and extracts. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes, or until cake when tested with
a toothpick comes out clean

RICH & DECADENT POUND CAKE 

8 T butter, softened
1/2 C  oil
1 C sugar
5 large eggs 

18.25 oz yellow cake mix
1 C flour 

8 oz sour cream
1 C evaporated milk
1 T vanilla

  

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
Place the butter and oil in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on
medium-low speed until creamy, Add the sugar and beat until creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Add cake mix,  flour, sour cream, evaporated milk, and
vanilla. Beat well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan, 

Bake the cake 45 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. Let cake cool in pan 

10 minutes then  cool on wire rack.

NO FAIL POUND CAKE

1/2 C butter
1 C  sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
2/3 C water
8 oz container sour cream

18.25 oz  yellow cake mix
1 C all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease

and flour 10 inch tube pan. In a large 

bowl, beat the butter and sugar until 

light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one

at a time, then stir in the extracts. 

Add the water and  sour cream. Beat

in the cake mix and flour. Pour batter

into prepared pan. Bake one hour or

until toothpick inserted into the center

comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 

minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack 

and cool completely.

 

  

LEMON APRICOT POUND CAKE

    18.25 oz  lemon cake mix
    1/3 C  sugar
    3/4 C  vegetable oil
    1 C apricot nectar
    4 eggs

GLAZE

    2 C confectioners' sugar
    3 T lemon juice
    3 drops vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease one 10 inch  tube  pan. Combine the cake mix, white sugar, oil,
and apricot nectar together.  Beat in the eggs one
at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minute then invert onto a serving dish. 

Pour glaze over cake while it is still warm.

STRAWBERRY POUND CAKE #

 1 box white cake mix
1 small box strawberry gelatin
4 eggs
1/2 package frozen strawberries, thawed
3 T. flour
1 C. cooking oil
1/2 C. water

Mix cake mix, flour and gelatin. Add oil,eggs, water, and strawberries.  Mix until well
blended. Pour batter into greased tube pan. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Dust cake with confectioner's sugar.

STRAWBERRY POUND CAKE #2
 

18.25  oz strawberry cake mix 

3 oz  instant cheesecake pudding mix
1/3 C oil
4 eggs
3 oz  strawberry gelatin
1 C water
Mix all ingredients and beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed.

Pour into greased and floured tube pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes.
Cool in pan for 20 minutes then  transfer cake to wire rack to cool.

PISTACHIO POUND CAKE 

18.25 oz yellow cake mix
3.4 oz instant pistachio pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/2 C water
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
7 drops green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour
10 inch tube pan. In a large bowl mix together
cake mix and pudding mix. Beat in eggs, water,
oil, extract and green food coloring. Pour into
prepared pan. Bake 50 until cake springs back
when lightly pressed. Cool in pan 15 minutes.
Turn out on wire rack and cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

18.25 oz yellow cake mix
3.4 oz instant cream cheese pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/2 C water
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla  extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour
10 inch tube pan. In a large bowl mix together
cake mix and pudding mix. Beat in eggs, water,
oil, extract. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50
minutes until cake springs back when lightly
pressed. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn out on
wire rack and cool completely.