This Old Dog Learned A New Trick!
Decorating By indydebi Updated 17 Oct 2006 , 7:25am by YummyFireMummy
I wish I could remember which CC'er said this because I really want to give them credit for teaching this old dog a new trick!
I was in a thread in which someone mentioned sifting their cake mix and I asked "why bother?" Well, this very wise person told me she had also been a skeptic until she sifted and suggested that I give it a try to see the difference.
I opened the cabinet and saw my sifter sitting there, remembered this advice and sifted the cake mix. Well, blow me up and stick a pin in me to watch me fly across the sky! The batter was instantly silkly smooth, I didn't have to mix it as long and obviously no lumps! I thought my batter was smooth before sifting ...... until I tried this!
So thanks to whoever it was who made that suggestion! I'm a true convert with a new habit!
Gosh, I just LUV this site!
I am also a convert after reading that thread. I've always been skeptical, but OMG!!! I tried it for the first time a couple weeks ago, and it was just amazing!!!! You're right --- sifting makes the batter silky smooth and no lumps at all!!! I too am a convert!!!!! 
I always sifted my mixes. Except this weekend I was in a hurry and didn't. What a difference!
Does it make any other difference besides being smooth and mixing better? I was just wondering if it had any other effect too.
Other results? fewer air holes making for a "prettier" cake when it was cut. It was for a small cake, so I can't wait to see the difference on more and larger cakes!
Thanks for the info!! Just wondering...did sifting the mix affect the amount the cake rises at all? The humidity around here has been horrible, and I have had a bad time with some cakes "falling" after they are done!
Luckily I usually over fill the batter so I am able to trim the tops...but I end up throwing out a lot of cake tops (I don't always have time/need to make cake balls, DH is on a diet and if they are sitting around here...well, I end up eating them!)
This was a different mix than I normally use due to the flavor, so I'll need to wait until I do a standard white cake to see how it affects the rising. This particular one rose fine. I always prefer that my cakes rise higher than the pan and I do the initial trimming while it's in the pan (grease only ..... don't flour the pans and the cakes rise higher). I never worry about the trim-jobs. I just consider it the cost of doing business.....just like wood-workers have wood shavings and small pieces of wood and painters have small amounts of paint that get thrown out. Whatever my family doesn't eat goes right down the garbage disposal. 
This sounds like a great idea! I never thought of sifting the cake mix although it makes sense now I think about it. I suppose its no different from sifting flour etc.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%