Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

I want to bake him a strawberry banana shortcake (his fav). I found a decent recipe online:

Ingredients
Vegetable cooking spray
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced strawberries
1 1/4 cups sliced ripe banana
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, and line bottom with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside.

Beat egg at medium speed of a mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Combine buttermilk, margarine, and vanilla; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Combine yogurt and brown sugar; stir well. Using a serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally; place bottom layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Spread with half of yogurt mixture; top with strawberries. Combine banana and lemon juice; toss gently. Drain banana; discard juice. Arrange banana over strawberries; drizzle with remaining yogurt mixture. Top with remaining layer. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake.


The main question:
Do I bake the cake from scratch or just buy a boxed cake mix?

I'm also cooking a large amount of sauce today (my first time) and chicken parmigiana, and spinach dip and other apps. This is all for dinner tomorrow, we have dinner reservations tonight at 7pm so I need to get this all done before that. Any thoughts??

TIA!!!

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

I'd use the box cake mix just for the time purposes.

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

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Posted by jilliibabii

I'd use the box cake mix just for the time purposes.

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Me too. That's a lot to take on in one day!

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

I would use the box. I just made red velvet cupcakes from scratch the other night thinking they would taste fresher or something and honestly, it tasted no different than some boxed ones I have used!

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

use a box mix but add to it if you want, i always add more vanilla, maybe pieces of strawberry? things like that, they always add a more homemade taste to box mixes.

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

to save time use a box mix! good luck with all your cooking and baking!

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

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Posted by kris_gets_hitched

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Posted by jilliibabii

I'd use the box cake mix just for the time purposes.

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Me too. That's a lot to take on in one day!

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Same here.

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

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Posted by ourwedding9510

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Posted by kris_gets_hitched

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Posted by jilliibabii

I'd use the box cake mix just for the time purposes.

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Me too. That's a lot to take on in one day!

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Same here.

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word happy birthday to ur dh!!!!

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

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Posted by NanandEric08

I would use the box. I just made red velvet cupcakes from scratch the other night thinking they would taste fresher or something and honestly, it tasted no different than some boxed ones I have used!

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really? i was thinking of making a red velvet cake from scratch for DH bday next week...so theres not much if a difference ?

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

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Posted by luvabul

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Posted by NanandEric08

I would use the box. I just made red velvet cupcakes from scratch the other night thinking they would taste fresher or something and honestly, it tasted no different than some boxed ones I have used!

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really? i was thinking of making a red velvet cake from scratch for DH bday next week...so theres not much if a difference ?

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I want to make this too.. Hmmm I never see any box ones for red velvet though!

Re: Cake baking question for DH's birthday today

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Posted by luvabul

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Posted by NanandEric08

I would use the box. I just made red velvet cupcakes from scratch the other night thinking they would taste fresher or something and honestly, it tasted no different than some boxed ones I have used!

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really? i was thinking of making a red velvet cake from scratch for DH bday next week...so theres not much if a difference ?

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I didn't think there was but I brought them into work and I got a bunch of compliments so maybe there is and I just don't know my red velvet cake!