Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: cake mix

Showing posts with label cake mix. Show all posts

Saturday, May 2, 2026

Lemon Cake with Mix and Instant Pudding #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

I wanted to make a cake for Easter dinner and it had to be gluten free. I also wanted it to be easy (who doesn't, right?) I decided one of those cakes you doctor up a mix with things like a pudding mix would be great. (Spoiler: it was!) Unfortunately, I couldn't find a box of lemon pudding or a box of gluten free lemon cake mix. No problem, I substituted a gluten free white cake mix and vanilla pudding. The lemon flavor from the lemon juice and zest might have been more subtle but it was still good. This is also meant to be baked in a pretty bundt pan but I have horrible luck getting the cake out of mine so I decided a plain, utilitarian tube pan would be safer. You're supposed to dribble the glaze artfully over the top of the cake. Well, that didn't quite work out for me. I obviously need more practice! But the cake was glazed and that's really the most important thing, right? This recipe was adapted from one The Seasoned Mom.

CAKE:

1 (15.25 ounce) box lemon cake mix (can substitute white or yellow cake mix)

1 box instant lemon pudding mix (can substitute vanilla)

¾ cup water

¼ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

½ cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

GLAZE

1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

2-3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan, or tube pan or use cooking spray.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed tbeat together the cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, lemon juice, oil and eggs for about 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and the vanilla extract until you have a thick, pourable glaze. Add more lemon juice to thin, or more sugar to thicken. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

When a wealthy local benefactor is slain on the farm, Monica has to figure out who wanted to cash in on the killing . . .

As Sassamanash Farms hunkers down for the long winter, Monica agrees to let the local animal shelter host their Christmas-themed fundraiser there. The draw of the event—a chance to have your pet’s picture taken with Santa—brings in animal lovers from far and wide. But when the crackling fire dies down and the festive holiday props are all carted away, Monica discovers a very un-jolly sight next to the barn—the dead body of one of the shelter’s biggest donors. With the farm’s good name in jeopardy, Monica goes to work to root out the killer.

By all accounts the victim was a charming and generous supporter of the shelter, but Monica discovers that he was loathed by those who knew him for being tight-fisted and unscrupulous. Suspecting money might be the motive, she turns her sights on his stylish wife and her lavish lifestyle, along with the manager of the struggling shelter, who stood to collect a hefty bequest from his will. But as Monica closes in on one final clue, the culprit closes in on her. Caught unawares, she’ll have to survive the brutal winter weather, as well as a cold-blooded killer . . .

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Spooky Cake Mix Cookies #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon #Halloween

I bought what I thought was a mix for brownies and you can imagine my disappointment when I got home from the store and discovered I'd picked up a chocolate cake mix instead. I didn't want to make a cake--I had nothing to frost it with. I went searching on the Internet and found you could make cookies from a cake mix! Making cookies can be so fiddly, and I'm terrible when it comes to decorating them. This was so easy it was practically criminal. And adding googly eyes gave the cookies a spooky Halloween look. Note: the cookies are on the softer side.

1 box cake mix (I used chocolate)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
Sprinkles, googly eyes or other edible seasonal decor

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix, vegetable oil and eggs in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Affix desired decorations.

Bake 6 to 10 minutes (your timing may vary.) Let cool on cookie sheet then transfer to wire racks.

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!

COMING NOVEMBER 11

It's Chrismas in Cranberry Cove! Monica holds a fundraiser for the Cranberry Cove Animal Shelter--Have Your Pet's Picture Taken With Santa--at Sassamanash Farm. All goes well until murder threatens to dampen the holiday spirit!

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Barnes & Noble

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Cake Mix Cookies #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

These cookies apparently went viral on TikTok. I found the clip of the video on a cooking site--I don't TikTok...yet. They are super easy to make and a fun project with young kids. The original recipe called for strawberry cake mix but my store did not have, and I don't think has ever had, strawberry cake mix. My granddaughter picked out the Funfetti mix instead. You could use the flavor of your choice--lemon, chocolate, orange, carrot. The instructions called for baking these for 12 minutes. I thought they were too soft and left them in the oven longer. They came out quite chewy instead of fluffy but were still good. I imagine the 12 minute timing was correct and they would have stiffened up as they cooled. Next time....

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (flavor of your choosing)
1 container Cool Whip
Powdered Sugar

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, mix dry cake mix with container of Cool Whip.

Form dough into golf ball-sized balls and roll in powdered sugar.

Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

OUT NOW!

When murder taints writer-in-residence Penelope Parish’s charming British bookshop, she must follow the clues to catch a killer before tempers boil over.

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Penelope Parish thought she’d turned the page on her amateur sleuthing days but when the owner of Upper Chumley-on-Stokes’ proposed first high-end gourmet shop is poisoned, the American novelist starts to wonder if she and her quaint British town are in for another rewrite. It turns out that not everyone was a fan of Simeon Foster’s farm-sourced charcuterie and imported pastries—many of the locals were outraged by the potential new competition.

With a full menu of suspects on her hands, this just might be Penelope’s toughest case yet. Luckily, her friends at the Open Book are there to help with every twist of the poisoned pen.

AND...

Family fireworks lead to murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The Fourth of July always means endless celebrations in Cranberry Cove, and this year Monica and Greg have the added pleasure of spending it with Monica’s college roommate, Kelly Cargill. When they join Kelly and her family to watch the fireworks, it’s all very exciting—until the elderly matriarch of the family dies on the spot. Then evidence comes to light that she was poisoned, and Monica promises to do what she can to catch the culprit.

Just about everyone in Kelly’s family wanted to get their hands on what was sure to be a sizable inheritance. But Monica also discovers that one of them was trying to hide a messy love affair the older woman had discovered, and that the victim’s caretaker may have wanted revenge for enduring years of mistreatment. And just as more secrets surface and the clues begin to fall into place, Monica realizes that as she’s closing in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her . . .

Includes a mouthwatering cookie recipe!

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

My article on the Enduring Appeal of Cozy Mysteries

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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

How to Make Glazed Eggnog Muffins + a #bookgiveaway from mystery author Cleo Coyle

'Tis the season for eggnog! This classic holiday flavor is one of my favorites, and Marc's, too. (If you're new to this blog, Marc is not only my husband, but also my partner in crime writing.)

http://cleocoylebooks.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/13-billionaire-blend/

Billionaire Blend,
now an official
national bestseller in
hardcover.

Billionaire Blend is the newest entry in our long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series. It was released earlier this month to a Starred Review from Kirkus, a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews, and is now officially a Top-10 national bestseller in hardcover** (huzzah!).

**B&N, Nielsen Bookscan, and (for the first time), Baker & Taylor!

I'm guest blogging about the book with a fun contest at Dru's Book Musings this week.

Scroll to the end of this recipe
for the link to the contest...

Now Back to the Food!

Today's recipe is the second eggnog muffin I've shared with readers. The first was in last year's "holiday special" Coffeehouse Mystery, HOLIDAY BUZZ. You'll find the recipe (pictured below) in the recipe section of that book...

Eggnog Crumb Muffins from
Holiday Buzz: A Coffeehouse Mystery

http://www.coffeehousemysteries.com/userfiles/file/Holiday-Buzz-Recipes_Cleo-Coyle.pdf

To see the many festive recipes
featured in Holiday Buzz,
click here.

The crumb muffin (above) is a very tasty "from scratch" version. Today's muffin is a quick-and-easy large batch recipe with a cake mix starter and a delicious eggnog glaze. It's just as tender and tasty as the scratch version and just as eggnoggy (yes, I made up that word).

Both muffins are delicious and festive. Whichever way you make them, I hope you will bake them with love and eat them with (holiday) joy!

~ Cleo

Cleo Coyle, baker of
"eggnoggy" muffins is author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Cleo Coyle's
Eggnog Muffins

In Holiday Buzz, I describe these muffins and how they came about...

During her years raising her daughter alone in New Jersey, my amateur sleuth, Greenwich Village coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi, created this easy "cake mix" recipe for her In the Kitchen with Clare column. The recipe produces tender and delicious breakfast or coffee break treats with the seasonal flavors of eggnog, nutmeg, and (if you like) even a spirited splash of rum. The eggnog glaze puts a lovely finish on each muffin, boosting the flavor while dressing them up for your Season's eatings. Enjoy! ~ Cleo

For a free PDF of this recipe that you can print, save, or share, click here.

Makes 24 muffins

One Yellow Cake Mix (Butter Recipe)

1-1/2 cups Eggnog

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs, lightly beaten with fork

1-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional addition: 1 tsp. rum extract or 1 Tbsp. dark rum

Directions: Using an electric mixer, blend eggnog, butter, eggs, salt, vanilla, (and rum, if adding) in a large bowl. Once blended, add the cake mix and beat at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Line muffin tins with paper liners, divide batter among them. Bake for 20 minutes in a well-preheated 350° F oven. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a test muffin comes out with no wet batter clinging to it. Remove from oven. Allow to cool and dip tops into eggnog glaze (as shown below).

Cleo's Eggnog Glaze

In a saucepan warm 1/2 cup eggnog and 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) over low heat. Do not allow this mixture to boil! If it does, you may get a scorched taste in your glaze. When butter is just melted, stir in (about) 3-1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar. I also like to add in 1/2 teaspoon rum extract. If you really like rum, you may want to increase this amount; if you dislike rum, leave out the extract.

Keep stirring until the sugar is melted and a smooth glaze forms. If you did not sift the sugar, you may need to whisk the glaze to smooth out any clumping. If the gaze seems too loose, add more confectioners’ sugar, if it’s too thick, spoon in a bit more eggnog until you get the consistency you like. Test on a plate. The glaze should drizzle easily off the spoon but harden fairly quickly once it cools on the plate.

Dip the tops of each muffin into the glaze as shown in my photos. Remember that the glaze is hot! So watch your fingers. Finish with an optional sprinkling of Nutmeg Sugar before the glaze hardens.

NUTMEG SUGAR: Whisk together 1/4 cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Sprinkle over freshly glazed eggnog muffins.

Win and Autographed Copy of Billionaire Blend and 2 more fun prizes...

*Star Reviewed ~ Kirkus

"Top Pick" ~ RT Book Reviews

"...a highly satisfying mystery."
~ Publishers Weekly

CLICK TO ENTER.

Update: This contest is now over, but you can still enter the contest at Kings River Life magazine (of CA):

CLICK HERE
TO ENTER THE
BILLIONAIRE BLEND
GIVEAWAY.

And Note:
Two new contests to win the
book and extra fun prizes
are starting Christmas Day.

Stop by my website for links to those or
subscribe to my newsletter.

Simply write an e-mail that says "sign me up"
and send it to...
CoffeehouseMystery(at)gmail(dot)com

Read with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice).

Friend me on facebook here.

Follow me on twitter here.

Visit my online coffeehouse here.

To view the
Coffeehouse Mystery
book trailer, click here.

Free Title Checklist!

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling

works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark

Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the

13 titles includes the added bonus of recipes.
To download a free checklist of titles (in order)
with mini plot summaries, click here.

The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #1 of
The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries, which Cleo writes
under the name
Alice Kimberly
To learn more, click here.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

How to make a Baileys Irish Cream and Coffee Poke Cake for St. Patrick’s Day by Cleo Coyle

Baileys Irish Cream and coffee are a natural together. Who wouldn't enjoy a wee spot of Irish whiskey in their coffee, blended with real Irish cream from real Irish cows? With St. Patrick’s Day coming up this weekend, it’s no wonder I’m featuring both flavors (coffee and Irish cream) in a delicious cake recipe. My only regret is that it’s not green!

Yes, I’m one of those classy people who enjoy making green food for St. Patrick’s Day. (If you'd like my recipe for Shamrock Green Pistachio Muffins (with ricotta)- click here for the recipe and/or you can also watch my little video from a recent St. Patrick's Day parade here in New York City).

Unfortunately, my original plans for today’s recipe (a green avocado cake) went south (literally!), which is why I’d like to give a shout-out of thanks to Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) for stepping in on my regular post day Tuesday, thus giving me a chance to recover. Thanks again, Lucy!

Behold: My avocado cupcake fail.

I’ll write more about my altercation with an avocado cake in a future post. Let’s just say it not only fell flat but baked up weirdly doughy. My second attempt at avocado cupcakes didn't fare much better (again, weirdly flat and doughy). So I abandoned "baking with avocado" idea (for now, anyway) in favor of a much better one! I hope you enjoy it!

~ Cleo

FYI - Last night on facebook, some readers asked about
the cup in my teaser photo. I call it my "Downton Abbey" cup.
It's not an antique. It's (happily) affordable bone china made by
The Johnson Brothers (click here for more info).

Some Fun Facts About Irish Cream

* Irish cream is made with Irish whiskey and real dairy cream. Baileys uses cream from a dairy in County Cavan.

* Irish Creams have an alcohol content between 17% and 20% by volume (Baileys is 17%)

* There are no preservatives in Baileys yet the cream doesn’t spoil because the alcohol content is enough to preserve it. Baileys has a shelf life of 30 months, and the manufacturer guarantees its taste for two years from the day it was made.

* Baileys is available in several flavors, including hazelnut (the newest), chocolate mint, crème caramel, and (of course) coffee!

Cleo Coyle's
Baileys Irish Cream
and Coffee Poke Cake

Cleo Coyle, addicted to coffee
and green food (especially
on March 17), is author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries.

If you enjoy the flavors of Irish Cream and coffee, then I think you'll find this cake absolutely delicious. It's an impressive cake to serve, and my readers might be curious to know that I'm planning to include a version of this recipe in my upcoming Coffeehouse Mystery Billionaire Blend, in which my amateur sleuth, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi, is not only tasked with preventing the bump-off of a billionaire, she's also hired to create the rarest and most expensive coffee blend on the planet.

My challenge is a little different from Clare's (other than co-writing her tale with my partner in crime writing, my husband). I have to think about what cake one might eat with such a heady blend. Honestly, this one comes close...

To download a copy

of this recipe in a PDF document

that you can print, save,

or share, click here.

Click here for the
free recipe PDF.

Ingredients

For the easy sheet cake

1 package white cake mix (with or without pudding in the mix)
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter (softened)
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 package vanilla instant pudding
½ cup Baileys Irish Cream
¾ cups milk (whole or skim)
4 egg whites
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Step 1 - Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Do not follow cake mix box directions. Using an electric mixer cream the 4 tablespoons of softened butter into the package of white cake mix. Stop the mixer. Add the ½ cup of oil and continue creaming. Now add the rest of the ingredients (instant pudding, Baileys Irish Cream, milk, egg whites, and vanilla). Beat this mixture for at least 90 seconds, scraping down the bowl to create a smooth batter. Pour into a well-buttered and floured 13 x 9-inch pan. Batter will be thick. Use a spatula or back of a spoon to even out the batter and level off the top. Bake in a well-preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out free of wet batter and the top springs back after a light touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes).

Step 2 - Poke, Glaze and Frost the Cake: After the cake has cooled, poke it using a chopstick, wooden skewer, or similar tool. Slowly pour my warm Baileys Irish Cream and Coffee Glaze evenly over the cake (recipe below). This glaze will harden as it cools, and you don't want that, so gently rewarm it if necessary. As you pour, let the liquid seep into the holes then tilt the pan one way and the other until the cake top is evenly covered with glaze (see my photos below). Let the glaze cool and set, then finish the cake with simple whipped cream or frost it with my Baileys Irish Buttercream Icing (recipe below).

Cleo's Baileys
Irish Cream & Coffee Glaze

1 teaspoon espresso powder
2 Tablespoons water
4 Tablespoons (½ stick) butter
½ cup white, granulated sugar
¼ cup Baileys Irish Cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions - First a warning: Do not dump all of the ingredients into the saucepan. The flavor of the Irish cream and vanilla will be ruined if boiled. Instead, do the following: Put a saucepan over medium heat, add the water, espresso powder (or instant coffee granules), butter, and sugar and stir until the butter melts. Increase the heat a bit and bring the mixture to a boil, turn down to a simmer and continue cooking stirring for four or five minutes, watching for the mixture to thicken. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the Irish cream and vanilla extract. Blend well and transfer to a measuring cup with a spout to give you better control as you pour it over the cake. Follow remaining directions in my cake recipe (above).

Baileys Irish Buttercream
Frosting
(Cleo's version)

Makes about
2 cups of (amazing!) Icing

2 Tablespoons Baileys Irish
Cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions: Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter. Stop the mixer and add the Baileys Irish cream, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Beat the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Scrape down the bowl, add a 2nd cup of powdered sugar, beat until dissolved. Finally add the 3rd cup of sugar and beat until smooth. If frosting is dry, add a bit more Irish Cream until you get the consistency you like. Frost the cake and...eat with joy!