That's Just How The Cookie Crumbles...
Decorating By Newbieone Updated 30 Apr 2007 , 12:32pm by bethola
OK, not the cookie, THE CAKE! Why are my cakes so crumbly? I am new to baking, and absolutely only do it so that I can do my love- decorating!
My chocolate box cakes in particular can't even hold a cut...they just crumble into 10-50 little pieces! I add the extra sour cream and use canola oil instead of vegetable oil. Could that be doing it? I just didn't want to do a plain choc boxed cake and got the idea of the sour cream from CC ladies.
Any suggestions would be awesome. I just wish I was rich and could hire someone to bake fabulous cakes for me AND CLEAN UP and all I would do is the fun part- decorate! Ok, i know I don't have to be rich, just own a bakery- but STILL!
Christina
I hate box chocolate cake mixes. I even tried the cake extenders on here and my cakes fell apart. I use the chocolate cake recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and add my own stuff to it. The last time I made a box cake mix and it actually stood up to cutting, I added 8 oz of melted chocolate, an extra egg, 1/4 c cocoa, and 1/8 c of very strong coffee. I have also heard to add sour cream, I'd add about 1/4 c. That should help 
, if you want the BH&G recipe let me know, it's actually easier and WAYYY tastier than the box cake!
ok well after seeing that i wanna try the one from BH&G!!! can you pm it to me please??? 
Have you tried the blue ribbon choc cake on this site? It uses a mix, but adds lots of yummy ingredients. I love this cake and it can easily be carved into different shapes when refridgerated. It holds up great.
HTH
Diane
I do my baking from scratch, and use the Crazy Chocolate Cake recipe from this site. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl, liquids in another, the add the dry to the wet 2 or 3 times. This cake is SOO moist. i made 6 batches for all the cake I did for this past weekend, and had LOTS of compliments. I too wish I was rich and could hire someone to do the baking and cleaning up. I just want to do the fun stuff.
I'm with Indydebi. I only use Betty Crocker and have never had that problem. At the grocery store, they are close to $2.00 per box, Wal Mart 93 cents ea. They do go on sale occasionally and you can stock up.
Debi the BC ones are never on sale here!! LOLHow much do they run in your area? My everyday price at Walmart is $0.93. (The everyday price at another local grocery store is almost three bucks a box!!!!
)
I did get some at Walmart cheap, but they still had a chemical taste to them 
My favourite is Betty Crocker pudding in the mix brand Devils food, chocolate fudge second.
Thanks for the AWESOME suggestions!! I hate baking so much, but need to learn to love it to be in this profession one day. I was just thinking it was my terrible skills (for my wedding, friends gave me a basket that included instant macaroni and cheese and a book on how to boil water for my 'poor' husband). But maybe it is my 'recipe' I have been using.
Oh, and I would love that BH and G recipe, although making anything from scratch terrifies me and makes me have anxiety!
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