Moist Cakes

I recently was the guest at one of my parents friends house over the New Year holiday. She served the most amazingly delicious food (she used to help cater events when she was newly married)! One of the items she served was a lemon poppy-seed cake that was melt-in-your-mouth moist. I asked her what her secret was and she handed me a 3 x 5 card with some notes...I made a vanilla-vanilla cake this weekend and it was FAB-U-LOUS!

So, you want to make a cake or some cup cakes? Here are her tips...

Pick any boxed cake mix with 'pudding-in-the-mix' (flavor of your choice).

• Lemon cake, add Lemonade Pudding mix
• Chocolate cake, add Chocolate Pudding mix
• Vanilla cake, add Vanilla pudding mix

These are the following items that you will mix together-despite what the amounts of the quick-fix-ingredients on the box say...

• Cake Mix
• Add'l package of Instant Pudding mix (matching flavor to your cake mix choice)
• 1/2 C oil
• 1 C water
• 4 eggs

Beat together for 2 minutes. Pour into greased pan...bake 350 degrees for 45 min (or until the times indicate on the box). Different times for different sizes/shapes.

For a delicious excuse for a breakfast treat...here's another variation;

1. Vanilla cake mix + vanilla pudding mix
2. add 2 1/2 tsp poppy seeds to batter
3. grease bundt pan and then coat the pan with 2 T sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

I made a vanilla + vanilla bundt cake this weekend. Jeff wanted it frosted so I took 1/3 of a container of whipped vanilla frosting, added several tablespoons of water to make it ribbon-thin. I then drizzled it back and forth over the top of the cake....it was 'just enough' (not too heavy/thick) and it complimented the cake well (I still coated the greased bundt cake pan with granulated sugar)...naughty!!

**An added note/suggestion:

Reduce the temp by 5 degrees and the cook time by 5 min.