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Orangesicle Cupcakes

I usually like to make things from scratch-and I grew up learning that "scratch" means you must use flour, eggs, butter, sugar, etc or it's not scratch!  However, sometimes we just want a finished product, and I've found that most of the kids at my children's dance studio don't know the difference between cupcakes I've labored over "from scratch" and the box mixes!  So, when I saw this box of Pillsbury Orangesicle cake mix, I had to try it:

Now, I can't leave well enough alone, so I always doctor up any cake mix I use.  One of the things I don't like about cake mixes is that they are too light and spongy for my tastes.  REAL from scratch cake has a different sort of texture (called "mouthfeel" if you want to know) that has a little more bite to it.  So, out goes the water and oil, and in come the milk and real butter.  You can simply substitute equal quantities for each, using the back of the box recipe.  Or, you can alter amounts somewhat to change the density of the cake.  Here's the quick rundown of what I did with this box:

Better Cupcakes from a Box Recipe

• 1 box of cake mix, any flavor
• 1 cup of milk (whole milk is best, but low fat is fine too)
• 1/2 cup of melted butter (use REAL butter!)
• 3 eggs

Mix together as directed on the package.

Now, to make this quick batch of cupcakes even easier, I did something I rarely do: I used the canned frosting!  Anyone who knows me should know that I don't like canned frosting...it tastes canned!  And then I thought maybe I'd doctor that up as well; I didn't.  The verdict?  I shoulda made it from scratch!  Now, I will say this: it looks pretty enough, and nothing beats the ease of opening a can and slathering on the frosting.  Plus (and truth be told, this may be the biggest reason for me to use the canned), I didn't have anything to clean up except the spatula.  On the other hand, the chemical taste from canned frosting can't be ignored, and home made buttercream is so incredibly easy to make you virtually can't screw it up.  And it wasn't until I was on my way home from the store that I remembered that I had this little product sitting in the pantry:

I may not like canned frosting, but I'm not against trying a new way to flavor my home made frosting!  I haven't tried the orange creme flavor before, but I have tasted the Bubblegum and Cotton Candy flavors, and I thought they tasted pretty good.  VERY sweet, but just what kids like, right?  Next time I make these cupcakes, I'm going to make home made frosting and flavor it with this little packet.

Here's the final product:

They are all packed up in my cupcake carrier and ready to go to dance!

If you don't already doctor up cake mixes, I recommend you try it and see if you notice a difference!  Another time I'll share some of my "from scratch" cake recipes and talk about why we should learn how to bake like our grandmothers did.  

Vanessa