Unsurprisingly, the whole thing baked — at the bizarrely high temperature of 400 degrees, for 20 minutes — into a crumbly dome that reminded me more of a sponge than a cake.

Here's a butter tip. If you've got a recipe calling for softened butter, and all your butter is frozen solid, don't panic. Just let it sit out for about five minutes on a plate, then using your ...

Recipes for coffee cake, muffins, fruit shortcake, and dumplings were printed on the back of Bisquick boxes, and home cooks used Bisquick to make everything from meat pies to cobblers. 5. The ...