Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor

September 17, 2001
Following her hugely successful baking book The Cake Mix Doctor, Byrn brings her winning formula of doctoring cake mixes to the world of chocolate. No other ingredient tantalizes and tempts the American consumer, who devours it to the tune of 2.8 billion pounds a year. Byrn marries cake mixes with chocolate in 150 easy recipes to create a personalized result. From layers to pound cakes and from sheet cakes to muffins, chocolate invades the senses. These are complemented by 38 frostings, fillings and glazes that intensify the flavors. Whether it's the rich Chocolate Apricot Cake topped with Martha's Chocolate Icing or the lighter than air Barbara's Chocolate Marble Angel Food Cake crowned with Shiny Chocolate Glaze, the recipes are easy and the results are fulfilling. Even the health conscious are looked after, with Good-for-You Chocolate Pound Cake, again with the Shiny Chocolate Glaze, which is so extraordinarily sinful that it's hard to believe it uses applesauce and egg substitute rather than oil and eggs. Throughout the book, useful hints and tips labeled "the Cake Mix Doctor says" are interspersed to give variations to the cakes as well as help and support. There are also larger additions, e.g., "If the cake sticks to the pan," that provide general aid. Despite focusing only on chocolate, this book tops even the original and should appeal to the busy cook, the first-time baker and the chocoholic. (Oct.)Forecast:Expect big sales.
The Cake Mix Doctor has 784,000 copies in print, and with a 290,000 printing and 20-city author tour, the publisher fully expects to meet that number for this title.