Nothing says breakfast like a melt in your mouth slightly moist, yet crumby-laden texture of a muffin. But with prices at stores and bakeries increasing to over $1 per muffin, and the lack of time in the day to create these delicacies at home, are these treats gone from household ovens? With any cake mix you can create these treats quickly and economically.
Why use a cake mix instead of a store-bought muffin mix? Although, there are tasty premixed muffin packages, these are priced at $3 or more per box. If I'm going to pay that much, I might as well just buy directly from the bakery, and I rarely find muffin mixes on sale. My family is also too large for the small Jiffy oz6 boxes, so these don't work unless I buy in bulk. Cake mixes have been on sale for the last 2 weeks for .99 at two different stores in my neighborhood. If I had coupons lying around for either Duncan Heinz or Betty Crocker cake mixes they would have cost even less. Are your frugal senses tingling yet? Twelve muffins for less than $1 and all I need is the oz18 mix, and everything else is already in my pantry; water, eggs, oil, and the muffin pan.
The secret to making it work. Everybody knows you can easily turn a cake mix in to cupcakes, it’s written on the box after all, but there is a difference between cupcakes and muffins. The difference is the crumb texture. Muffins are a little more densely textured than cupcakes and are less likely to fall apart crumbling all over your kids and that nice clean counter you just washed.
The key to turning the cake mix in to muffins is the amount of water you put in the batter. Most cake mixes will pour quite smoothly straight in to the pan without much scraping or help from the cook, but muffin batter is thicker and denser. I'm sure there is some culinary science behind it, but in practical terms the best muffin batter is slightly less thicker than creamy peanut butter. So, less is more when adding the amount of water called for in the mix. If the box calls for 1-1/4 cup water only add 1 cup. If it says 1 cup add only 3/4 cup water. Add all other ingredients as specified, and mix till just blended.
Bake them in a regular-sized pan sprayed with cooking spray for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. I've found muffin liners to be optional. I only buy them if they are on sale, or we are having a party. Cooking spray will keep them from sticking to the pan just as well.
Granted these are not the healthiest things to feed the kids in the morning, but they are fast and easy to put together, I feel like I'm getting a deal for my .99, and they taste pretty good. They freeze well too. These could also work as mini muffins or jumbo muffins just change the baking times accordingly.
Food and Drinks 
