The Insiders: Betty Crocker

I have been chosen by The Insiders to test some of the Betty Crocker range. The Betty Crocker brand is apparently in their 95th year, yet this will be my first time using any of their products.

I received my Insiders pack containing:

• 1x Velvety Vanilla Icing
• 1x Velvety Vanilla Cake Mix
• 1x Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
• 1x Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
• 20x Activity Flyers for half term ideas
• 5x Betty Crocker ‘Baking with Kids’ Recipe cards
• 20x Vouchers for £1 off of all Betty Crocker products
• 1x Campaign Guide (12-page) 



The instructions are easy to follow and the mixes themselves are quick and easy to make. Once they are baked they taste good.

Velvety Vanilla Cake Mix & Velvety Vanilla Icing

Rather than making a full size cake the mix was used to make Halloween themed fairy cakes.

Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix

The Chocolate Fudge Brownies turned out pretty good even if the top was a bit crumbly. It also allowed me to use my Lurpak Brownie tin for the first time.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

The mix says it makes 8 but we only managed to get 5 out of it. We also had to add more water than was listed in the instructions but in the end they turned out fine. I don't know what happened to the chocolate chips.

After being given the opportunity to try out these Betty Crocker products I'm very interested in trying out some of the other mixes in the range especially the Devil's Food Cake Mix and the Classic Coffee Cake Mix. It's also nice to know that Betty Crocker also have a range of Gluten-Free products.

If you are interested in having the opportunity to test the latest products for free and share them with their friends, then just sign up to The Insiders.

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Ingredients

250g digestive biscuits
80g Stork®
200g ASDA Choc Orange Soft Cheese
397g can condensed milk
juice from 1 lemon
juice from 2 oranges
40g almonds

18cm loose bottom cake tin
Dr. Oetker Orange & Lemon Slices

Instructions

1. Break the biscuits down into crumbs. The easiest way I found to do this was to place them in a plastic food bag and bash them with a rolling pin. Melt the Stork and stir together with the crumbed biscuits.

2. Press the mixture into the base of the loose bottomed cake tin then add the almonds at random placements into the biscuit base. Chill the base whilst preparing the filling.

3. Whisk the soft cheese and condensed milk together in a bowl. When it is fully combined pour in the lemon and orange juices and stir until mixed.

4. Pour the mixture onto the prepared biscuit base and chill for a minimum of 60 minutes to allow it to set.

5. Decorate the cheesecake to finish it off. I used Dr. Oetker Orange & Lemon Slices but
Terry's Chocolate orange segments would be just as good.

Serves 6-8

Meatloaf

Ingredients

500g Sausage Meat

4 spring onions

3 cloves of garlic

3 slices of bread

3 small onions

2 small eggs

2 tsps chilli powder
2 tsps chives
2 tsps soy sauce
1 tsp horseradish
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
pepper, to season

olive oil, for greasing

1kg loaf tin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4. Lightly coat the loaf tin with the olive oil. 

2. Finely chop the onions, spring onions and garlic cloves and put them together in a mixing bowl. Remove and discard the crust from the bread then break up the rest of the slices and add to bowl along with the chilli powder, chives, soy sauce horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and eggs. Mix the ingredients together.

3. Add the sausage meat to the bowl and mix everything until it all combines. Season some pepper.

4. Pack the mixture into the greased loaf tin and press it down well. Place the loaf tin into a roasting tin and pour boiling water from a kettle into the tray until it comes about halfway up the sides of the loaf tin.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the loaf shrinks away from the sides of the tin and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted.

6. After removing the meatloaf from the tin leave it to rest for about 15 minutes allowing it to cool. It should make it easier to slice.

Serves 4

Surimi Cake

Ingredients

175g butter
150g sugar
150g self raising flour
2 eggs
3 tbsps milk
100g ground almonds
16 seafood sticks, chopped
40g grated cheese
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 tsp almond or vanilla essence

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C, gas mark 3 and grease and line a 23cm cake tin.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until it has a light, fluffy consistency. Add in the eggs, flour, ground almonds, milk, salt, pepper and essence then mix well. 

3. Stir in the seafood sticks and pour the mixture into the cake tin. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes. Use a skewer to pierce the cake to test if it is cooked - if it is clean when removed then the cake is cooked, if not then put the cake back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes and test again.

5. Turn the cake out of the tin onto a cooling rack.

Serves 6-10

Mirabelle Plum and Blueberry Pudding

Ingredients

Stork Baking Liquid, for greasing
8 slices of stale bread
700g Mirabelle Plums
100g Blueberries
150g granulated sugar
1.5 litre pudding basin

Instructions

1. Lightly coat the pudding basin with the Stork Baking Liquid. Line with 1 or 2 slices of bread to completely cover the base. Line the sides of the dish with more bread - cut to shape if needed for a close fit.

2. Remove the stones from the Mirabelle plums. Add the plums and blueberries to a saucepan with about 2cm depth of water and sprinkle the sugar over. Bring to the boil on a low heat for about 10 minutes (until the sugar melts and fruit juices are released).

3. Take the pan off the heat and set aside 2-3 tbsp of the juice for later. Transfer the fruit and juice into the the bread lined dish and cover the surface closely with the remaining bread.

4. Place a plate that fits inside the pudding basin on top of the pudding and weight it down with a heavy tin or jar. Put the pudding in the fridge to chill for about 8 hours.

5. Before serving, remove the weight and the plate. Cover the top of the basin with the serving plate and turn upside down to remove the pudding from the basin. Use the fruit juice that was set aside earlier to pour over any parts of the bread that have not been soaked in juice and changed colour. 

Serves 6-8

Chocolate Nests

Ingredients

150g Dark cooking chocolate
3 Shredded Wheat biscuits
27 Cadbury Mini Eggs

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of gently simmering water. When smooth and melted remove from the heat.

2. Crush the Shredded Wheat biscuits and mix into the melted chocolate.

3. Spoon the mixture into paper cake cases, making a slight dip in the centre of each one to form a nest.

4. Add 3 Cadbury Mini Eggs to each nest and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Makes 9