To celebrate Thanksgiving why not do some American baking? There are lots of places you can buy American food online so stock up on your American ingredients and follow some of these easy steps to create your American culinary delights to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Most people lead busy lifestyles, once you’ve endured the commute home the last thing you want to be doing is slaving away in the kitchen. There are a variety of cake mixes available that are a brilliant time-saver for those with busy lives, and contrary to what people say, thepre-made mixes produce cakes just as good as those made from scratch, especially when you add your own personal touches and tweak the recipe. For example, instead of adding water (as most cake mixes advise), try adding milk instead – this will give the cake more flavour and will give it a ‘homemade’ taste. Make sure you don\’t over-mix your cake as cake mixes do have a tendency to dry out – keep mixing to a minimum so your cake remains fluffy and moist.

Another little tip to keep your cake moist is to bake in the oven with a pan full of water – baking the cake in a damp environment will keep it moist, light and spongy. Also, make sure you use the recommended pan size for baking your cake as the amount of mixture in your ready-made cake mix accounts for the pan size. The best pan to use is a non-stick metal pan as they reflect the heat away forming a light brown crust. Here are a few simple tips to follow to make sure your all American cake is a success:

– Always pre-heat oven so it’s exactly at the recommended temperature when your cake goes in

– Beat the cake as recommended on the cake mix instructions (over-mixed cakes turn out dry)

– Use the age-old trick of inserting a knife into the cake to check if it’s ready – if the knife comes out clean it’s ready to remove from the oven (don’t leave in the oven too long or it will dry up)

What you add to your all American style cake is up to you, there are lots of tasty American sweets you can choose from. Another way to help save time is to buy ready-made icing (or frosting), Betty Crocker Whipped Chocolate Frosting is a delightfully tasty and quick and easy to make. As you save time on the icing by buying it pre-made you could make yourself a piping bag to create a beautifully iced cake. There are lots of easy online tutorials that show you how to make your own piping bag, all you’ll need is grease-proof paper and good origami skills!

What do you like adding to your cakes? There are a variety of American sweets you can add to your baking delights including Hershey’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, Butterscotch Morsels for a delicious chewy butterscotch flavour, or for the peanut butter fans Reese’sPeanut Butter Chips?

Other ways to enhance your cake mix include adding your own extract: vanilla, almond, cherry – whatever your preferred taste. You could also add lemon/lime zest to cakes for a sharp, zingy flavour.

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of American Soda, specialists in American sweets including Reese\’s Peanut Butter Chips.

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of American Soda (http://www.americansoda.co.uk), specialists in American sweets including Reese\’s Peanut Butter Chips.

Author Bio: Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of American Soda, specialists in American sweets including Reese\’s Peanut Butter Chips.

Category: Advice
Keywords: American sweets, Reeses, American candy, American chocolate