This is a confession.
People have praised my cupcakes for years. I bring batches of them to office parties, birthdays, baby showers, often followed by a stream of thank you notes and compliments. What folks do not realize is that not only are they “from a box” but they took even less effort than that.
Don’t get me wrong. If I want to prepare a sweet, more personal gift, everything is from scratch, but often, we don’t have the time. So, in these cases, I rely on one single, miracle ingredient: club soda. There is little sacrifice in the taste or texture -- the perfect disguise.
It’s true.
Buy any box of cake mix in the aisle. My go-to’s are Duncan Hines Devil Food Cake and Buttercream Frosting, and Duncan Hines Strawberry Supreme topped with Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Cream Cheese Frosting. And think: without the milk, eggs, or margarine, you are cutting the fat, cholesterol, and at least a third calories.
Here’s how to:
Step 1: Pour the mix into a bowl and sift to avoid lumps.
Step 2: Add 10 ounces of club soda/sparkling water into the mix.
Step 3: Blend for 1-2 mins.
Step 4: Follow baking instructions on box.
If you want, spend the extra time making a cute topping to fancy them up or throw a few sprinkles on and call it a day.
Now, I have one, last confession, and this is the toughest to admit: the brands listed above are also vegan, meaning without dairy and egg ingredients. Several big brand mixes and frostings only contain wheat and/or soy, and I’m sure most faithful cupcake lovers never even realized.
Either way, this miracle ingredient allows you to select whatever cake mix you fancy and enjoy that little bit of extra free time and all the glory.
Alicia DeFonzo is a Lecturer of English at Old Dominion University, and a freelance food and travel writer who leads an annual Study Abroad to London. She is also a member of the WHRO Community Advisory Board.