If I'm making the basic cake (white, yellow, chocolate, etc.) I always sift the powder mix first. I use applesauce instead of oil and I always add vanilla no matter what flavor cake I'm making. If I use the whole egg (I usually use the whites only), I beat the whites separately from the yolk before adding anything else. I've been told that my cakes have the texture of wedding cakes. Now as for variations I have added peanut butter and chocolate (a personal favorite) to a white cake, sour cream to a chocolate cake, strawberries to a white cake (omit water) and I am currently making pumpkin bars from a spice cake mix (which led me to your site because I was looking for a way to turn a white cake into a spice cake so I can double it). Use four eggs instead of three, add a can of pumpkin and a quarter of a cup of applesauce (or oil if you prefer), omit water. Bake as directed on the box.

Hi Lpink. This recipe was posted by riverrat and I've made it - it's fabulous. I was wondering if you could use the frosting from it? It has kind of the same flavors you're talking about. Stacy LEMON BUTTERMILK CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES Âriverrat Serve this dense, moist cake with a big bowl of lightly sweetened strawberries. CAKE 1 3/4 cups sugar 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel 3 extra-large eggs 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 3 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 16-ounce package frozen sliced sweetened strawberries, thawed FROSTING 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups powdered sugar 5 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel 2 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled. FOR CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Beat sugar, butter and lemon peel in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.) Boil sliced sweetened strawberries with juices in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup and begins to thicken, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. FOR FROSTING: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in lemonade concentrate and lemon peel. Divide strawberry mixture between 2 cake layers and spread over tops, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Let stand until slightly set, about 5 minutes. Place 1 strawberry-topped layer on platter. Drop 3/4 cup frosting atop cake by spoonfuls; gently spread over top. Top with remaining strawberry-topped layer. Drop 3/4 cup frosting by spoonfuls atop cake; gently spread over top. Top with remaining cake layer. Using spatula, spread remaining frosting in decorative swirls over sides and top of cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.) Decoratively arrange strawberries, pointed side up, atop cake. Cut into wedges and serve. Serves 12. Bon Appétit June 1995 Jeanne Thiel Kelley: Los Angeles, California

Well, my "recipe" depends on how you want to use the mix. If you want to actually make a yellow cake, I like this one. I got the recipe in a link from a site called "Community Chickens", LOL. Yup, it's about chickens, go figure. Anyway, it linked to a blog called "chickensintheroad", who had this recipe. How to make Homemade Yellow Cake Mix: (This is the standard size mix for recipes calling for an 18.25 ounce mix.) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and non-fat dry milk. Store in an airtight container or baggie. Keeps well in the pantry for months! To replace in recipes calling for a standard-size 18.25 ounce store-bought yellow cake mix: Use in any recipe calling for a yellow cake mix as a base (add 1 teaspoon vanilla to the recipe along with the cake mix as the recipe will assume vanilla was included in the store-bought mix). Or to make a basic yellow cake, use the following instructions. Cake mix directions:. 1 recipe Homemade Yellow Cake Mix 3/4 cup water 1 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup butter, softened 3 eggs Place Homemade Yellow Cake Mix in a bowl. Add water, vanilla, butter, and eggs. Combine with an electric mixer then beat two more minutes. Pour into a greased and floured cake pan. Bake at 350-degrees, using these baking times (watch carefully as your oven may vary��"test for doneness using a toothpick): 8″ or 9″ cake rounds ��" 20-25 minutes 13 x 9 pan ��" 35-40 minutes cupcakes ��" 12-15 minutes tube/bundt pan ��" 45-50 minutes Don’t overbake! You’ll dry out your cake. NOTE: If you don’t like using dry milk in your cakes, you can always leave the dry milk out of the mix. When making the cake, replace the water in the recipe with milk. If you're using it for topping, etc., one with added fat would probably work better, like this one: Yellow Cake "Master Mix" 2 1/2 cups cake flour 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/4 scant teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup butter Thoroughly combine dry ingredients together. Cut the butter into small pieces throughout the flour. Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is thoroughly incorporated (very small pieces, like sand). To make this into two 8 inch layers, use the entire recipe of Master Mix and add: 2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup oil 3 eggs 1 cup milk Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8" round cake pans OR one 13" x 9" cake pan with nonstick baking spray containing flour and set aside. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Make a well in center of mix and add vanilla, oil, eggs, and milk. Beat mixture 1 minute with electric mixer at low speed until blended. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and beat 2 minutes longer at medium speed until batter is smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake the layer cakes at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until cake springs back when pressed lightly in center and begins to pull away from edges of pan. Bake the 9" x 13" cake for 25-35 minutes until the cake tests done. The "Master Mix" can be made in larger quantities, but must be refrigerated, whereas the first recipe can just be kept in the pantry without spoiling or becoming rancid. Have fun! Annie

The strawberry/rhubarb combo is a very traditional blend. It's hard to sub for it. I'd be more inclined to try a strawberry/apple or strawberry/ blueberry mixture. Adjust the sugar a little if you think it might be too sweet, you can always add more as the filling is cooking. Strawberry/pineapple might be good too..... Nancy