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A Word from the Doctor
A Word from Workman
Bits and Bytes
Q & A
Recipe Swap
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What I love about spring is the garden in bloom, and this year in Tennessee our redbud trees are a vibrant shade of plum. The cool nights and mornings and just the right amount of sunshine have slowly coerced the buds into bloom, and I feel as if I have finally been coaxed into appreciating spring as well. Pulling off layers of winter sweaters, I am ready for some time in the sun, some time for new growth. And in May that new growth takes the form of a weekly syndicated food column called "The Dinner Doctor," appearing in about 35 newspapers nationwide. I hope it will appear in your hometown: so you can check. Each week I'll offer a speedy recipe and tips on how to get a good dinner on the table quickly. Sounds like magic, doesn't it?

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If you're looking for a last-minute Easter dinner idea, inspiration for a Mother's Day feast, or just want to know how to use the latest and greatest specialty cake pan to hit the market, look no further than the Community Board at CakeMixDoctor.com. We've had lots of new folks join us as of late, and we're thrilled to have you there. To help us keep the conversation rolling, I'm thrilled to announce the appointment of a new moderator, Mary K. Bush. So before you throw your hands up the next time you've got a baking or dinner dilemma, join us at the Community Board for good advice, a pat on the back, and the inspiration to clean up and start again.

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Mother's Day Meals

Planning something special for Mom? Let me make some suggestions. For breakfast or brunch, make a batch of muffins (her favorite flavor) and then add scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, and fruit. For lunch, how about a roasted chicken (from the deli, sliced) and served with Strawberry Field Salad from The Dinner Doctor. For dessert, how about Chocolate Brownie Mousse Trifle from Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor? Most Moms I know get weak from hunger just repeating the title of that recipe! And for a fast dinner choose the Mock Chicken Marbella (The Dinner Doctor) or prepare the Sweet-and-Sour Brisket of Beef (The Dinner Doctor), mashed potatoes, and her favorite veggie using the slow-cooker. And clean up the kitchen! Moms like the kitchen clean.

Great Spring Cakes

Spring clean your recipe files just as you clear the heavy, dark clothing from your closet. Here are some cake ideas guaranteed to lighten up your meals:

• Lemon Lover's White Chocolate Cake (Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, page 93) This cake is the subject of much discussion—Click here to see reviews and ideas.


• Easy Lemon Cheesecake Bars (The Dinner Doctor)


• Coconut Tres Leches Cake (The Dinner Doctor)


• Lemon Buttermilk Poppy Seed Cake (Cake Mix Doctor)
  
• Butter Layer Cake with Sweet Lime Curd (Cake Mix Doctor)

Finding Cinnamon Chips

Thank you to the many readers who emailed after the last newsletter to let me know that cinnamon chips may be ordered from the King Arthur Flour catalog or online. See kingarthurflour.com

The Giving Plate

Karen Buker of Anacortes, WA (in the San Juan Islands) shared this suggestion during the Christmas holidays. I think with spring baking and Mother's Day coming up, now's the time to pass it along.

When Karen gives a gift of cookies, candy, or cakes on a plate (a pretty one from a garage sale) she includes this verse so people will know they need not return the plate:

"This plate is made for giving
And I'm giving it to you
It's made of things that I like
And I hope you like them too!

And when this plate is empty
And the things on it are gone
I hope you'll fill it up again
To let the Giving Plate give on!"

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Q. Every time I make cupcakes they always shrink from the sides of the pan and sink once removed from the oven. What's the secret?
—Kelly Wilson, Hatteras Island, NC

A. If you're baking with a cake mix and the mix has pudding in it, that might cause the shrinking you describe. Sinking, on the other hand, may be caused by underbaking, so with an oven thermometer check and see if your oven is truly baking at 350 degrees. If it is baking too low, adjust the temperature up a bit. I have also learned that filling cupcakes to two-thirds full or three-quarters full of batter is preferable to underfilling cupcakes. A more full cupcake tends to bake up prettier and has less chance of shrinking back even if the batter does contain pudding.

Q. I have not been able to find 9-inch cake pans. What if I purchase 10-inch? Can I use
the same amount of cake batter and baking time?
—Donna Mansfield, Traverse City, MI

A. You can bake my recipes that call for 9-inch cake pans in either 10-inch or 8-inch pans, but you'll need to make some adjustments. Because the batter will be spread out more in the 10-inch pan, the layer will bake more quickly, so reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes. You will also have thinner layers. However, if you bake in 8-inch pans, the layers will be thicker and you'll need to allow 5 minutes extra cooking time. The layers will appear taller.] For more discussion on this topic, visit this thread on the Community Board.

Q. When I frost cakes little pieces and crumbs pull off the cake and mix in with the frosting. It doesn't look pretty to me. Help!
—Daryn Baker, Santa Clara, CA

A. To make frosting layers easier, be sure to grease and flour the pans well before filling them with batter. Solid vegetable shortening and flour create a crust that I find easy to frost. Butter yields a more crumbly crust. Make sure the layers have time to cool before frosting, and if they are still warm you can place them in the refrigerator or freezer to chill down to make frosting easier. Once you sandwich the two layers together with frosting and place an attractive amount of frosting on the top of the cake, apply a very thin coat of frosting to the sides using a long thin flexible metal spatula. This will seal the crumbs in place. Then go back over this with a thicker, decorative coating of frosting. And voila, a gorgeous cake!

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Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Serves 12 to 16
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 43 to 48 minutes

Vegetable shortening for greasing the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup golden sherry
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, orange juice, sherry, melted butter, poppy seeds, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then blend on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until the batter is well combined. Pour the batter into the pan, and place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cake until it springs back when pressed lightly with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 43 to 48 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack or serving plate to cool for another 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Place the sugar in a small mixing bowl and whisk in the orange juice. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and allow the cake to rest 10 minutes before serving.

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