Martina's Kitchen Mix Cookbook Review and Why I Went Bananas!

What’s better than Martina McBride singing? Cookbooks filled with recipes to try, “Martina’s Kitchen Mix”. It always gets me excited about trying new recipes. I actually try to work my way through cook books, flipping pages to inspire me and what I am serving on the table.

There is something about finding cookbook recipes that turn out amazing, remind us of travels, family or reminds us of someone’s favorite cooking. One bite of delicious bite after another.

Martina’s Kitchen Mix

I did receive a copy of this cookbook to try for free from Oxmoor House. These are my own opinions, words and thoughts and in no way reflect that of Oxmoor House or anyone else.

Martina McBride Cookbook

But, what if you read one of the recipes and you know in your gut that doesn’t seem right?! Maybe it was a typo? That can’t be? She even states, yes this temperature is correct at 275 for her banana cake! Did she mean in a sheet pan? She states the size baking pan to use but, it’s metal. I don’t have a metal pan that size, I used a 13 x 9 baking dish and it wasn’t happening this cake wasn’t rising.

And no it wasn’t my

ingredients
my oven
or the baking soda which was brand new
Yes, my oven was preheated
I bake a lot and checked all the boxes

Martina McBride’s cookbook I can’t account for all the recipes in this cookbook but, the one I did try did turn out perfect (after I adjusted the baking temperature).

Don’t go bananas on me; Now, I’m not bashing, trashing or saying this isn’t a good cook. It has plenty of awesome recipes in it! But, I am sharing my experience with this one recipe I tried. If you don’t want to read about this one Banana Cake recipe from the cookbook (because maybe you will never make it) boot scooting boogie down to what I liked about the cookbook and what recipes I’m trying next.

This recipe could be a country song

Martina’s Banana Cake Recipe could of been a huge fail for me. I made her Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting (the frosting I adapted to have less topping).

THIS BANANA CAKE ended up AMAZINGLY GOOD. But, I had to make a temperature adjustment. Because it wasn’t rising.
Only after I finally got my cake to bake all the way through, the end results were bite after bite was amazing.

But, it could of been a country song like this, ” Grandma’s banana cake was soupy in the middle after an hour and a half. Was the temperature was too low? How could I know? I was going bananas because I followed the recipe to a T. “Was it going to take a dive or was it going to rise?” “Hallelujah, with a small tweak we have hands down the best Banana Cake.”

Yep, recipe states a 275 degree bake time for a cake, and to bake it an hour to 1 hour+ 25 minutes which I knew in my heart didn’t feel right. Yet, she says and states right on the recipe IT IS CORRECT.

I followed the recipe to a T until it was still like unset jello in the middle, after all that baking time (of 1-1/2 hours)

Resource: (cake baking temperature, times and serving sizes)
Tips for baking cakes

How I rescued the banana cake

Panic mode almost struck but, I decided to raise the temperature to 350 degrees and pray this banana cake would rise to the heights of the cookbook’s images (Which are amazing by the way!)

You will want to make every recipe in the book. Happy to say that I rescued the banana cake without burning the top and getting the insides fully cooked. Although, you could see the rippling of the slow cooking on the top of the cake but, with icing it didn’t show or make a difference on the taste. We got so many compliments even from non banana fans.

When baking, If all else fails foil tent the cake to keep it from getting to brown on top during the final bake stage.
My grandmas’s cakes were always 350-375 degrees, so I decided to make the adjustment to get the cake to rise. Resource (baking temperatures and times)

After rising the temperature; I watched over the time, peeking in the oven about ever 20 minutes, then at 30-40 minutes took in my tooth pick for the clean dive to see if the banana cake was done. My grandma would of said praise Jesus! Because when you are dirt poor every egg, cup of sugar and flour meant make the world. She was straight out of the depression era. Me, I was just happy I rescued it for the party I made it for.

Which is another reason I like to try recipes before serving them and hosting guests. To ensure the recipe is all that and more. Work out the details, or any kinks, make slight adjustments to the recipe and then make it for family and or friends.

Ever wonder what it looks like behind the scenes when we are testing recipes? Or getting ready for photo shoots? And yes on occasion with kids and teens we use store bought icing but, not for this recipe. Oh, no, no. Homemade all the way. That’s the banana cake after the rescue. And here’s our favorite vanilla cupcakes recipe.

If you can’t wait for a banana cake recipe you might like this banana bread recipe.

My suggested bake time for the banana cake in this cookbook

I’ll report back on the next recipe I try. But, if you decide to get this cook book and make Martina’s Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting I recommend raising the temperature of the oven for the banana cake to 350 degrees for glass or ceramic 9 x 13 pans. (unless maybe your at a high altitude; high altitude baking adjustments) My guess is it will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour or give or take to bake for your toothpicks to come clean. (OR)

Try making it in a sheet pan or metal 9 x 13 vs. glass baking pan or ceramic baking pan.
Leave it at 275 degrees, give it a try and see for yourself?

Will this keep me from trying another recipe in this beautiful cookbook? I think not.

Martina’s Kitchen Mix ~ My Recipe Playlist for Real Life~

“Sharing recipes is kind of like sharing a new album,” she says. “You have songs that you’re really excited about and you want to share with the world, and I feel the same way about my recipes.” *source

What will I try next in Martina’s cookbook?

Maybe one of these recipes next from this Martina’s McBride Cookbook

Chili Lime Tacos (You know how we love tacos! Perfect for our meal planning recipes)
Pan- Roasted Halibut
No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Cheesecakes
Grapefruit Mimosas
Creamy Tortilla Soup Recipe
See her cook comfort food; Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes on the Today Show. RECIPES: (pot roast) (mashed potatoes)

The cookbook is broken down into sections which you will have to flip through to find a recipe or read in the cookbook’s index. Which will help you with your meal planning.

Martina’s Cookbook Covers these recipes

Intro
Breakfast & Brunch
Cocktails & Appetizers
Salads
Soups & Sandwiches
Main Courses
Side Dishes
Desserts
Basics
Martina’s Menu Mix
Metric Equivalents
Index
Acknowledgments

Our overall thoughts of Martina McBrides Cookbook

The images in Martina’s Kitchen Mix are beautiful. The recipes are a mix of All American, Vegetarian, Tex Mex, Country Cooking, plus a few Asian inspired recipes if you’d have to classify the recipes.
The recipes share hands on time, ingredients lists and instructions.
The average home cook will be able to follow these recipes. There is nothing hard, overly complicated or hard to get ingredients.
Perfect for everyday cooking, home cooking or for hosting guests.

Find this cookbook on Amazon available for Kindle or in hardback (see all the reviews) or find it where books are sold. Or check out her first cookbook with even more recipes for round the table.
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Why I Went Bananas Over Martina’s Kitchen Mix Cookbook

Martina’s Kitchen Mix