Which do you use?

I like to use both. When I use cake mixes...I like to add mexican vanilla and sometimes pudding to the mix to give it a great flavor. Cake mixes are very moist and I think they taste great! I want to get the cake mix doctor recipe book...I heard it is great!
traci

I use cake mixes except for carrot cake. I usually used Duncan Hines, but recently tried the Pilsbury double pudding white cake mix. I made it with whole eggs and that was really yummy.

From now on, I'm going to experiment with different brands and flavors of the mixes. I stuck to one kind so long, I've been missing out!

Polishmommy...I used Duncan Hines for a long time as well! However, the other day I decided to try the Pillsbury yellow cake mix...I added mexican vanilla and vanilla butternut extract...the flavor was delicious! Also Betty Crocker Supermoist makes some good flavors.
traci

Wow, vanilla butternut extract!? I have to get out more!!!

I use a mixture of both also. When I use box mix I use DH unles it is Cherry Chip then I use BC.

Thanks girls! I really like cake mixes because they're easy and turn out good. I just don't want to feel like I'm ripping people off by not making the cake 'from scratch' kwim? I've heard that the cake doctor book is good. I need to get it too.

I just started trying cakes from scratch. They taste very different from box cakes. My goal is to find about 5 scratch recipes that I absolutely love, but aren't a pain to make. I want to offer my friends extraordinary cake that they would not normally consume. Box cakes have their place. Some are terrific and some just taste like a mouthful of perservative.

I have the CMD book on loan from the library. I was very disappointed. She pretty much just adds extra oil/butter, milk, sour cream or pudding. These add-ins are no great secret. I stopped adding pudding to my cake mix a long time ago as the cake mixes have plenty of flavor and are extremely moist. Maybe it's because I'm a child of the 70's, but everyone's mom I knew added extracts and puddings to the cake mixes.

I love the cake bible. I just need more kid free time so I can make more of her recipes.

I must be very very new. I keep hearing about the CMD book. What is that? Is it the Cake Mix Doctor?

Yes - CMD is the Cake Mix Doctor. I too, must admit, I was a little disappointed with her book. I've been looking for good scratch recipes too, as I find that the box mixes tend to have a chemically taste which i hadn't noticed until recently.

The best recipes for scratch cakes is the Betty Crocker red recipe book. I don't think I have ever made a cake from that book that didn't come out absolutely wonderful.

What about when the customer does not want them too moist?????? Is that possible? I have this one client and they like their cakes light and fluffy but not dry. I just do a plain old box cake mix (not even double puddding) and they love it but I feel like I am cheating them or something. I guess something has to be said for good pans and not cooking the cake to long but I feel like I should be doing something exta. Have any of you come across this?

bj

Hi Traci, I wanted to ask you what kind of pudding mix do you use?? Like for a white cake what pudding would you use?? Extra for different cake miixes? I also think box mixes are nice and moist and my family likes them. Also how much of your differnt extracts do you ad??

Thanks

I use Duncan Hines all the time unless I can't find it then I use Pillsbury. I don't feel bad in the least about it. I give my customers a beautifully decorated cake that tastes really good. I agree with the Betty Croker red book cake recipes. Those were some of the first I used. One scratch batter that I love is the 1,2,3,4 cake that's on the back of the Swan's Down box.(that recipe is also posted on the recipe board here.)

I almost always use a box mix, unless it's a carrot or apple cake. My mom has a terrific apple cake recipe. It's very dense and moist. I prefer Betty Crocker but I'll use Pillsbury also. For me, I use them more of a convenience thing. They are easy and don't require a ton of thought. Being that I work full time, commute 2+ hours a day and have a toddler, I need the convenience. I agree with Tika. Giving your customers a beautifully decorated cake that also tastes great is what counts. PS: I just make a cinnamon spice cake from a box mix (cannot remember what brand) and it was delicious!

I do all scratch (unless it's a 3-d but even that I'm going to try adding pudding to scratch mixes and see what happens). I love the Pillsubry Complete Book of Baking - the cakes an other recipes are great! My copy's binding has actually broken because I've used it so much.

i use duncan hines cake mix

i also use a packet of dream whip, this makes the cakes light, fluffy and it helps it to rise a lil more

Don't feel guilty using mixes! They seem better tasting to me than most bakery cakes...and you are making it fresh when they want it...even if not homemade! Also specially decorating it for them!
I have a few homemade cakes that I make, a german chocolate, a carrot, a homemade butter and italian creme a regular chocolate cake and a red velvet. Other than that mine are mixes unless someone has something they specify they want.

I bake from scratch..mainly because I just can't seem to make a boxed cake come out right.

but I do recall my mother used to add oil to the boxed mixes...whatever the smaller amount was for the water. If the recipe called for 1 1/4 cup of water she used oil for the 1/4 measurement. Her cakes always were very moist.