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Reviews > Food > Meal Ingredients > Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate cake mix > Owner Review by joe schafferDuncan Hines Triple Chocolate Cake Mix
Owner Review
by Joe Schaffer
September 15, 2020 TESTER INFORMATION: NAME: Joe Schaffer EMAIL: never2muchstuff(AT)yahoo(DOT)com AGE: 72 GENDER: Male HOME: Bay Area, California USA I frequent California's central Sierras, camping year around with a goal to match my age in nights out each year; often solo. Summer trips typically last 5 to 10 days; 40 lb (18 kg), about half food related; about 5 mi (8 km) per hiking day. I winter camp most often at 6,000 to 7,000 ft (1,800 to 2,000 m); 2 to 3 nights; 50 lb (23 kg); a mile or so (1.5 km) on snowsh  oes, pulling a
sled. The Product: Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Cake Mix Product illustration from Duncan Hines. Web site: www.duncanhines.com/cake-mix Manufacturer specs: Net weight: 15.25 oz (432 g) PRICE: Vendor website lists retail locations offering the product from US$1.39 and up in my area. DESCRIPTION: Dry cake mix. FIELD CONDITIONS: 1. Aug 9-15, 2020: Tahoe National Forest, California, USA. 7 days, 8 mi (13 km) 6 hours mostly trail hiking; leave weight 35 lb (16 kg); 50-85 F (10-29 C), sunny. 7,000-7,400 ft (2,100-2,300 m); 3 camps. 2. Aug 27-Sep 2, 2020: Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, California, USA. 7 days, 16 mi (26 km) 10 hours trail & cross country hiking; leave weight 40 lb (18 kg); 50-85 F (10-29 C), sunny. 8,200-10,000 ft (2,500-3,000 m); 5 camps. 3. Continuing use in home kitchen. IMPRESSIONS: The product is meant to be used for making a cake. However, necessity sometimes requires innovating a bit from product intention. The devil had hidden my bear bag in plain sight as I loaded up for departure on the Tahoe trip. He relented somewhat by revealing his treachery before making me suffer 20 miles (30 km) farther on pavement and then six miles (10 k) of vicious bouncing over hellish road to the Grouse Ridge trailhead. With seven people waiting on me, I was forced to sidetrack in due haste to the nearest grocery to get alternatively provisioned for the week. One thing I cannot live without in the outback is my nightly swill of hot chocolate. Not so surprisingly, I could not track down the simple compounds necessary for the mustering of an appropriate concoction; nor did I have facility or time for contriving a batch anyway. (The standard pre-mix I find gooier than a Netflix rom-com causing ingestibles to rush in the wrong direction.) As I floundered the aisles grabbing what other comestibles I could make do with, the box of cake mix presented. I've previously heard of this stuff, but had never used it as the intended purpose implies a great deal more cooking than I care to undertake. I can't read under fluorescent light so was unable to ascertain the ingredients, which I presume to contain a certain amount of requisite chocolate and milk powders, the only two components I actually want. (The box with its declaration of contents disposed immediately to recycle.) I grabbed the cake mix, palpitating with stupidity and anxiety at people waiting on me, making any choices which turned punitive most deserved. If I hated it, that would serve appropriate conditioning to train the eyes to work better on the next trip's loading. The first draft was different enough from usual fare that I wasn't sure I liked it or not, mixed at about a teaspoon in 20 oz (.8 L) of hot water. After a few sips, though, my taste buds began warming to the substitution and by the time of getting to dregs they were happily involved. The dregs, as it turns out, are diminutive chocolate drops which get deliciously soft in hot water. In my hurrying to slam the surrogate stash into my backpack I hadn't noticed the little gems. I even spooned mix into my trail bottle for daytime refreshment. So pleased am I with the product as drink mix that I packed it for the subsequent Dinkey outing. I also decanted the balance of the package to my counter jar and have continued enjoying the product at home, hot for the very few cool mornings we've had; and cold tap temp for daytime hydration. I'm nearly out, and will soon be forced to endure the C-19 gauntlet to replenish. Quick shots as chocolate drink mix: a) tastes good b) dissolves well c) lots of mugs for the money Read more reviews of Duncan Hines gear Read more gear reviews by joe schaffer Reviews > Food > Meal Ingredients > Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate cake mix > Owner Review by joe schaffer | ||||