I love to Bake; from scratch and Box. I want to open a cupcake shop some day. Some of my recipes are from scratch but most are from doctored cake mixes.
Can you open a bakery and make things from a boxed mix and sell them?
I love the texture of a boxed mix, the ingredients that are already in it & the easiness of it. But yet my Pumpkin spice, lemon blueberry, & red velvet are from scratch. Do most cupcake shops just have a chocolate and vanilla cupcake that they use as a base or do places like DC cupcakes use bulk cake mix?

Most cupcake shops and bakeries use doctored up mix. As a consumer, I can always tell when it's from a box, most probably won't be able to. I really don't like the whole doctor up boxed mix thing, but it's me. I personally feel like I'd be deceiving my customers. After years, I finally made a base formula that's just as light, fluffy, and moist as boxed mix so it's possible. But it's your decision and you have to do what works for you. Love that you do have some scratch recipes. Cupcake Wars also doesn't allow the use of boxed mix. It's all on you and I dont blame you for whatever you do.

Many also do what you're doing: Having a mixture of scratch and doctored up mix recipes. I think it's fine as long as you're honest to customers about it if they ask.

The mixes are usually sold at a lower price just above grocery store prices. The scratch, if they are gourmet (and good), are sold at a premium price point.

The mixes are usually sold at a lower price just above grocery store prices. The scratch, if they are gourmet (and good), are sold at a premium price point.

Thank you all for insight. Im thinking of doing 1/2 and 1/2 to offer my customers variety. I wil aslo have a "kids bar" that will have the candy inspired cupcakes. im so ecited and hope all goes well.

I personally don't think it is wrong to do either, I would think as a business, it would be cheaper ingrediant wise to make from scratch than what you pay per box for a mix these days. so thinking along the lines of saving $ and providing "from scratch" recipes, I would try to find recipes that you love from scratch the same as you do with your icing. I can always tell when people use "cheap" ingrediants in a cake or cupcake, certain after tastes or texture are always evident with cheaper brand products.
Do what works for you though after all it is your store

I think you can put qaulity ingredients in a mix. I add Organic butter, whole milk, cage free farm raised eggs, and fresh fruits for flavor in replace of extracts if possible. Those little things help.