Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Duncan Hines are offering seasonal cake flavors, from colorful confetti to spice.

Add your own stamp to these products with these techniques:

CHOCOLATE-SPICE TRIFLE

In a deep glass bowl or individual glass dessert dishes, layer chunks of spice cake from a mix, well-drained fresh or canned sliced fruit, finely chopped candied ginger, butterscotch pudding and a drizzle on each layer of Bakers Dipping Chocolate (milk chocolate). Top with whipped cream or substitute.

QUICK BREAD

Make pumpkin or poppy seed quick bread from a mix and infuse it with an orange or lemon glaze: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice and the zest (outer orange rind) of 1 orange; bring to a boil, stirring; set aside. Line a rimmed baking sheet with cooking parchment or waxed paper, place a cooling rack on it, place bread on rack and, with a bamboo skewer, poke holes in the top of the bread. Slowly pour warm glaze over bread and allow to harden. Variations: Use lemon juice and lemon zest. Omit orange rind and use 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Use a cranberry bread mix, or add cranberries to a pound cake mix, then make glaze, using 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup sweetened cranberry cocktail, zest of 1 orange.

BAR COOKIES

Make your bar cookies (such as lemon bars, pumpkin bars, seven-layer bars) using a sugar cookie mix, such as Betty Crocker's, for the base: Combine mix with 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other extract and 1 egg. Spread in ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until light, golden brown. Proceed with recipe.

Also, use sugar cookie mix cut and bake sugar cookies to make Holiday Cookie Ornaments, developed by Betty Crocker (see recipe).

HOLIDAY COOKIE ORNAMENTS

Cut dough with 3- or 3 1/2-inch cutters and bake in 375-degree oven for 5 minutes. Cut the rounded ends from 36 small candy canes. Remove cookies from oven and press a candy cane top into one edge of each cookie, to form a loop for hanging them. Bake 1-2 minutes longer so dough sets around candy (watch carefully so candy doesn't melt). Microwave a couple of (1-pound) containers of white or vanilla frosting for 45 to 60 seconds, removing to stir every 15 seconds, until melted. Dip cookies in frosting and allow excess to drip off. Decorate with icing as desired. Place cookies on parchment paper for at least 1 hour until frosting is set.

In our hot and humid climate, these cookies won't last long; bake them the day you desire to display and eat them. Hang on a small, decorative tree.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.