Betty Crocker Ultimate Cake Mix Cookbook: Create Sweet Magic from a Mix [Spiral-bound]

Many of these recipes are -follow the instructions on the box- and do something cute with the finished product: cut in pieces and make a bunny cake,a sailboat cake, a butterfly cake, a computer cake, etc., or add food coloring and make a rainbow cake. I was expecting more RECIPES.

If you are relatively new to cake decorating, or want to make something a bit unusual for your family, this book would be a useful tool. It features cake recipes for use with boxed mixes, recipes for frostings and glazes, and recipes for cookies, pies, cheesecakes, and other desserts, as well as some decorating ideas.

I would rate the decorating ideas in the neighborhood of the Family Fun cake decorating book. They are not amazingly difficult or complicated, and they don't require a lot of special tools. Some of my favorites are the 3D sand castle cake, reindeer cupcakes, and ballet slippers carved from a sheet cake. There aren't any fondant designs; most use frosting and/or other edible accents. If you are used to looking at the Wilton yearbooks for decorating ideas, this book is some relief, because it shows you ways to carve and shape cakes without purchasing a bunch of specialized pans. One down side is that several of the cake designs described in the book do not include photographs. Another is that only two sections of the book are dedicated to decorated cakes--the others are more traditional, with mostly frosting or glaze coverings and possibly some fruit or nuts for garnish.

The recipes are great for their sheer variety. Sections include Bake and Take (my favorite here is the S'mores cake), Wonderfully Indulgent (I want to try the Peanut Butter Silk and French Silk Hazelnut cakes), Special Celebrations, Heavenly Holidays (the candy cane cake is a cute idea), Come for Brunch, Scrumptious Desserts (includes cheesecakes, tarts, and baked Alaska cake), Cookies and Bars, and Frostings and Glazes.

I think cake mixes can be a great foundation for delicious cakes, but some of the recipes I've tried from this book haven't been too exceptional. The chocolate turtle cake was only okay, and the cherry-chocolate chip cake wasn't as good as I'd hoped, either.

Still, this book has a lot to offer. The add-in ingredients aren't difficult to find, there are recipes for a variety of tastes (mandarin orange to grasshopper fudge to caramel carrot to lemonade cakes), and cakes appropriate for diverse occasions.

I liked the tips for each recipe that suggest variations, and the diagrams for assembling shaped cakes are clear and well-done. I admit I also liked the nostalgic bits--a brief history of Betty Crocker's 50 years, and inset photos of some advertisements over the years. The book also provides helpful general recommendations for successful baking.

I think Betty Crocker also publishes another book focused on decorating that provides more photos (and some identical photos) of the designs outlined in this book. I think I remember seeing a photo of the sailboat cake, for example, in that edition, but this book only includes sailboat cake directions and a diagram. Still, between the two, I would recommend this version, simply because the variety of the recipes and general baking tips are more useful than the designs, which are cute, but not anything you couldn't design yourself with a little experience and imagination.

This is an excellent book as the instructions are written in a clear concise format. Recipes include a variety of desserts--cakes, cookies, breads, and special occasion cakes for birthday, Christmas, and other holidays. Even the novice cook would benefit from this cookbook as I believe these are "never fail" recipes which is a good boost to the beginning baker! Tips are also given at the beginning of the book to make sure the baker has all the information he/she needs as well as a consumer Q & A section is given.

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