Make your own Chocolate or Yellow Cake Mix

If you are having trouble finding a delicious, dairy-free cake mix, it’s so easy to make your own! This makes a scrumptious cake that is perfect for birthdays or any special occasion. You can also use this mix for cupcakes and bake them at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes. The recipe is based on my Pareve Chocolate Cake in Healthy Helpings (previously published as MealLeaniYumm). Enjoy!

NORENE’S DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX

2/3 cup cocoa
2 1/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
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1 1/2 c. orange juice or water (or a combination)
3 eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil

Dry Mix: Combine all dry ingredients in a large resealable bag and store in your pantry. (Stick a label with the liquid additions needed, mixing directions and baking time right on the bag. Make several batches and store them in separate bags – it’s easy to measure one batch of ingredients after the other.)

Make-a-Mix: Place Dry Mix in processor. Add orange juice or water, eggs and applesauce. Start processor; add oil through feed tube while the machine is running. Process batter for 45 seconds. Do not insert pusher in feed tube. Do not over-process. (OR use an electric mixer and mix on medium speed, until smooth.)

Pour batter into a well greased 10″ tube pan or 12 cup Bundt pan. (You can also make this in a 9 x 13 oblong pan.) Bake at 350° for 55 to 60 minutes, until cake tests done. (If baking this in an oblong pan, baking time will be about 5 minutes less.)

Cool for 20 minutes before removing cake from pan. (Don’t bother removing the cake if making it in an oblong pan.) Freezes well. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting or glaze.

Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

NORENE’S DAIRY-FREE YELLOW CAKE MIX
Here is a delicious dairy-free yellow cake mix that you can store in a resealable plastic bag your pantry and mix up quickly when you need it. The recipe is based on my Basic Pareve Cake that is in The Food Processor Bible. Its perfect for any special occasion. Enjoy!

Dry Mix:
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Additions:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange or apple juice
1/2 cup canola oil

Dry Mix: Combine all ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag and store in your pantry. (Stick a label with the liquid additions needed, mixing directions and baking time right on the bag. Make several batches and store them in separate bags its easy to measure one batch of ingredients after the other.)

Make-a-Mix: Place Dry Mix in processor. Add eggs, vanilla and orange or apple juice. Start processor; add oil through feed tube while the machine is running. Process batter for 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Do not insert pusher in feed tube. Do not overprocess. (OR use an electric mixer and mix on medium speed, until smooth.)

Pour batter into a well-sprayed 9-inch square or 7 x 11-inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until cake tests done. (You can also bake this in two 8-inch round layer pans at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.)

Cool layers for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan. (Don’t bother removing the cake if making it in an oblong pan.)

Freezes well. Frost with your favorite frosting or glaze.

Yield: 9 to 10 servings.

Crowning Elegance: A Kosher Culinary Experience

ELEGANCE FOR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

Concern about what to serve family and friends on special occasions is a major topic of conversation for many people I know. If you are faced with the challenge of preparing a special meal, here are some terrific offerings from, Crowning Elegance: A Kosher Culinary Experience (now out of print), a fundraising project of Arie Crown Hebrew Day School in Skokie, Ill.

This hard-cover book with wipe-clean pages is a unique compilation of extraordinary dishes, with nearly 300 recipes, many with wine recommendations. It also features 180 fabulous colour photographs (including step-by-step directions on how to braid a six-strand challah). There is also a helpful index of recipes with 15 minutes or less prep time.

Read more “Crowning Elegance: A Kosher Culinary Experience”

A Blessing of Bread

Cookbook Review by Norene Gilletz

Apples and honey bring sweet blessings to the New Year

Maggie Glezer knows there is definitely more than one way to braid a challah! Glezer was captivated by the symbolism and myriad meanings in each twist of the challah’s braid, leading her to years of research and recipe testing.

The result is her award-winning cookbook, A Blessing of Bread (Artisan). There are more than 60 impeccably tested recipes, old and new, for challah and other Sabbath and holiday loaves, plus an exploration of the rich symbolism of their history and the rituals governing their baking and eating.

Read more “A Blessing of Bread”