Rating: 
Summary: Great Book - Great Idea
Review: This book is great for those of us who want to do scratch baking but don't have the time. I made the Tomato Soup Spice Cake because it sounded really weird & was pleasantly surprised. Took it to work to receive rave reviews - nobody would have guessed it wasn't scratch until I told them - AND neither would they have guessed what they secret ingredient was until I told them. My Mom taught me years ago about 'doctoring' up cake mixes but this is great! I recommend buying this book!
Rating:
Summary: A fun book to use and read
Review: This book was featured on Good Morning America. After trying one of the recipes on their site, I ordered the book from the library. After trying out a few more recipes, I knew I had to buy it. The format of the book lends itself to easy reading and easy instructions. The cakes are simple to make and have been a big hit in our home. The only downside I have found is that the cakes don't always come cleanly out of the pans.
Rating:
Summary: Sold on Snickerdoodle!
Review: This is a must have for those who like to bake but, have nothing in common with Aunt Bea of Mayberry. The recipes are simple and don't require a lot globe trotting for hard-to-find ingredients. I especially love the Banana Cake with Caramel Frosting and, my favorite, Snickerdoodle Cake! Check this out and save me a piece!
Rating:
Summary: A fun book for birthdays
Review: This book is just a lot of fun. Making cakes is not an ordeal, as they are usually baked in conjunction with a happy occasion such as a birthday or holiday. Five of the six people in my family have celebrated birthdays in the past several months, so we have had a chance to try several recipes and all were excellent. As an avid student of church and community cookbooks, I must say that I didn't see many cakes that were new, but the frostings are innovative, and the recipes are all gathered together under one cover here.
Rating:
Summary: It's about time
Review: I've been dressing up cake mixes for nearly 30 years, and impressing the heck out of the people I've served them to. I wondered, why doesn't somebody write all this good stuff down. Now somebody has. Recipes are clear and concise; ingredients are virtually all stuff you'll find in your pantry. And the results are universally wonderful, making anybody with a fork ask for a second helping. Only question: When't Volume 2 coming out?
Rating:
Summary: Killer cakes!
Review: Great for the busy mom! The "Darn Good Chocolate Cake" recipe alone is worth the price of the whole book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Cannoli Cake with reduced fat!
Review: I baked the cannoli cake yesterday and my husband has already eaten 1/2 of it. I was able to save the other half by freezing it. I am pleased to say that I got wonderfully delicious results even with the substitution of skim milk, skim ricotta and egg beaters. I kept the butter which the author says is essential in hiding the cake mix taste. You would never be able to tell that the cake came from a box. It was among the best cakes I've ever had. I gave the cookbook 4 stars instead of 5 only because it hurts the wasteline.
Rating: 
Summary: Not all it's cracked up to be
Review: I read several reviews from readers who say they baked from-scratch cakes and they couldn't believe how much better these were. While I bake cakes from scratch I don't exactly turn my nose up at boxed mixes. I grew up with them. Against my better judgement, I bought the book to see what all the excitement was about. Not to mention if the cakes DO come out better (or just as good), this book would be a great timesaver. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Seriously, I think I would rather eat the plain cake mix than the majority of these recipes. (The bar cookies didn't look too bad but I didn't try those.) I did not find any of the recipes appealing at all. Actually quite the opposite. But I gave a few of them a try because, well, you never know. I had to throw every single cake out because no one would eat it! These cakes just plain made me look bad! (I have no idea how much baking I will have to do to redeem myself!) Another major downside to this book is the presentation of the cakes. They are not presented nicely at all. The (cake-mix) cheesecakes were made in sheet pans and cut into squares and the frosting on the cakes was sloppy, amoung other things. I can almost do a better job! The up-side: Tomato Soup Spice Cake is sure to keep me from indulging!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book! Buy this and some cake mixes!
Review: This is a great recipe book. This has tons of great recipes, and they are very easy. With just the addition of one or two ingredients you can turn cake mixes into muffins, cookies, cakes that are out of this world. If you are a sweets person who likes convience, buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious strawberry cake!
Review: This is a great book that I have already given as a gift to my mother. I love the fact that each recipe includes an estimate of the time required to make it. I wish ALL recipes contained this information! I made one of the strawberry cakes for a baby shower (the expectant mother is having a girl). I used the recipe that calls for chopped fresh strawberries, strawberry Jello, and white cake mix. It looked great and tasted superb! The accompanying frosting recipe made just barely enough for the three-layer cake (the author suggested frosting only the top and sides, but I frosted the entire cake). I refrigerated the frosted cake overnight and served it the next day, garnished with fresh berries. Everyone who had some asked for the recipe. I can't wait to try some of the other recipes now! Yum!
| 
