An editor once called her “the kitchen sink writer." Translation - Boston-based freelancer Cheryl Fenton can write about anything, including the kitchen sink (peep her interior design pieces). Her bylines run the gamut from dailies like USAToday and the Boston Globe to monthly pubs including Whole Foods, Women's Health & Fitness, and Cooking Light to book covers (there's a travel guide for Fodor's with her name on it and a fitness read she wrote with Tamilee Webb of Buns of Steel fame).
published Apr 12, 2022
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Just when you thought your easy bake cake was good enough, cloudCarter is here to make it better.
Mandonesia Carter, the mind behind cloudCarter Bakes + Events in Ramsey, Minnesota, may be known for her expert French macarons, but she clearly knows a thing or two about cakes as well. She offered up a slice of cake-baking intel on her Instagram feed for elevating a boxed cake to boutique bakery level. Her tips on improving the easy-to-make good is causing quite a stir in our kitchens, giving us expert-bakery vibes within our own homes.
“I just wanted to share this for non-professional bakers who maybe want to do it themselves,” she writes in the comments on her post. She’s also used the tips with cake pops and cakesicles.
Her first tip is to swap milk for the boxed recipe’s request for water. Thanks to its protein and lactic acid, your cake will enjoy a little extra bounce and a deeper flavor. In the comments, she also suggests sour cream, mayo, or Greek yogurt (depending on the flavor of cake) for adding moisture.
Her second tip is to substitute butter for oil, which will result in a richer taste (because butter).
And her third tip is to up the egg count. Because eggs help build the cake’s structure (don’t use them and you’re looking at a gooey mess), adding an extra egg yolk makes the cake batter denser. Translation: you’ll have a moister confection. Conversely, she suggests an extra egg white for a fluffier cake. Finish up with a dash of vanilla to kick the flavor up a bit.
Make these simple switches to upgrade your boxed cake and your guests will wonder how you had time to stop by the bakery.
