Mixing it up

[Food Network Fan]

Mixing it up
San Diego Union Tribune, United States - Feb 27, 2008
Move over, Betty Crocker. Ina Garten wants a piece of your action. So does King Arthur. And so do upstarts Sprinkles and Stonewall Kitchen. At the 33rd Winter Fancy Food Show, held last month at the San Diego Convention Center, it was clear that premium baking mixes – for everything from scones and bundts to cupcakes and crepes – are hitting their stride.
Garten's Barefoot Contessa line of baking mixes occupied a huge booth at the gourmet food show. From her beginnings last year with boxed-mix versions of her signature coconut cupcakes and brownies, Garten has expanded her line by leaps and bounds with this year's offerings of Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars; Ultimate Chocolate Cake & Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting; Orange Pound Cake; Lemon Bars; and Vanilla Cupcakes & Milk Chocolate Frosting.

[BerryBaby]

I'd still rather make her recipes from scratch.

[Food Network Fan]

The key word ads are hitting good on this one. Crate and Barrel slapped up their Ina mix advertisements as soon as this post went up.

[MayQueen]

For me, the tough thing about making a cake and frosting isn't throwing a few ingredients in a bowl and mixing them up but getting the cake layers level and putting the icing on nicely. And cakes where you have to split the layers, forget it!