I have been making strawberry cakes from a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com that calls for frozen strawberries and jello. The lady I have made it for several times thinks it is great. I just think it is so HEAVY. I was making a birthday cake the other day and used that recipe. For some reason, not sure why, my cake fell. I had read a post where someone else had the same thing happen. Anyway, besides the cake falling (it was still useable), it was just so greasy and heavy. I didn't want to use it for a birthday cake for a 4 year old child. YUCK!!!

Anyway, I decided to try to do an extender with a strawberry cake mix. I added vanilla pudding, 4 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup sour cream, 1 1/3 cups water, 1/2 cup oil and 1 tbsp strawberry extract. It turned out great. I will be doing this from now on with strawberry cakes. (This is the same extender I use for chocolate and yellow also, except for the flavoring.)

Just thought I would share this in case anyone else felt the same about the other doctored version.


Cindy

that's sounds delicious!! I wish I had this recipe when I made my dd's bday cake.....

It was much better. I got the extender recipe from this website. Can't remember who posted it, but I use it all the time. I just like the way it makes a cake mix taste more like homemade, plus you use a lot fewer mixes.

I use the extender on every single cake and I do the same thing your doing minus the pudding. I use DH so I don't add pudding. Everyone loves my cakes. They think there scratch cakes.

I make the strawberry for my sister all the time and I add strawberry extract to it and I add vanilla. It is so good and moist.

I used the first recipe that you mentioned - 2xs and both times my cake fell. I had used it in a 9x13 pan with no problem but this cake was 16" square. I don't know if the pan was just too big or if the temperature wasn't high enough. The recipe calls for 350 degrees but the pan called for 325 degrees. It took forever to get done, too. I ended up just using the Duncan Hines strawberry cake mix because I was short on time and had already put too much into the cake.

Cindy, This sounds great - do I just throw all of the ingredients you listed plus a cake mix into the blender at the same time and give it a whirl, or is there a technique I need to know? Thanks! KM

If the cake is heavier and denser than normal and you are putting it in a bigger pan than normal, you might want to use a heating core or the flower nail trick.
From Wilton:

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30ACBE-475A-BAC0-505CDCE7A4EA25E5

The flower nail trick is nice because you don't have a plug of cake that you have to put in, you just end up with a tiny hole.
Take a metal flower nail, grease it up really good, and place it in the bottom of your cake pan, pour in your cake batter, and then bake your cake per directions.
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30DA27-475A-BAC0-5B9517D6CAF8BB75
When I flip my cakes out of the pan, I put a cooling rack on the top of the pan and then flip the cake out, as I carefully set the cooling rack/cake down on the counter, the flower nail pops out of the cake.
I like the flower nail trick the best.

cindy6250..... this strawberry cake, how much batter does this make? I am making a cake 11x15x2 for this weekend. Will this be enough or do I need to double the recipe?

Last weekend I made 2- 8x2 round cakes and used 2 DH mixes and double the ingredients.

Can the extender be used on a scratch strawberry recipe? There is one on this site that uses jello and puree but I need more batter....would the extender work?

Trombonekaren--I put everything in the KA mixing bowl and us the paddle attachment. Just mix by same directions on the cake box.

Alicia---I think the 11 x 15 pan takes 2 mixes. So, one mix with the extender is not going to be quite enough.
The extender makes the equivalent of 1 1/2 mixes.

Kakesandkids---I don't know about adding the extender to a scratch cake. I have never tried it.
You could give it a whirl and let everyone know how it turns out.

Cindy

Cindy,

Do you have suggestions for me to do enough for two mixes?

I am sooo glad you posted this!!! I'm doing a strawberry wedding cake next month and I will definitely be trying this recipe!

Alicia---my best suggestion is just to use 2 mixes. You can always make cupcakes with the leftover batter. I don't think the strawberry makes as much batter as some of the other mixes, so you may not have a lot left over.

Or your can just add an extra egg and a box of instant vanilla pudding and maybe a tsp of strawberry extract and that will really make your cake better than just the regular mix and you won't have any leftovers.

Does that make sense??

Cindy

Cindy -

Off topic - How do you make your kittens? They are so adorable. TIA

Yes that makes sense. Thanks so much!!

Cindy - Thanks for the tips! I am going to try this! I am making a great big castle cake for my three year old - this will work great! KM

Ooo, sounds even better now! Can't wait to try it. Thanks, cindy!

Hello all,

Ok, I just made a Red Velvet cake. With the cake extender I only need to use 2 boxes of DH for a 13x18 (1/2 sheet). This was my first time using the extender....I'm keeping my fingers crossed...I will let you know how it turns out....Thanks Cindy for the info....Kim

Cindy, this strawberry cake recipe sounds wonderful, and I'm planning to try it next Monday. Thanks for sharing!!!

A few questions: Will you be posting this in the recipe section? And, have you ever torted this recipe? If so, what did you use for filling?

Thanks again,
Lynn

Texa,

I haven't torted this cake, but I like the strawberry filling in the sleeve. I have used it in other strawberry cakes. I use it alone or I have mixed it into buttercream. It should work out fine to torte.

Cindy