cake mix recipes Archives - Makin' it Mo'Betta

Toffee Brownies {4 Ingredients!}

Kim

I love quick and easy recipes and this one satisfies a chocolate craving with just 4 ingredients. It’s a take on one of my blog’s most popular recipes, Chocolate Pudding Dump Cake but uses one of my favorite candies…Heath!

I’ve shared the recipe for these deliciously easy Toffee Brownies over at , where I am a contributing writer. I’d love for you to head over and check it out!

Quick and Easy Lemon Brownies {3 ingredients}

Kim

Summer may be coming to an end, but we can hang on for just a little bit longer with these quick and easy and deliciously lemon-y (totally a word, right?) brownies. With just 3 ingredients, you can have these lemon brownies, and add a couple more ingredients to make the simple glaze that really takes them to the next level.

These brownies are an adaptation of my Chocolate Pudding Dump Cake. I had every intention of making the chocolate version, when I realized I had lemon cake mix in the cabinet. I decided to try a lemon version, and was very pleasantly surprised.

The glaze is made of confectioners sugar, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. It tastes fresh and fabulous.

Quick and Easy Lemon Brownies

1 box lemon cake mix

1 box vanilla instant pudding (small box) *lemon would probably be even better!

1 1/2 cups milk

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners sugar (or more if you want more glaze)

zest of one lemon

lemon juice – enough to reach desired glaze consistency

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray
whisk together pudding mix and milk in large mixing bowl
add dry cake mix to pudding mixture, stir until combined
spread mix into pan *Batter will be very thick
bake for approx 30 mins or until center is done and edges are lightly browned
if using glaze – combine sugar, zest and lemon juice; pour over warm cake

The longer the brownies sit, the more the glaze soaks in – just depends on how you like them! You could also skip the glaze and dust the cooled brownies with powdered sugar. The fresh lemon juice and zest in the glaze gives them a really bright, lemon flavor however.

Now I’m thinking of all kinds of variations 🙂

This recipe was featured at:

and at !

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3-2-1 Skinny Mug Cake

Kim

Many of you may have seen this before…I’ve seen it several times on various blogs. I first tried this out about a year ago, and I have no idea why I haven’t written about it before.

I think it’s because I can never get a good picture…mug cakes are generally ugly. I’m also usually in a hurry to stuff something sweet in my face if I am making a cake in a coffee cup in the microwave! You know, desperate times and all.

I can’t say that I love these cakes, or that they are anything gourmet, but I can say that when you are craving something sweet in a hurry, and do not want to totally bust the calorie bank, these fit the bill. I really like them for the convenience…my children love to make them, and my girls can make them by themselves. That way, when they want a sweet treat, and I don’t want the temptation staring me in the face, they can go make themselves a cake. They are satisfied, and there are no leftovers sitting on the counter torturing me with their existence.

(See…the photos aren’t very good. Gotta work on that I suppose…which you know, means making more cakes!) My kids have had a good time coming up with variations…adding hot fudge (pictured, which is why it looks so gooey), peanut butter, nutella, etc.

The “skinny” part comes in because they are low in fat..you are combining a pack of regular cake mix (any flavor) with a box of angel food cake mix…that’s it! Store the combined dry mix in a container or plastic bag and use “as needed”…which is often in my house. It gets the name 3-2-1 because you need 3 T. of mix, 2 T. of water, and 1 minute in the microwave. Super fast, super easy.

3-2-1 Skinny Mug Cake

1 box of cake mix (favorite brand and flavor)

1 box of angel food cake mix

Combine 2 cake mixes in a large container or gallon size bag. When you want a cake, get a coffee mug or microwave safe bowl, add 3 Tablespoons of cake mix, 2 Tablespoons of water. Stir until just combined. (Can also add in a tablespoon of hot fudge sauce, peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc.) Microwave for 1 minute. Add cool whip or frosting if desired.

*The best I could calculate, the mug cakes were approximately 4 Weight Watchers Point Plus points without any additional add-ins.

Do you have any single serving treats that you enjoy? Feel free to leave links or a recipe!

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , ,,, , , (Wednesday) , , , , ,, , (Thursday) ,, , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , ,, , (Saturday) ,

Citrus Blueberry Loaf with Meyer Lemon Glaze {quick and easy version!}

Kim

Krusteaz provided me with complimentary product to help facilitate this post. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

I don’t know about where you are, but Spring was here. It was awesome! And then it left….but hopefully by the weekend it will be back. (Fingers crossed!) The warmer temperatures and amazing sunshine really put me in the mood for everything citrus! Lemon, lime, orange…you name it, and I’ve probably pinned it in the past couple of weeks. The only problem with having a huge list of things on my “to bake” list is finding the time to actually make them. The kids have had sports, then they got sick with all the pollen and stuff floating around, my little guy’s asthma acted up…the list goes on. SO, enter the quick and easy recipes that I love so much – like this one!

This bread starts with a mix and has a hint of citrus from lemon and orange zest. Then it is topped with a glaze made with Meyer lemons that really gives it a pop of sweet lemon flavor that makes your taste buds do a happy dance!

Glaze is good. Am I right, or am I right?

Look at that gorgeous color! Mother Nature may not be screamin’ spring where you are, but this is! It gets the rich yellow color from the eggs, and I used farm fresh eggs (for the first time ever) and was amazed at their vibrant color. If you follow me on you probably saw a pic.

Citrus Blueberry Loaf with Meyer Lemon Glaze

1 package Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix (you will need the pouch of mix and the can of blueberries that comes in the box)
1/3 cup water*
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest (I used the zest of one orange and one Meyer lemon)

*I used the juice of my orange, plus enough water to equal 1/3 cup

Meyer Lemon Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
approx 1 T. Meyer lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease or spray an 8″ loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, blend together the muffin mix, water, oil, eggs and zest.
Drain and rinse blueberries and gently fold into batter.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then place on wire rack.

Glaze – Mix powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to reach desired consistency. Pour over warm cake.

Recipe adapted from

The only thing I would do different is to add some additional fresh or frozen blueberries. You could also skip the glaze or use orange juice in the place of the lemon juice. For more quick and easy recipe ideas, check out the website. They have several recipes using their mixes as a base, which is pretty darn convenient. They even have a special section for ! Next on my list… made with their Country White Bread mix. My kids looovvveee cinnamon rolls!

Cake Mix Cookie Bars {4 ingredients}

Kim

I know I’ve shared cake mix cookie bars on the blog before, but this recipe is even easier! Just a few ingredients, and a little oven time and you can have an entire pan of chewy, yummy cookies. I mean, your kids can have a pan. Because I made it for them. Seriously. It wasn’t my insane PMS-induced chocolate cravings that prompted me to make an entire 9 x 13 pan of cookies. *ahem* Moving on –

Mr. Three requested M&M’s on the cookies. I’m cool with that. There is just something about that candy that screams happy. If I could leave jars of them around the house, just for decoration I would. However, they wouldn’t last a microsecond in my house. We have chocolate issues.

I like this recipe because it calls for a lot less oil than other recipes I’ve seen, and as you can see, this is a dense cookie texture, not a fluffy cake-like texture. And they are super fast and easy to throw together. This is probably not a good thing for my waistline. I mean really, a whole pan of cookies in less than 30 minutes?! Dangerous.

Cake Mix Cookie Bars

1 box cake mix (any flavor, I used chocolate fudge)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 1/2 cups mix-ins (I used M&M’s and chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
Mix together first 3 ingredients in a medium size bowl until dough comes together in a thick dough (it will be like cookie dough, not like cake batter)
Stir in your preferred mix-ins.
Press dough into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Allow to cool (I’m kidding…of course you are going to dive right in to hot cookies! But just in case you are making them to take somewhere, let them cool before cutting into bars!)

Recipe source:

There is no wonder I have a stock pile of various candies, chocolate chips and cake mixes. You just never know when a cookie emergency will strike. Gotta be prepared 😉

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , ,,, , , (Wednesday) , , , , ,, , (Thursday) ,, , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, ,, , ,, , (Saturday) ,

Quick & Easy Shortcut Apple Crisp {#GIVEAWAY}

Kim

All you have to do is glance through my recipes and know that I like to keep things quick and easy. I like shortcuts, I like “semi” homemade, I like FAST. With 3 kids (and 2 dogs) always running around, I need to be able to make things that don’t require a lot of concentration or time! Or expense, for that matter. However, regardless of how long it takes to make, or the ingredients in it, the bottom line is you want it to taste good. Duh, right?!

I had a brunch to go to the other day, and wanted to make a couple of smaller dishes instead of one large one. (The other dish I brought was this Blueberry Maple Biscuit Bake) One of the nice things about the Chinet Bakeware I used is that not only is it disposable, but it comes in various sizes. For this apple crisp, I used the 7 x 11, and you can double the recipe to make a full 9 x 11. It will also work in an 8 x 8 or 7 x 9 inch pan, you’re layers will just be a little thicker, which would not be a bad thing! I adapted the crisp from one of my favorite desserts, Dump Cake! (Another quick and easy recipe that is always a hit.)

Quick and Easy Apple Crisp

1 can apple pie filling

1/2 box cake mix (dry) (Can use white, yellow, or spice flavor)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter, melted

*I think raisins would be good in this to, but realized I was out at the last minute!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread apple pie filling in bottom of baking dish.
Sprinkle dry cake mix in an even layer over top, followed by oats, nuts (if using), then brown sugar.
Pour melted butter over the top and bake until golden brown, approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbly around the edges.

So simple, yet so tasty! It was great for brunch, but you could also plop some vanilla ice cream and caramel topping over it and make it dessert 🙂

I’ve talked about before (here and here) so you probably already know that they are disposable baking pans that come with plastic lids, so you can bake, cover, and carry all in the same dish. (And freeze if you want!) If you have not had the opportunity to try them yet, and would like to, Chinet has generously offered another giveaway for you!

One winner will receive a set of Chinet Bakeware including one of each size:

8×8 Square Pan

7×11 Large Oval Pan

9×11 Rectangle Pan

7.25×9 Small Oval Pan

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. If you are viewing this in an email, you will need to click over the actual post. Shipping only available within the US.

I received a complimentary set of bakeware and stipend for supplies from Chinet. All opinions are my own. This is part three of a 4 part series featuring Chinet, so if you don’t win this one, stayed tuned!

Easy Cake Mix Cookie Bars & Chinet Bakeware {GIVEAWAY} #sponsored

Kim

To commemorate back-to-school for my girls, and entering Kindergarten for my little man, we had to have a little celebration. A par-tay if you will. And nothing says party in the Mo’Betta house better than CHOCOLATE. These bars start with a cake mix, so they are quick and easy, and you can add in anything you have in the baking drawer/cabinet/pantry (yes, I have baking supplies in all those places. #hoarder)

The original recipe was a cookie bar, but I reduced the fat by replacing some of the oil with applesauce, resulting in a more cake-like brownie texture, which is why I am just calling them Cake Mix Bars. With chocolate chunks, cookies and cream pieces, and M & M candies…they aren’t exactly low-fat…but hey, I tried. Sort of.

Not only were these bars quick and easy to make…there was very little clean up too. (Always an A+ in my book!) I used the new Bakeware (9×11 pictured here) and Chinet dessert plates for serving. Yes, you read that right, Chinet now has ! Disposable pans that come in a variety of sizes, making any situation where you need to carry food somewhere, (or just needing easy clean-up!) very convenient! Each pan also comes with a lid, so transporting is so easy, and you don’t have to worry about getting your pan back! These cake bars made for super happy kids, and easy clean-up made for a happy mom. It’s a win folks.

And speaking of winning…the nice people over at Chinet would love for a Makin’ it Mo’Betta reader to win a set of Chinet Bakeware to try out for themselves! One winner will receive a set of bakeware in each size. More info after the recipe…

Easy Cake Mix Cookie Bars

1 box cake mix (I used Dark Chocolate)
1 small box Jello instant pudding (I used Sugar Free/Fat Free chocolate)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce*
1/4 cup canola oil*
2 eggs (I used Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup cookies n’cream and chocolate chunks (that’s what I had on hand)
1/2 cup M and M’s

*The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup oil. I substituted a half cup of applesauce. This changes the texture, so if you want a dense cookie bar, use more than 1/4 cup oil. My kids didn’t mind 🙂

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pudding, water, applesauce (if using), oil and eggs or Egg Beaters.
Fold in your add-ins
Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly (my batter was pretty thick).
Bake for approx 20 minutes or until done around edges, but slightly soft in middle (if you use different ingredients, they may need to cook a little longer)
Let cool. Top with whipped topping and sprinkles if desired!

Recipe adapted from

This was a fun and easy treat to celebrate back-to-school! Now, about that giveaway…

The winner will receive a set of Chinet Bakeware including one of each size:

8×8 Square Pan

7×11 Large Oval Pan

9×11 Rectangle Pan

7.25×9 Small Oval Pan

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. If you are viewing this in an email, you will need to click over the actual post. Shipping only available within the US.

I received a complimentary set of bakeware and stipend for supplies from Chinet. All opinions are my own. This is part one of a 4 part series featuring Chinet, so if you don’t win this one, stayed tuned!

Apple Spice Crunch Cake & other super fast desserts

Kim

Anyone sitting here, right now, thinking “I have nothing special planned for my family for Valentine’s! What am I going to do?!” Yes, I realize it is Valentine’s Day, and most of you have all these great plans for romantic dinners and so forth. But maybe, just maybe, there are some people out there like me who spent all their free time (non-sick free time that is! Thanks Mr. Three for that lovely cold you shared last weekend.) baking up cookies for preschool, and running around all over creation b/c the closest Wal-Mart and Target are 30 minutes away trying to get party supplies, and the Wal-Mart was completely sold out of everything except EASTER candy…oh wait, am I ranting? It kind of feels like I’m ranting….back to my point.

For whatever reason, some of us do not have a special dinner planned, or have a special dessert ready, OR maybe you have been invited somewhere at the last minute and you need a dessert NOW. One that is a crowd pleaser, but doesn’t require lots of prep or ingredients. I’m here to say, I’ve gotcha covered. Dump cakes to the rescue! If you are not from the South, you may be saying dump what?! ewwww. However, these simple cakes are a staple of every potluck I’ve ever been too. They are super simple to put together, and they are very yummy. You just “dump” ingredients together…hence the name.

Apple Spice Dump Cake (or Crunch Cake if you prefer)

2 cans apple pie filling

1 box spice cake mix

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

Nuts – optional

Lightly spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non stick spray (I don’t even know if this is necessary, I just did it to be on the safe side.) Dump both cans of pie filling and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle DRY cake mix over the top in an even layer. Place slices of butter all over the top of the cake mix OR melt the butter and pour over the top…I don’t think it matters. (In the pic, I had only used one stick of butter, so I have some dry patches. Always trying to cut fat over here!) Sprinkle nuts over the top if using. Bake in a 350 F degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes…basically until golden brown on top.

Serve warm or room temp, with ice cream or without! In my opinion, this is best the day it is made b/c the topping is crunchy. It is still good the next day, but the top starts to soften from the filling.

There are so many variations too….

This is a Blueberry Dump Cake made with one can of crushed pineapple, one can of blueberry pie filling, and yellow cake mix. You can use any fruit you like. See the recipe post HERE.

Rather have chocolate? There is a dump cake for that too!

Chocolate Pudding Dump Cake with 4 ingredients! (Cake mix, pudding, milk, chocolate chips)

Want even fewer ingredients? How about just TWO?!

Apple Angel Food Cake (can also change up the pie filling to whatever you like)

Skinny Brownies (brownie mix and a can of soda. Or pop..whatever)

Or, what I like even better…

Skinny Brownies with brownie mix and yogurt

So there you go. Desserts that are super easy, but sure to please. You are on your own with dinner, ‘cuz I’m clueless on that one right now myself!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Make yourself dessert and enjoy. What are your plans tonight? I’d love to hear them so I can be jealous 🙂

Margarita Cake

Kim

I’ve mentioned that I made a Margarita Cake for Easter, and wanted to share the recipe. It was really good, and it starts with a cake mix!

Margarita Cake –

slightly adapted from the

Cake:
Cooking spray, for misting the pan
Flour, for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow or lemon cake mix (I used lemon)
4 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix (I used fat free, sugar free instant pudding)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
½ cup vegetable olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime or Key lime juice
¼ cup tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec orange liqueur
1 teaspoon tablespoon grated lime zest
4 large eggs

Glaze:
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon tequila
1 tablespoon triple sec orange liqueur
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or Key lime juice
3-4 drops (optional)
2-3 drops of (optional)
1 lime, cut into thin slices (I omitted)
1 to 2 teaspoons coarse sugar (I omitted)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cake mix, pudding mix, sugar, water, oil, 1/3 cup lime juice, ¼ cup tequila, 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, lime zest and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are combined, abt 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix on medium speed for 1½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 42 to 47 minutes. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edges of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, about 25 minutes longer. (My cake pulled away from the sides as it cooled and I didn’t need to run a knife along the sides of the pan. It came out easily, unlike this one! My cake also fell some. ALL my cakes fall…I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!)
Meanwhile, make the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon tequila, 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and the lemon and orange Stevia drops in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Slide the cake onto a serving plate. Using a long wooden skewer poke 12 to 16 holes in the top of the cake. Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Garnish the cake with the lime slices and a sprinkling of coarse sugar. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes, then slice and serve the cake.

Verdict – This cake was all I hoped it would be….dense and moist like a pound cake, with a nice citrus flavor. The glaze was delicious and really complimented and added to the flavor of the cake. The new flavored stevia extracts from NuNaturals are amazing! Very intense flavor. I can’t wait to try them in different recipes. (Review & Giveaway coming!) I only tasted a hint of Tequila in the glaze, and I think that is just because I knew it was there. It could be left out if you prefer, or increased if you want to intensify the flavor. (If you add more liquid, you may need to add more confectioner’s sugar,depending on the consistency of the glaze.) Overall, this is a perfect dessert for spring/summer and is going in the ‘keeper file’!

I’m linking this recipe up with , , , , , All the Small Stuff, , @ For The Love Of Blogs,,, , , , , , , , , , , for Savory Sunday; (Ingredient Spotlight: Citrus)