My mother raised me to be a cake purist. A snooty cake purist. If it wasn't whipped up by loving hands at home, from scratch, it wasn't good cake. All it took was my son remembering at 9 p.m. at night that he needed cupcakes for the school bake sale/class party/birthday treat at school the next day for me to become an instant fan of cake mixes. I began keeping boxes of chocolate and yellow cake mixes hidden in the back of my cupboard for just such emergencies. Once I had baked the cake or cupcakes needed, I could easily whip up my mother's favorite frosting for cakes for children--creamy peanut butter mixed with confectioner's sugar. Life was much easier.
And although I still prefer to make cake from scratch, nothing cheers up stressed out retail co-workers this time of year, as showing up to work with cake. Cake says. "Although I can't give you a raise, and the customers might not always be cheerful and happy this time of year, I appreciate all your hard work, and make you cake." As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received coupons for Duncan Hines Cake Mixes and Wilderness Fruit Filling. I bought a Classic White Cake Mix, and a can of Wilderness More Fruit Blueberry Pie Filling. Following closely after the many indulgences of Thanksgiving, I wanted to try the low fat version of the cake mix featured right on the Duncan Hines box.
First, I lined two pans with cupcake papers, and spritzed them lightly with Pam for Baking. If you have ever baked fat-free cupcakes, you know that they become very attached to the cupcake papers. But you only want to give the papers the lightest misting--too much and the cupcakes don't attach to them at all, and they look like ladies shucking frilly skirts. not an appealing look.
Then I mixed the Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix according to the lower fat version, adding 1& 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, and 3 egg whites. I spooned batter into each cupcake paper so that they were half full. Next I placed about a teaspoon of Wilderness More Fruit Blueberry Pie filling into the center of each cupcake more or less neatly. Then I topped them off with rest of the cake batter--roughly a tablespoon each. I sprinkled a little blue decorating sugar on top, and baked the cupcakes for about twenty minutes.
Then I cooled the blueberry cupcakes briefly on a rack, put them on a platter, and went out the door to work. Because of the ease of using a Duncan Hines cake mix, I was able to make these cupcakes before I left in the morning, showing up with a cheerful plate of fabulous cupcakes to treat my co-workers. A success all around--and everyone said they were delicious! Because I used the low fat option on the box, and didn't use frosting, they were light enough that some people ate two. (Like me!) And I got to hand out the extra Duncan Hines coupons that I had received as well.
I have half a can of the Wilderness Blueberry Filling left, so today I bought a Duncan Hines Angel Food cake mix and a small can of crushed pineapple. That way I can make Retail Relief Blueberry Pineapple cupcakes to take to work on Saturday. Try taking Duncan Hines cake to work, and see how happy you can make your co-workers!
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