I've never had anyone ask me if I bake my cakes from scratch. If they did I'd tell them I have several basic recipes that I add different ingredients to to make different cakes. Some mixes I use as is and others I enhance. As long as I get great comments I see no reason to change. I've had many wonderful scratch cakes over the years made by older women who've never used a cake mix. It's just the way they were taught to cook. Had I grown up out here on the farm maybe I'd have learned those ways, maybe not. When I got married and moved from Ca to Kansas to the farm I was soo excited because I thought his old farm-wife grandmother would teach me how to bake bread and everything else. NOT I taught myself all those things. I can bake a great loaf of bread but not everyone can. It's the same with cakes. Some can do a great scratch cake and some, me included, can't. I'm terribly thankful for the enhanced cake recipes. They've given me the courage and incentive to try a lot more things by way of enhancements.
I've never had anyone ask me if I bake my cakes from scratch. If they did I'd tell them I have several basic recipes that I add different ingredients to to make different cakes. Some mixes I use as is and others I enhance. As long as I get great comments I see no reason to change. I've had many wonderful scratch cakes over the years made by older women who've never used a cake mix. It's just the way they were taught to cook. Had I grown up out here on the farm maybe I'd have learned those ways, maybe not. When I got married and moved from Ca to Kansas to the farm I was soo excited because I thought his old farm-wife grandmother would teach me how to bake bread and everything else. NOT I taught myself all those things. I can bake a great loaf of bread but not everyone can. It's the same with cakes. Some can do a great scratch cake and some, me included, can't. I'm terribly thankful for the enhanced cake recipes. They've given me the courage and incentive to try a lot more things by way of enhancements.
See, that's exactly why I don't have a problem with people using mixes. I personally do not like them, but who cares what I think? I'm not eating your cakes, and as long as your family and customers like them...well, that's all that matters! I do however worry that some people (not pointing any fingers here, so just relax 
) might mis-represent their product by not being completely honest about it's origins. I think that if a customer asks it is your obligation to be honest with them, and don't be ashamed if you use a boxed mix as your starting point!
Your farm comment cracked me up! I was raised in the city and never made a cake from a box until a couple of weeks ago (I had to try the WASC)! My mom taught me to bake and she always did scratch, so that's all I knew. I guess you might have a point though....she WAS raised on a farm 
The only cake I make from scratch is a Miracle Whip Cake. The rest are boxes. I have had people SWEAR that they were from scratch - because they are doctored. I just smile and tell them that they are old family recipes from my Uncle Duncan and Aunt Betty. Most times they never catch on to the name references. 
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