Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Wonders of Cake Mix and Growing A Pumpkin

I'm going to share my favorite doctored cake mix recipe and talk about pumpkins.  Earlier this year, I bought pumpkin seeds (Mammoth ones for the 60 pounders), and completely forgot to plant them in the beginning of June. It was cold, so I forgot the last frost was over.  Pumpkins take around 120 days to grow until they can be harvested, so while it does grow fast, it takes time to turn orange.  Today I finally planted a few Big Max pumpkin seeds.  Like an idiot, I didn't bother researching pumpkin seed types. Ideally I would have bought the Connecticut Field variety, but I bought the seeds that produce over 100 pound pumpkins!!!

Well it's too late to return them, so I planted them today in two big  mounds.  Hopefully I'll get a couple of pumpkins by Thanksgiving.  I did quite a lot of online research and found that the key to pumpkins is sun, water, fertilizer, and cutting out the baby pumpkins at the right time (this is so that all the nutrients focus on growing one healthier pumpkin).   I may vent about the process these next 120 days.  I sincerely hope a raccoon doesn't eat them towards the end (I may just make a scarecrow).

Onto the recipe for my favorite doctored cake mix recipe.  Lemon Bundt Cake!!!

Lemon Bundt Cake (From a Box)


Ingredients:
1 box lemon bundt cake (without added pudding)
1 4-serving box of lemon instant pudding (instant is key)
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup lemon-lime soda (sprite is my favorite)
Very well greased and floured bundt pan (this is the most important part.  The cake will split into two otherwise.)
Confectioner's sugar (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
1/2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Step 2:  Mix cake mix, pudding mix, and then stir in the oil
Step 3: Beat the eggs in one at a time
Step 4: Stir in lemon-lime soda
Step 5: Pour in bundt pan and put in middle shelf of oven
Step 6: Baking takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes, so use the stick method to see if it comes out clean (the cake will be a dark golden brown once it is done)
Step 7: If you're worried about flipping over the cake, wash a kitchen towel with hot water, wring it, and then put it on top of the cake for 10 minutes
Step 8: Allow cake to cool for about an hour and flip over
Step 9: Once cake is completely cool mix lemon juice, zest, and confectioner's sugar a little at a time until it is thick enough to drip on top of the cake

1 comment:

  1. Damn this was to die for. I'm glad I broke my "No Sugar" rule for that one day.

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