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.

I used a regular cheese cake recipe. For the crust, I just mixed boxed graham crumbs with melted butter. I did grease the pan the first time around, but not for the next two batches. As to getting them out, I thought I was in trouble! They wouldn't dump after letting them cool a few minutes. I let them cool about 1/2 an hour, then ran a paring knife around the edges, and out they came! The last pan, I mixed mini choc chips in. It tastes like choc chip cookie dough! I will be buying a couple more pans, as it took to long to do with just one. The recipe, as written made 6 dozen! Glad you enjoyed the pictures. Tami

Here's some for you: FRESH BANANA BUNDT CAKE WITH GLAZE 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 3 to 4 fresh Bananas, mashed 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups flour 1 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream Mix all the ingredients well and pour into a greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350° F. for about 45 minutes, until golden brown and cake tests done. Icing: 1 box powdered sugar 4 tsp. water 1 tsp. rum flavoring or vanilla Mix and drizzle over cake. ORANGE BUNDT CAKE 8 Tblsp. (1 stick) sweet butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs, separated Grated zest of 2 oranges 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 cup fresh orange juice Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan. Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar, beating until light. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, and add orange zest. Sift the flour with baking powder, soda and salt. Add dry ingredients alternately with orange juice to the batter. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until sides of cake shrink away from pan's edge and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and unmold onto a rack and drizzle with orange glaze while warm. Cool before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Orange Glaze: 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup granulated sugar Combine orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a light syrup forms. SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE Streusel: 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground allspice 2 tsp. butter or margarine Cake: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tblsp. ground cinnamon 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 4 large eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream 2 tsp. vanilla extract Glaze (recipe follows) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. For streusel: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice in a small bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. For batter: Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Beat granulated sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. To assemble: Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel over batter, now allowing streusel to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with Glaze. Makes 16 servings. For glaze: Combine 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2 to 3 Tblsp. orange juice or milk in small bowl; stir until smooth. From Libbys Pumpkin Test Kitchen. This is my personal favorite: BUTTER PECAN BUNDT CAKE 1 Butter Pecan cake mix 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup water 4 eggs 1 can ready-to-spread Coconut pecan frosting 1 Tblsp. sugar Chopped pecan pieces Spray a Bundt or tube pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle the sugar in the pan, then sprinkle chopped pecans over this. Mix the cake mix, oil water, eggs and frosting, mixing well. Pour into Bundt pan, Bake at 350º F. for 50 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; turn out cake and cool completely. **While the cake was cooling I made a little icing to drizzle on top.** 1 cup powdered sugar 2 Tblsp. milk 1/2 tsp. rum extract Mix well and drizzle from a spoon onto cake. I've made this 3 times. The fist two times by the recipe, the second one seemed to be too moist and the batter a little thin. I made one last week and only used 3/4 cup water, and 3/4 cup oil. It turned out great! I always make it by the recipe, tweaks come later.. BTW it really doesn't need an icing. It is a keeper here. hope you like it. Posted by Kayce at Nanas Kitchen.

I love the book, haven't made anything from it yet, but there is so much to go through, the pictures are amazing, and each recipe looks more delicious than the one before. One especially of a chocolate cake with thick layer of frosting. It's just begging for a glass of ice cold milk to with it. The cheesecake, everything in the book looks good! The pictures are all amazing. I recommend the book very highly. Here's the recipe, Monique. It sounds great and the picture of it looks fantastic! Looking forward to seeing your pictures of Bill's Big Carrot Cake... BILLS BIG CARROT CAKE (Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan) FOR THE CAKE 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups grated carrots (About 9 carrots; I grate them in a food processor fitted with a shredding blade 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) 1/2 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries 2 cups sugar 1 cup canola or safflower oil 4 large eggs FOR THE FROSTING 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 pound (3 3/4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract 1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional) Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut, for topping (optional) GETTING READY: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the 325 degrees F. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides and tap out the excess. Put two pans on one baking sheet and one on another. THE CAKE: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one, and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix in the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean; the cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.) TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Working with the stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract. If youÂd like coconut in the filling, scoop out about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this portion. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or cover generously with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake top side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting (or more plain frosting). Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the topÂand the sides, if you wantÂof the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now, while the frosting is soft. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving. MAKES 10 SERVINGS SERVING: The cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper, overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's best with vanilla ice cream or even some Lemon Curd (page 462) with a little whipped cream folded in. STORING: Covered, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then, when it is firm, wrap air-tight and freeze for up to 2 months; defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.