I'll be trying some of these this next week! Thanks! I did find another one (from Weight Watcher's I guess originally), that just mixes a cake mix with 12 oz. of unsweetened, canned fruit. I know you can use diet soda as well, but I'm really looking for that dense texture so will try new ones! Deanna

I make my own cake mixes. Here's the recipe I use for a yellow cake mix. Note, I use powered eggs, organic powdered butter and organic powdered milk so all I have to add is water and vanilla. But, if you're not planning on storing the mix that, of course, is not necessary. HOMEMADE YELLOW CAKE MIX Replaces 1 (16- to 18-ounce) box yellow cake mix 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened Natural Yellow Cake 1 recipe Natural Yellow Cake Mix (see above) 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Method For the cake mix, put flours into the bowl of a food processor. Add sugar, baking powder and salt and process until blended. Cut butter into 4 or 5 chunks, then add to flour mixture and pulse until completely incorporated. For the yellow cake, preheat oven to 350ðF. Butter and flour a 9- x 13-inch cake pan or two 8-inch round cake pans; set aside. Transfer cake mix to large mixing bowl, then add eggs, milk and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan(s). For a 9- x 13-inch cake, bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick. For two 8-inch cakes, baking time may shorten, so check after 25 to 35 minutes. Set cakes aside to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and set aside on wire racks to cool completely. Frost cakes, if desired. Just add a bit of lemon juice and lemon jest. I don't use pudding in my cakes so unsure about how to add that ingredient? /tricia

Cupcakes frosted with a good buttercream freeze very well unless you have done some elaborate work with decorating tips. They still freeze well, just are fragile. I thaw them in the frig without a lid on the container, just a loose piece of plastic wrap laid over the top so there's no drippy condensation. I would never mix a cake batter and store in frig if I wanted it to still be light textured.

Yes, that's the amount of butter used in these "dump cake" recipes. It creates a crusty topping. Your recipe is a hybrid. Dump cakes were popular in the 70's and come in a lot of variations. I don't think it will freeze well. Even leftovers the next day aren't all that great with dump cakes. The one I remember that showed up at every potluck: Pour 1 can cherry pie filling (or any other flavor) into 8x8" square pan and sprinkle one Jiffy white or yellow cake mix DRY over the filling. Pour 1/3 c. melted butter over mixture. Bake at 350°F for 20-minutes, then reduce heat to 325°F for 20-minutes longer. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. -Grainlady