Sifting Duncan Hines Cakemix And Finding Little Crystals
Decorating By LukeRubyJoy Updated 23 Nov 2006 , 3:47am by Zmama
Hi all...
I have read about the problems with the "new and improved" DH mixes. I am curious if you all have noticed something:
When I sift my cakemix, when all the of the mix stuff is finished I am left with, oh I don't know, 20 or so little, very hard, white roundish crystal like things. I have just been throwing them in the trash. But, I'm curious, have any of you noticed the same thing?
I wonder if it is a preservative, or salt or what? I haven't gotten up the nerve to taste it, even though it is IN the mix. I have found it in chocolate as well as light batter.
What's up with that???
I was thinking that initially too, but they are a lot bigger than you would think either salt or sugar would be. And they are ovalish and flatish.
Now, I don't work in big manufacturing, but, it does make me somewhat curious!
i get those too, i just smash them with the back of a fork and keep on movin!!! whatever it is, it most likely belongs in there.
Hi all...
I have read about the problems with the "new and improved" DH mixes. I am curious if you all have noticed something:
When I sift my cakemix, when all the of the mix stuff is finished I am left with, oh I don't know, 20 or so little, very hard, white roundish crystal like things. I have just been throwing them in the trash. But, I'm curious, have any of you noticed the same thing?
I wonder if it is a preservative, or salt or what? I haven't gotten up the nerve to taste it, even though it is IN the mix. I have found it in chocolate as well as light batter.
What's up with that???
Um..why are you sifting cake mix?
Sifting cake mix makes a HUGE difference in the finished cake. It makes the batter silky smooth, and I find that there are a lot less holes in the baked cake. I was skeptical when I first heard about it, but once I tried it, I was amazed!!! I'll never go without sifting again! 
I've been sifting my cake mixes for a while now and do think it makes for a softer cake. Before I was just breaking up lumps with a fork but not I just use my nifty new crank sifter. Ü As for any lumps left after sifting I just use a wire whisk to stir them till they break down and go thur the screen. Never seen any crystals but imagine if you're seeing them they're just lumps of ingredients that ought to be left in the mix.
humm i have noticed them too..i usually just dump them...they look a little freaky to me.
I sift my mixes and I find those, too. I pitch them in the trash and I don't see any problems having done so.
I agee that sifting is good for improving the texture of the finished cake, too.
Rae
I was thinking that initially too, but they are a lot bigger than you would think either salt or sugar would be. And they are ovalish and flatish.
I use "Kosher" salt and it sounds like that is what you are describing. But....the next time I use a DH cake mix I will sift it and check.
sounds like salt or sugar to me too.
risque...as the mixes sit they get lumpy. i find that when i do make the odd cake mix its hard to mix out the lumps even with the mixer but when sifted its easier and it makes for a better cake too.
your funny......um and then the question....had me smiling this morning.
Softer, more tender cake? isn't that what we DON'T want when we make 3-d cakes, carved cakes or tiered cakes?
I guess it's a prefrence, I like a cake with a coarser crumb...otherwise it reminds me of the cakes from the supermarket..lol
But, hey..something new to try, I may just like it too!!
Thanks for the replies!
Kylesmom, I think the "red dot" is from dye they use in yellow cake to make it yellow. I have noticed that too in all yellow cake mixes I have gotten no matter the brand.
Heather
KylesMom
Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 2:03 am Post subject:
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I don't know what's going on, but have any of you experienced the red dot? Each time I make a yellow DH mix I find a red dot in the mix.
I saw that last night when I was mixing, I thought it was just me! I wonder whatthat is as well. It happened with the 2 boxes of DH that I used. I did not get that with the Betty Crocker or Pillsbury, so I wonder? 
OMG - LOL
I'm with you RisqueBusiness. I want a cake as dense as cement! But I don't make cakes that look like cakes either. So if I ever do (not) 
I will sift the cake mix to get the lighter fluffier cake.
(Now does that sound like a 30 second sound bite to anyone?) 
Well, I use a doctored cake mix, not just the DH itself. So, I find the added ingredients still make for a denser cake, never as dense as a scratch cake, but certainly more dense than an "un-doctored" mix. I am going to taste it next time :yuck:
I sift for the same reasons. And, I will say I haven't had any of the "sinking in the center" or other problems that have been described in other threads.
But, I also don't buy my cake mixes at wal-mart either. Seems that people who get them there had been having problems. Curious....probably nothing....but I buy them on sale $10 for 10 at my local grocery store.
If not on sale, I prefer to use the extra 60 cents and support my local grocer anyway. Just me probably, but I'm not one for big business, I prefer to support my local guys. If that means a few more cents....oh well, well worth it for me.
OMG - LOL
I'm with you RisqueBusiness. I want a cake as dense as cement! But I don't make cakes that look like cakes either. So if I ever do (not)
I will sift the cake mix to get the lighter fluffier cake.(Now does that sound like a 30 second sound bite to anyone?)
I agree, that's why I always steer my clients to the yellow butter doctored cake mix as it's like working with a lighter pound cake. I love the way it cuts after I throw it in the freezer for an hour. It holds its shape beautifully and the scraps keep my landlord happy!
BUT, this sifting thing sounds too intersting to pass up. Next time I make a round I will sift all the dry ingredients together, instead of layering them...I usually put some of the wet, then the dry finish with the sour cream so I don't have a big glob of dry ingredients at the bottom of my mixing bowl!
I hate walmart too hun lol. I just bought 20 cake mixes last night BC I do believe, 10 for $10.~ I was so happy! lol I have an entire moving box packed with nothing but cake mixes LMAO.
As for the RED DOT.. Yes I too have seen this!!! If I'm done mixing and it happens to be "floating" on top of the batter I take a teaspoon and scoop it out and slap it into the sink and wash it away lol, if I don't see it until I pour it into the pan I do the same and then take a spatula and smooth things out before tapping. If I can't find it, I know it's there dang it it's always there, they will find it when they cut the cake and I just pray it is in the middle of a piece and not on the cutting line so they don't think I added something lol. I've eaten the red dot before myself and nothing happened lol so it's all good but I just don't like the thought that someone could think I added something to harm someone or something ya know....
As for the sifting I haven't yet but plan to just a bit because I've found lately all the mixes I've used come out incredibly lumpy and no amount of mashing with forks or forking and whisking before mixing helps so I think I'll try the sifting thing I mean heck when we make scratch cakes we are supposed to sift the flour and stuff so why not?! lol
Reading risques post after posting mine...
I've had the same issues with a glob of unmixed at the bottom of the bowl as well, I picked up a tip here to add the wets first then the dries this helps cut down on that, also before pouring the batter into the pan I'll take a rubber spatula and run around inside the bowl scraping sides and bottoms and everywhere and then remix one more time for about a few seconds just to make sure then scrape and scrape into the pan Works like a charm. I tried this because I kept getting the egg white stuck and wrapped around the beaters and it wouldn't come off no matter what I did lol
As for the stuff found after sifting the origination of this thread.... make hubby taste it LMFAO
oh my goodies, we sift when we bake from scratch because the flour has a bad habit of settling!
When something comes in a bag, all I do is smoosh the bags around a little! lol
lol good idea and by the way I LOVE you avatar!!! I said the same thing to hubby when we were going thru the trick or treating bag for our daughter he said "gosh she's got alot of pixisticks" I said "Yeah for those kids out there that can't afford drugs man" and we both laughed and so did his 14 year old son! He knows a little more bout stuff then we want but he agrees lol
I had tried the smooshing too, but then I sometimes got those bubbles (despite the fact that I "de-bubbled" it by banging the pan, et cetera). Also, I make a pretty big mess when I do that...I'm not the most coordinated person on the planet!
I have just found it to make a nice, uniform cake. I was curious if it was maybe the powdered milk?? I wouldn't mind if that wasn't included.
Goodies: I was thinking of making my husband taste it, but then I figured he wouldn't be discriminating enough to tell me what it tasted like! He would probably forget to actually "taste" it and just eat it!! heheheh
lol you've got me worried now lmao. With all the talk recently about weevils and buggies and critters I'm going to be checking these mixes good before using them lol I take too much pride into my cakes and put too much love and care into them to have something wrong with them and I get really upset and depressed if something doesn't turn out right or catch my eye until it's been delievered 
So I thank you for your tip on sifting and will try it tomorrow when I make the birthday cake I need to make
I don't know what's going on, but have any of you experienced the red dot? Each time I make a yellow DH mix I find a red dot in the mix.
That is toooo funny!!!! I ALWAYS find at least one red dot in every yellow DH mix I make!!! What is up with that?!?!?!?!? 
Kylesmom, I think the "red dot" is from dye they use in yellow cake to make it yellow. I have noticed that too in all yellow cake mixes I have gotten no matter the brand.
Heather
I think you're right. I sifted a DH Yellow cake mix on Sunday, and found the mysterious red dot. When spread out, it became orangish, and when mixed with a couple of drops of water, it colored the water yellow.
Now the only mystery is why just one or two drops of the yellow dye stay clumped together...
Red Panda
You and I know that the red dot is standard, but I worry about others who don't know. I worry about someone getting it in their piece of cake and thinking that it's something that is not supposed to be there. I would hate for somebody to believe that they found "something" in one of my cakes. 
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