Homemade Cake Mix

 

I love the convenience of store bought cake mixes but find them somewhat lacking.  They just don't make delicious cake. For a while now I have been looking for a great DIY cake mix recipe.  I really wanted one that was a complete mix, meaning that all I had to add was water.   I finally have one that I am happy with and guess what it is 100% food storage. 

Homemade Cake Mix

Needed to make the mix:

2 3/4 cup flour

1 3/4 cups  super fine sugar (see recipe below)

2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter powder

5 Tablespoon Egg Powder

3 Tablespoons Dry Milk

Needed when baking: 

2 cups water

2 teaspoons vanilla

To make mix:

Sift together all dry ingredients.  Store in an airtight container. 

To Bake a Cake: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare 2 8 inch round cake pans OR 1 9 by 13 rectangular cake pan by spraying well with PAM nonstick cooking spray.

Mix together cake mix, water and vanilla until well incorporated.

Fill cake pans.

Bake 325 for 20 to 30 minutes. Test doneness before removing from oven.

Cool completely before frosting.

Superfine Sugar

Pour 2 cups granulated sugar into a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

Cover the food processor with a kitchen towel--making superfine sugar produces sugar dust, and it can get the kitchen a little messy if you don't cover the processor.

Turn the processor to high speed and process the sugar for about 1-2 minutes.

After you process it, let the dust settle back into the processor for 10-20 seconds, then remove the lid. Your superfine sugar is now ready to be used!

Store it as you would regular sugar.  Be sure to measure it when adding to your recipe. 

Make a Mix: Salsa Mix

A friend asked me a while ago if I had ever made salsa from THRIVE ingredients.  Well I had not. So I got to work.  I found a recipe in an old extension publication for Salsa Mix in a Jar.  I thought it was a good idea but I was not happy with the end product.  I experimented a little and came up with a recipe I like better. If you like the chunky style but want a spicier salsa try adding more mix with the can of Mexican tomatoes.   When making it is best if you make it and refrigerate it for a couple of hours or overnight before eating, it lets the flavors develop a little.

Salsa Mix in a Jar
1 teaspoon garlic powder (more to taste)
1/2 cup THRIVE freeze dried  onion
2 Tablespoons THRIVE dried mixed bell peppers
½ Cup THRIVE tomato powder
2 Tablespoons  dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper

Measure all into jam jar or ziploc bag, seal & shake to combine.

Attach Tag
Mild Chunky Salsa
Combine the following, mix well: Chill 1 hour to let spices mingle.
2 tablespoons salsa mix
10 oz can Mexican-style tomatoes.

Spicy Salsa
½ cup salsa mix
¾ cup water
Combine Mix and water chill 2 hours. Serve with Chips/Crackers/Veggie Sticks.
 

Salsa Spread
2 tablespoons salsa mix
1. Chopped Tomatoes
1 cup softened cream cheese

Combine Mix, tomatoes, Cream Cheese, chill 2 hours. Serve with Chips/Crackers/Veggie Sticks.

Make a Mix: Get Dinner on theTable Mix and Chicken Pot Pie

I have found that I use the same THRIVE freeze dried foods in the same porportions in most of my cooking.  To make cooking even easier I have made up some of my own mixes then when I am making dinner I don't have to measure just dump.

Here is what I do:

Get Dinner on the Table Mix
1/4 c freeze dried onion
1/4 cup freezed dried celery
1/4 cup dehydrated carrots

1 cup dehydrated potato chunks

Place all ingredients in a jam jar. Screw on lid tight.

To use:
Fill jar with hot water and let rehydrate or dump into what ever you are making.

For a printable jar label click here.

I use it for:
Chicken Pot Pie
Soup-chicken noodle, chowder, meatball, etc.
Casseroles

Remember Thrive freeze dried and dehydrated foods have no salt or other seasoning on them so be sure to add some salt and pepper.

Chicken Pot Pie
1 pie crust recipe prepared
1 jar of prepared  Get Dinner on the Table Mix,
1/2 cup freezed dried vegetables (like peas, green beans, what ever you like)
1/2 cup freeze dried Chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup, do not add the water

1.  Add jar of get Dinner on the Table Mix, freeze dried veg, and chicken to a large bowl, cover with hot water.  Let sit 10 minutes until vegetables are soft and rehydrated.
2. Drain off water until the ingredients are just covered.
3.  Stir in can of cream of chicken soup.
4.  Add all ingredints to pie shell. Cover with send pie crust, seal edges. Cut slits in the pie crust so the steam can escape.
5. Bake pie at 350 for 1 hour.

Make Your Own Mix: Apple Pie Filling and Pie Crust

So I heard today that pie is the new cupcake.  I am excited because I love pie.  This is my favorite pie dough recipe.  I find it is easy to work with and taste great.  If you prefer you can switch out the butter flavored Crisco for lard, butter or regular Crisco.  I like the butter flavored Crisco because it makes the crust a nice golden brown color and it gives the crust a slight butter taste.  I don't use butter very often because I have a hard time getting butter the right temperature. It is either to cold or it is to melted.  I really like lard for pie dough but I have a hard time finding a high quality lard on a regular basis. 

This recipe came from a homemaking class my mother attended years ago. I don't know who originally taught the class but I sure love the recipe.

In this pie dough recipe you are instructed to mix the fat into the flour with your fingers.  I love this method it makes great crust. If you are not sure you want to get your hands dirty it is fine to use your pasty blender or a food processor, just know that the dough will be harder to work with.

This apple pie filling recipe is one of my favorite mixes to have on hand.  I know it is not a mix in the traditional way of thinking but for me it is something I can do a head so there will be less work later.  So I count it as a mix.  Apple pie is wonderful to eat but often a little labor intensive for every day use.  Each fall we make a batch or two of this great filling.

Pie Tips

FOOD PROCESSOR PASTRY
This Method   is fast and efficient, but it’s speed needs to be treated with caution. Use 1-2 second pulses rather than letting the machine run. Have all fats ice cold or frozen. Combine the dry ingredients in the food processor; process for 10 seconds. Cut fat into ½” chunks and scatter over dry ingredients. Use pulse bursts until fat is the size of peas. Drizzle ice cold water over top. Pulse until dough begins to clump into small balls. If the dough adheres when squeezed, it is ready to use.

FREEZING
Baked Pie & Tart Shells:  Place on cookie sheet and freeze (don’t wrap). When frozen, wrap or place in freezer bags and return to the freezer. To use, unwrap and heat in moderate oven (375 degrees F.) for 10 minutes. May also thaw unwrapped at room temperature.

Unbaked Pie & Tart Shells:   Freeze dough in the pie pan. When solid, pry it out of pan and freeze. May stack with waxed paper crumpled between crusts for easier separation. Package in freezer bags anad return to freezer. For single crust, unwrap and bake in very hot oven (450 degrees F.) for 5 minutes. Prick crust with fork and continue baking until browned (apx. 15 minutes).  

Storage: The recommended storage time for unbaked pastry is two months. For baked pastry it is 4 to 6 months.


Pie Filling:  When fresh fruit is in season it is a great idea to make a little bit of pie filling to freeze and use later in the year.  My favorite pie filling to freeze is peach.  To freeze fresh pie filling: Line a pie pan with several layers of foil.  Fill with pie filing. Freeze until solid. Pop the frozed filling out the the pan and place in a Zip Lock bag or wrap well with foil.  Label and return to the freezer.  When ready to use make pie crust. Place frozen pie filling in pie crust and bake.


PIES TO FREEZE

Recommended Varieties:    Apple, peach,, blueberry, mince, strawberry, or rhubarb freeze well. Cherry pie may be frozen only after baking.

Unbaked:  Do not make slits in the top crust. After pies are frozen, cover with a second pie plate (protect from crushing). Wrap with moisture proof film and return to the freezer. Use within 2 months.

Baked:  Cool baked pies to room temperature. Wrap with moisture proof film and return to the freezer. Use within 4 months for highest quality.

Thawing:  If frozen unbaked, remove wrapping and make slits in top crust. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes, cut vents in top, bake for 20 minutes longer. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until juices bubble and crust is golden brown. If frozen baked, remove wrapping and let thaw. Bake at 350 degrees F. until knife inserted comes out warm (apx. 15 minutes)

Recipe

Heather's Favorite Pie Dough
Makes enough mix to make 6 single pie crusts or 3 double pie crusts


In a shallow bowl place:
6 cups of flour
3 cups of Butter Flavor Crisco
3 tsp salt

Mix together with clean fingers until the mixture resembles corn meal. (At this point you can put the Mix in a zip lock bag or other air tight container and use store until you are ready to use it.)  Or you can use it right away.
Add 1 ½ cups water.  Fold together to form a soft ball of dough.  At this point the dough should look marbled. Divide into 6 sections.  Roll out one section into a large circle.  Hold pie pan over circle to make sure the dough is about 2 inches larger then the pie pan.  Place dough in pie pan. Fill with pie filling.  Roll out another circle and place on top.  Seal and crimp edges. I find it easiest to crimp the edges if you first tuck the dough that is hanging over the edge of the pie pan under so you have a mound of dough to crimp. 

Bake Unfilled Pie shells for 8-10 minutes at 350.
Bake filled double crust pies for 1 hour at 350.



Bottled Apple Pie  Filling--This really does set up into  a slice-able pie if you let it cool, we can never wait that long so it is a little runny looking in the photo.

Peal apples; slice and put into quart bottles, about 6 or 7.  Pour syrup over apple.

Syrup:
10 cups water
4-½ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1-cup cornstarch
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Bring to a bubbling boil; add 3 tablespoons lemon juice plus 3 drops of yellow food coloring.

Seal and process 20 minutes.