Hello cake lovers,
Iam a student going to school for pastry and baking.I eventually want to start off generating a cake bussiness from home and from there I do want to open a bakery. But I have so many questions. I make cakes for friends and co workers know. Is it wrong to take a boxed cake and add items to it to make it your own. does every baker make every cake from scratch? If so I need help in that department I find that my cakes happen to be dry and there not that moist cake that you get from the box can any one offer any advise Ive tried adding an extra egg tried sour cream ect.
my mother in law suggested that I may-be beeting my mix to long any body have pointers or ingredients I can add to make a moist cake
thanks for your time
butterluv05

Let see what I can answer ... you have a bunch of questions there!

Okay, IMHO...

1. I would never buy a cake then decorate it and pass it off as my own. If I'm going to sell a cake, I want to know exactly what went into it! On the other hand, if you know someone who is a great baker, there's nothing wrong with setting up a partnership or some business arrangement!

2. Does everyone bake from scratch ... no way! Some of us do, and take great pride in that fact, but it is a personal preference. Others do very well with boxed cake mixes (usually doctored up to improve the texture or flavour) It all depends on your comfort level with your baking skills, where you've found a great recipe (either scratch or doctored mix), and of course, the preference of your clients!

3. There are lots of threads about doctoring cake mixes, and several recipes ... just have to do some searching and experimenting to find what works for you (I'm one of those from scratch bakers so I can't give you any advice on that one... but adding pudding mix and subbing milk for water seems to be a common "fix")

If you find that your cakes are coming out too dry you may be baking them at too high of a temp. Back your oven off from 350 to 325 and add some baking time to it. Also, you may want to use a simple syrup to add moisture before you ice. A lot of ladies use it (simple syrup) and highly reccommend it.

Debbi

I use boxed cakes and I doctor them up and they are VERY moist and delicious! Everyone comments on how delicious and moist they are when they eat my cakes...here's the doctored versions.....

1 cake mix, any flavor
1 pkg pudding, any flavor (for most cakes I use vanilla for chocolate I use chocolate and sometimes I make my own by using yellow cake and adding a different flavor of pudding like butterscotch)
3 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 1/3 c. water

I live at high altitude so I always add a heaping tablespoon of flour so it doesn't fall. Bigger cakes (sheets) I bake at 325 and smaller ones at 350. Check your cooking time too. Good luck and I hope this helps.