Tim Tam Cake, and other things to do with a packet cake mix

[17catherines]

Happy food carnival day!

I decided my first post was way too boring, so this is the fun half of my contribution.

Basically, it's a whole collection of ways to adulterate packet cake mixes until they are unrecogniseable as packet cakes, starting with the classic from my student days - Tim Tam Cake. 

Enjoy!

Comments

[susan8020]

Thanks, that was fun!

The parts about substituting wet stuff and dry stuff etc are very helpful even for us stodgy low-carb types who use 'biscuit mix' instead of sweet cake mix and add dull veg stuff instead of fun sweet stuff. ;-)

[17catherines]

Of course they would be! And the water thing applies for casseroles and stews and other savouries, too, of course. Stock, wine, even tinned soup mixes can all be handy in those contexts.

(though I must confess I'm not 100% sure what biscuit mix is - I gather it is a bit like what I'd think of as a scone mix? Butter, flour, a little milk to bind, and don't overknead, yes?)

I'm glad you enjoyed the post, anyway!

[susan8020]

I had forgotten that 'biscuit' means something different across the pond!

What I mean is a US mix also sometimes called 'pancake mix' or 'all purpose baking mix'. It contains flour, baking powder, a little oil, salt of course. A popular brand here is 'Bisquick'. If you just add water, you quickly get a decent, well-risen light bread product. Depending on how much water, it can make pancakes/flapjacks or fluffy dumplings or muffins or cake (if you add sweetening).

https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=%22all+purpose+baking+mix%22+ingredients

It sometimes has odd stuff in it, but I go ahead and use it for various purposes anyway. When I use it for something like Swedish egg pancakes, they come out too puffy and dry, but are dependable. Also it makes dependable tempura batter.

[17catherines]

Interesting! I've never seen anything like that here (in Australia, incidentally) That sounds like something which is just begging to be played with...

[susan8020]

It's easy to make. There are some recipe links here -- https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=making+%22all+purpose+baking+mix%22+ingredients&oq=making+%22all+purpose+baking+mix%22+ingredients&aq=f&aqi=g-q3&aql=1&gs_l=serp.12..0i22l3.63207.79948.0.89110.29.24.5.0.0.1.375.4536.7j2j13j2.24.0.eqn%2Ccconf%3D0-95%2Cmin_length%3D2%2Crate_low%3D0-006%2Crate_high%3D0-006.1.0.0.JCAxDhI41gU -- and in the link I posted above.