Below is a guest post from the winner of a private baking lesson with Anne Byrn, Cathy Seiple, who won the trip and tutorial as part of a PARADE magazine sweepstakes.
Click here for even more photos from the trip!

My name is Cathy Seiple and I was the lucky winner of the “Winner Bakes the Cake Sweepstakes” featured in PARADE magazine. As the winner, I chose to take my husband, Bob, with me to Nashville, Tennessee to meet Anne Byrn, the author of the Cake Mix Doctor cookbooks. As we had never been to Tennessee, we were excited about my win.

We arrived at The Viking Store located at The Factory in Franklin, TN on Saturday, July 17, and were warmly greeted by Anne and her assistant, Diane, at the Cooking Studio kitchen. We also met the ever charming Rebecca Carlisle, from the Workman Publishing publicity department.

After introductions were complete, we donned our aprons and got to work. Anne had chosen three yummy cake recipes: (1) a Cinnamon Breakfast Bundt Cake which we drizzled with a simple glaze; (2) a Lemon Lover’s Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting garnished with fresh blueberries and thin lemon slices; and (3) a Chocolate Chip Layer Cake covered with a Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache.

Over the years, I found that baking is a wonderful stress reliever for me. I have now learned that using cake mixes doctored with simple ingredients can be a quicker and less complicated way of achieving an attractive and rather tasty finished product. I was especially thrilled to pick up many simple garnishing ideas from Anne that will prove useful in my future baking projects. Anne is an easy person to work with so preparing and baking the recipes she chose was fun. Making the ganache was simple and I wondered why I had never attempted it before.

The highlight in the kitchen that afternoon was seeing Bob with an apron on, completing tasks that Anne asked him to help with, and enjoying himself. Of course, he could not wait to taste the finished products. He and I both favored the cinnamon cake which would be perfect at any time of day.

Meeting and baking with Anne, being able to benefit from her baking skills, combined with the camaraderie shared by all of us working in the kitchen that afternoon, proved to be a fun time and one that I will remember with fondness. So, a big THANK YOU to everyone involved. I feel fortunate to have won such a great prize.

I recently had the pleasure of going on a “business” trip to Nashville, TN to assist with a private baking lesson taught by the legendary Cake Mix Doctor Anne Byrn. I use quotations because, in reality, it was so much fun that it feels wrong to label it as purely business.

The recipients of the lesson, Cathy and Robert Seiple, won it as part of a PARADE magazine sweepstakes. We spent the afternoon baking and eating three mouthwatering cakes with Anne and her assistant, Diane (both of whom, I might add, have the most beautiful southern accents that make every word uttered sound ever so much more pleasant and polite than lowly New York chatter).

After witnessing firsthand just how easy it is to make Anne’s cakes – with such delicious, made from scratch results – I will put it in writing that I am a complete convert to her method.

With Anne’s new gluten-free book coming out soon, I’m fervently hoping that Workman will need to send an emissary back to Nashville for further dessert-related assistance. And, once that day comes, perhaps this blog post will serve as a not-so-subtle suggestion that I am the woman for the job!

For more photos, visit the Cake Mix Doctor Facebook page.

Rebecca Carlisle is a senior publicist

Recently, our favorite baker, Anne Byrn, The Cake Mix Doctor, was in the office for a photo shoot for her forthcoming book, The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten- Free. Anne also spent some time talking with her editor, Suzanne Rafer, about the readers who inspired the book, the testing process behind building a recipe using gluten-free mixes, and trying to choose her favorite recipes. We caught their conversation on video. Enjoy.

Follow Anne on Twitter (@annebyrn) or Facebook for more behind-the-scenes updates. Anne Byrn’s The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free will be in stores this November.

Anne Byrn, better known as the Cake Mix Doctor, has delicious recipes for any occasion. However, where her made-from-mix style shines is in last minute preparation!

With Mother’s Day extra early this year and school graduations around the corner, this Sour Cream Cinnamon Loaf from The Dinner Doctor is the perfect thing to whip up for a special, but quick, treat. It’s also a great end-of-year present for a beloved teacher.

Visit the Recipe Corner at CakeMixDoctor.com for this recipe and many more!

It was Saturday night. Know what that means? Time to party. And we all know what that means—food and drink (as well as dancing). For our housewarming party, my roommates and I decided to each make one batch of cupcakes. There was just one problem. I had never baked cupcakes before. The Great Cupcake Challenge meant I would have to make two dozen individual cakes—and frost each one! Are you kidding me? Who has the time for that?!

Enter Anne Byrn, dessert diva and Cake Mix Doctor extraordinaire. I chose Anne’s Peanut Butter Surprises from Cupcakes! from the Cake Mix Doctor. (Before I continue, I know what you’re thinking: Where did this girl grow up—Timbuktu? All true-blue American children have baked cupcakes at some point in their lives! To which I will answer: No, I was not deprived of sweets as a young child. I just grew up in a household that wasn’t big on spending time at the oven or stove.)

Back to the present, and my cupcake coup. I grocery-shopped, I baked, I frosted. You can see the result below, and if you want me to repeat verbatim the accolades I received for their superior, home-baked flavor…well, I’d be happy to oblige.

Because I edit so many cookbooks, you most likely think I’d blog a new favorite recipe, say, from Steven Raichlen’s forthcoming Planet Barbecue, or maybe something dessertish from Anne Byrn’s The Cake Mix Doctor Returns. Nope—because when I get over-reciped, I turn to knitting. I can’t pass a yarn store without going in (knitters—you know what I mean). I can’t go in without buying something (knitters—you really know what I mean). I have a great big yarn stash that makes me happy (knitters with great big yarn stashes are very happy). But I don’t only like to look at my stash. I actually love to knit.  And what better place to find the perfect pattern than—where else?—Stitch ’N Bitch, by Debbie Stoller.  In fact, there’s a pattern I like so much (the Big Sack Sweater on page 203), I knit it twice.  Actually, I’m considering taking orders (okay, not really). Below are both sweaters, as worn by America’s Next Top Models (aka myself and my assistant, Erin).

–Cookbook Director Suzanne Rafer just won’t put the needles down.

My friends are always asking me for recipe advice. It’s not because I’m a brilliant cook, (I’m not) it’s because I have access to the latest Workman cookbooks and love to share the recipes!

But a recent recipe request had me stumped. My friend Anita had volunteered to bake cupcakes for her office’s Haiti earthquake relief bake sale fundraiser and asked for a recipe that would be unique enough to grab the attention of her officemates but simple enough to put together after work one night. I immediately thought of the adorable cupcakes in Anne Byrn’s Cupcakes! from the Cake Mix Doctor, but cringed at the thought of beautifully decorated icing on the bumpy New York City transit.

Luckily I was able to get advice Cake Mix Doctor herself, Anne Byrn! She immediately suggested the Bake Sale Caramel Cupcakes from her newest book, The Cake Mix Doctor Returns. Well, why didn’t I think of that? The caramel icing is cooked and it hardens slightly as it cools on the cupcake, keeping it from getting messy in transit, and the classic flavor is perfect for a bake sale.

Anita’s cupcakes were a huge hit at the bake sale, which raised over $2000 in just one lunch hour! Anne shared the recipe, as well as some other bake sale tips, over on her blog at CakeMixDoctor.com.

We’ve all experienced it–the mid-holidays burnout. The traveling, cooking, and general stress of Thanksgiving can put your immune system in jeopardy right when the fun of December holidays is starting. Perk up with a quick cranberry treat. Warm or cold, take your pick and enjoy an antioxidant-laden beverage.

From the What Can I Bring? Cookbook by Anne Byrn:

Hot Spiced Apple and Cranberry Cider: (serves 20 – 24)

2 quarts apple cider
6 cups (1.5 quarts) cranberry juice
¼ packed cup light brown sugar
3 to 4 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 lemon, sliced

1. Place the apple cider, cranberry juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon slices in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer until the flavor develops, about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let steep in the pot for 30 minutes.

2. Pour the cider through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot or a slow cooker. Discard the cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon.

3. To serve, warm the cider over low heat on the stove or in the slow cooker. The spiced cider can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Reheat it before serving.

And for those that prefer something a little stronger around the holidays, here’s a recipe from Raising the Bar by Nick Mautone:

Scarlett O’Hara (makes two 5-ounce drinks)

4 ounces Southern Comfort
2 ounces fresh lime juice (from approximately 2 limes)
4 ounces cranberry juice
6 cranberries for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all the ingredients except the cranberries. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is beaded with sweat and frosty.

Strain into the cocktail glasses, garnish each glass with 3 cranberries, and serve.

Thanksgiving is the ultimate potluck dinner for my family. My aunt and uncle host three generations for the long weekend, and the number gathered around the table varies from 12 to around 20 over the course of three or four days. My clever Aunt Joan has figured out a good system for feeding this crowd for several days running: she makes a casserole for Wednesday-night dinner and she takes care of the Thanksgiving turkey; all other cooking tasks are delegated to the houseguests.

Her hosting example has taught us all how to be a Good Houseguest. The rules are easy: make your bed, take yourself out for a walk now and then (even better, take a few of the assembled small children with you), don’t wait to be waited on – whether for breakfast or cocktails –  and do not forget to ask “what can I bring?”

Here’s what I bring: Anne Byrn’s Cranberry Tart from (the aptly named) What Can I Bring? Cookbook. And here’s why:

• It can be made a few days ahead. There’s no crust, so nothing gets soggy. This makes for ideal leftovers, too – though there rarely are many to spare.
• It’s portable. The filling firms up as it bakes, so nothing sloshes around in the back of the car while we battle holiday traffic.
• It’s seasonal. Fresh cranberries just shout “Thanksgiving.”
• It looks so pretty. Those bright red cranberries liven up one’s dessert plate next to pumpkin, pecan and apple pies. (My other aunt’s and cousins’ pies are all delicious, but let’s face it – rather brown.)
• It’s simple. Did I mention no crust? Did you understand this means no rolling, and no lattice-making? And other than the cranberries (which I usually grab when they first appear at the grocery store, and stow in my freezer til baking day), the other ingredients are already in my fridge or pantry.
• It’s requested. Last year’s Cranberry Tart was so delicious, everyone asked me to bring it again this year!

Anne Byrn is known around here as “The Cake Mix Doctor” – and her newest book, The Cake Mix Doctor Returns, is a current New York Times bestseller. She’s a wizard with a box of cake mix – a pinch of that, a bit of this, and it becomes an extraordinary and truly homemade dessert. But she’s just as brilliant at cooking and baking from scratch; her food is exactly what I like to eat – fresh, homey and delicious – and the recipes in What Can I Bring? are all smartly designed to be toted with you.

Even if you haven’t been asked to bring dessert for Thanksgiving (in which case your host or hostess should learn a few tricks from Aunt Joan), these recipes will enliven any potluck you attend this season.

Try the Big Green Salad with Orange, Avocado and Red Wine Vinaigrette, which adds a little tropical fiesta to any mid-winter dinner, and is a perfect foil for the beef bourgignon or other hearty fare your host is likely serving. (The addition of parmesan cheese to the vinaigrette is brilliant and unexpected. And it’s now a trick I use all the time. Thank you, Anne!)

Or tell your weekend hostess you’ll bring a big pan of Chicken Enchiladas to serve for the Saturday-after-Thanksgiving lunch. Anne’s sauce is salsa- and broth-based, so it’s not too creamy (a nice break after holiday food indulgence) and the bright Mexican flavors are a welcome change of pace after a few days of turkey sandwiches and leftover mashed potatoes. Like most of the recipes in this very smart book, the Enchiladas can be made ahead and left in the fridge for a day, or the freezer for longer. This means you can do the work at home and just put the pan in your hostess’ oven before lunch – providing her with both a meal and a mess-free kitchen, gifts she will really appreciate after doing endless dishes for what feels like days on end.

Check out the chapter called “It’s a Gift” for thrifty and delicious food gifts– all of which are great choices to bring your holiday hostess. If you brought me a pretty jar of Vidalia Onion Marmalade, I’d pour it over cream cheese, open up some crackers, and skip fussing over appetizers on Friday night after the Big Feast. If you brought me a Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Loaf, I’d leave it out for my guests’ breakfast and sneak back to bed with my coffee (hey, the hostess deserves a holiday weekend too). If you brought me a tin of Anne’s Sweet and Spicy Pecans, I’d probably hide them in the cupboard so I could eat them all myself while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” a couple weeks later… but I’d definitely invite you back for Thanksgiving next year.

Click here for the Cranberry Tart recipe

I’m a long-time fan of The Cake Mix Doctor–it was with Anne Byrn’s recipes that I first experimented with making icing from scratch (believe me, once you try it, you will never buy canned icing again). As soon as The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! landed on my desk, I was already picking out which cake I was going to make first.

I went with the Fresh Orange Birthday Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. The freshly squeezed orange in the cake and zest in the icing had my kitchen smelling incredible before I even got the pans in the oven. The result was a decadent icing paired with a light and refreshing cake so good that we ended up eating a generous slice for Sunday brunch! One of my favorite things about the Cake Mix Doctor books is how easy it is to mix and match the cakes with different icings, and I’d love to try this one with a chocolate frosting or glaze with some orange zest sprinkled in, but I’ve got 159 cakes to get through before trying repeats!

Fresh Orange Birthday Cake

Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pans
Flour, for dusting the pans
1 large orange
About 1 cup orange juice from a carton
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
12 to 15 fresh orange slices, or candy gum drop
orange slices, for garnish

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