Do You Use Cake Mix Or Make Cakes From Scratch?
Decorating By aidansmommy06 Updated 19 Feb 2016 , 7:43am by 2cute2bite
It's funny, before I started visiting this forum for decorating knowledge, it would never have occurred to me to use a box mix! I live in the Land of Kale and I learned to make cakes from Martha Stewart and the Cake Bible. It's not that I'm opposed to speeding the process by combining dry ingredients ahead of time, it's just that the boxed mixes I'm familiar with have other weird ingredients in them. Baking from scratch is the only way I know what's going in there, and I like experimenting with different recipes, types of cake, and mixing methods.
But I suspect it's really about food culture. I would NEVER use shortening in a cake or a buttercream, for myself or as a gift (I'm an amateur) - that's likely more to do with culture than the actual nutritional differences between crisco and butter.
So in case anyone else like me is reading this thread and feeling like a weirdo, you're not alone! :)
I only ever bake from scratch, weigh the eggs then the same weight in sugar, butter and flour..never fails :-)
AI use both because I haven't found some good recipes for scratch cake mixes....what recipes would you guys recommend from scratch cakes?
I use both because I haven't found some good recipes for scratch cake mixes....what recipes would you guys recommend from scratch cakes?
both for me, but for scratch cakes - always always always banana nut cake, pumpkin cake, carrot cake, butter cake, Hersheys Perfectly chocolate cake, pineapple upside down cake, and now Holiday fruit cake thanks to the darling Australian ladies. I've found that with white cakes no one seems to know the difference between box or scratch. they all seem to simply love the box mixes. Que Sera Sera. and I don't care as long as the cake consumers are happy happy happy. Oh.....I almost forgot chocolate mud cakes. what else have I forgotten?? lol
I have that weather now MB, snowing and a Force 6 gale frothing up the sea a tad.
I was covered in seaweed this morning going to work. I was on the horns of a dilemma do I hug the buildings and risk falling masonry... or the harbour and risk being washed out to sea?
I went middle of the road but still got plastered with bladderwrack...and snow!
@cakebaby2 sounds like you need a raincoat over top of your parka. Of all the awful weather possible IMO High Winds are the worst of all.
anyhow I just received my new kitchen bakers scale. I bought this one as it has a plug-in cord. My old one which just used a couple of batteries would cut out occasionally, even with new batteries. so I spent a few extra saved dollars and purchased this one with a plug in cord that will not cut out while I'm weighing ingredients. So far so good. There is just nothing as wonderful as weighing your ingredients and using less utensils (meaning less washing dishes!)
AI have always used extended mixes. I was going to try scratch, but saw on "good eats" with Alton Brown, that today's mixes are as good as scratch, so I continued using mixes. I don't like that mixes seem less sturdy & crumbly but the only 2 scratch recipes I have ever tried seemed too dry. That may have just been the recipe though. Maybe I'll give scratch another chance, everyone seems to rave over the WASC recipe on CC.
A
Original message sent by LittleAsCakery
I only ever bake from scratch, weigh the eggs then the same weight in sugar, butter and flour..never fails :-)
this maybe a stupid question, but if using this ratio & you want to add, say pumpkin or banana, would you decrease the liquid? If so, do you decrease the same amt as what your adding or is it a different ratio?
A
Original message sent by CookieNibz
If I'm using banana or carrot I use soft brown sugar instead of caster sugar and double the amount of flour, sometimes needs a splash of milk to get the right consistency :-)
this maybe a stupid question, but if using this ratio & you want to add, say pumpkin or banana, would you decrease the liquid? If so, do you decrease the same amt as what your adding or is it a different ratio?
this maybe a stupid question, but if using this ratio & you want to add, say pumpkin or banana, would you decrease the liquid? If so, do you decrease the same amt as what your adding or is it a different ratio?[/quote
A
Original message sent by MBalaska
@cakebaby2 sounds like you need a raincoat over top of your parka. Of all the awful weather possible IMO High Winds are the worst of all. anyhow I just received my new kitchen bakers scale. I bought this one as it has a plug-in cord. My old one which just used a couple of batteries would cut out occasionally, even with new batteries. so I spent a few extra saved dollars and purchased this one with a plug in cord that will not cut out while I'm weighing ingredients. So far so good. [B]There is just nothing as wonderful as weighing your ingredients and using less utensils[/B] (meaning less washing dishes!)
[URL=http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NE0FU2/?tag=cakecentral-20[/URL]
I use cake mix when I am just practicing and scratch cake if I am making it for someone else. I stopped taking orders though so there is crud load of cake mix at my house. LOL
AI bake from scratch. Prefer to eat scratch baked cakes, but wouldn't mind to eat a cake from box mix. Personally in my eyes scratch baked goods have more value. I really like German chocolate cake mix.
Quote:
i've never used a cake mix, cause its not that common here in portugal. I do everything from scratch since cakes, cookies, fondant, royal icing, etc not cause i want to, but because its so hard to find these things already made. And basic ingredients that you use like hidrogenated fat, i just cant find it here. Maybe in the Mainland, but i live in a island
What island? I was born in Sao Miguel.
Can't remember the last time I used a mix. I found that I used to add to it anyway so I decided to do scratch cakes. Figured might as well spare my body all the chemicals in the mix. I don't sell my cakes and that is what my family likes. Have noticed that those who are used to mix cakes find the scratch cakes a little dense.
I sometimes do . but I dr it up .. also make scratch .. depending on the cake I make ..
I love the dense ness of scratched cake is best for a caved cake , my man want s a quick cake , for after dinner he likes the mix /box lighter cake..
Well I do bake my cakes from scratch, only i want them to be more durable for 3d or stacked cakes.
By the way I see no shame/wrong in using a cake mix. Saves you hell of a time and you can not screw up.
Wish knew a way to turn that mixes into more stable/strong cakes. ;D
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%