Question: Cake Decorator Doesn't Bake Her Own Cakes?
Decorating By slopokesgirl Updated 28 May 2009 , 6:43pm by JanH
Merriam Webster:
from scratch
1: from a point at which nothing has been done ahead of time <build a school system from scratch>
2: without using a prepared mixture of ingredients<bake a cake from scratch>
I think that in the full disclosure of all ingredients, the words scratch or mix would be unecessary.
If a customer asks scratch or mix because of an allergy....then they probably aren't going to get any closer to knowing if the cake will cause a reaction to them. I mean...someone with an allergy is going to want to know the ingredients, not the method. They don't care if it's scratch or mix if there's real almond in it and they are allergic to nuts.
Also, if at a tasting someone asks scratch or mix? If a full disclosure of ingredients are made, including any stabilizers, what's to argue with? Why do those *two words* even come into play?
The whole method of how you made something tells nothing about what goes into it. It's the ingredients that matter when asked. Most people have to disclose them anyway, or atleast choose to do so just to cover themselves.
As for the OP and people not wanting her to lie...I think she established by her post, and the fact that she follows the law and is willing to do what she has to do to keep within the law....that she wouldn't lie about anything anyway.
Guess who's making cake mix???
Rose Levy Berenbaum
Just in case this subject wasn't cluster freckled enough.
Now she's not using stabilizer--so that's a scratch mix, right...er aghh...
..... but as long as mix bakers don't want to say that they use mixes.....
Where is this coming from??????
Well, whenever the question of how to respond to a customer's question about cake mix use comes up here, many of the responses tend to be on the "be cagey about it" side. I know that you're perfectly comfortable with telling people if they ask, and that's how it should be, which is my point. Tapdancing around it is silly, it's a yes or no answer.
..... but as long as mix bakers don't want to say that they use mixes.....
Where is this coming from??????
Well, whenever the question of how to respond to a customer's question about cake mix use comes up here, many of the responses tend to be on the "be cagey about it" side. I know that you're perfectly comfortable with telling people if they ask, and that's how it should be, which is my point. Tapdancing around it is silly, it's a yes or no answer.
It's not even close to a yes or no answer.
It's an opportunity to clue people in to the truth.
So, if it costs the same and your time/labour is the same and the cakes are pretty much the same, it should be the same price for the customer shouldn't it? If the customer tastes it, likes it and has their questions answered honestly (I believe it is up to the customer to ask questions if they have a problem with box mix, artificial ingredients etc; it is the bakers responsibility to answer those questions honestly) then who cares whether it is scratch or not?
This is my point...Who cares if you use mixes or not? Sometimes the customers do. That's why they ask, and that's why you should be HONEST and tell them if they do ask. If they don't ask they don't care, but if they do ask tell them.
Then you can go away and bake your cakes to your heart's content, knowing that you've been honest with your customers.
If you don't use mixes yourself why is it relentlessly important for you and others to tell mix users to blatantly declare this black and white? No ifs ands or buts. Maybe because it's thought to help your product look better?
The stigma falls on mix users, duh-uh.
(not in a mocking duh-uh but as in a c'mo-on duh-uh)
Why the bejeebees should we ding our businesses. Anybody gotta tagline like
"Get Your Box Mixed Cakes Here". How's it going for yah?
Well, whenever the question of how to respond to a customer's question about cake mix use comes up here, many of the responses tend to be on the "be cagey about it" side........ Tapdancing around it is silly, it's a yes or no answer.
Yeah, now that I think about it, I guess you're right. If everyone was comfortable with it, this whole issue wouldn't come up.
So here's my personal plea: Will the rest of you mix bakers, who feel intimidated, pull your backbone out of the closet and install it where God intended it to be, so we can close this conversation and move on? 
Well, whenever the question of how to respond to a customer's question about cake mix use comes up here, many of the responses tend to be on the "be cagey about it" side........ Tapdancing around it is silly, it's a yes or no answer.
Yeah, now that I think about it, I guess you're right. If everyone was comfortable with it, this whole issue wouldn't come up.
So here's my personal plea: Will the rest of you mix bakers, who feel intimidated, pull your backbone out of the closet and install it where God intended it to be, so we can close this conversation and move on?
Because it can hurt your business.
Because it can hurt your business.
If/when it starts hurting mine, I'll let you know. Along with all of those other commercial bakeries that also use a mix. And the restaurants who use pre-made desserts and frozen soup, etc., etc., etc.
And with my "talent" for making scratch cakes, I'd probably go out of business if I changed to scratch!
Because it can hurt your business.
If/when it starts hurting mine, I'll let you know. Along with all of those other commercial bakeries that also use a mix. And the restaurants who use pre-made desserts and frozen soup, etc., etc., etc.
And with my "talent" for making scratch cakes, I'd probably go out of business if I changed to scratch!
Debi's right, if you have a good product the truth will not hurt your business.
I'm with you there. If it's a good cake, doesn't matter if it started as a box or not. It's still a good cake. And isn't that the point?
Found this online: http://bestbrandscorp.com/accelsite/media/mediaFile352.pdf
I met a lady here in Tampa, Fl I started talking to her about wedding cakes and she doesn't bake her cake she just decorates them. It's really no different than going to your local grocery store and getting a cake there as a client. I bake mine from scratch. I guess however you do it if your clients like it that's all that matters. Don't lie if you don't make them or you use a mix. That's called misleading your customers and yes you can get sued for it.
So, I found this great "recipe" online that I am going to try, for making your own cake mix. If a client asked me if I used a mix, I would have to say yes, so as not to lie, but I am not using a commercial cake mix. Hmmmmm, what a dilemma!
And yes, I am being facetious! (not about the cake mix, though, I'm totally gonna try it!)
I simply CANNOT believe that you guys are at it again! It always seems to come down to mix vs. scratch doesn't it?
Ya wanta know what I really think? No? Too bad I'm gonna say it anyway..........You know who placed the "so called" *STIGMA* on *mix* users? MIX USERS did!!! (that is, if this STIGMA even exists)
What the hell is the problem with admitting that you start your baking process with a mix if you do?
You guys have nobody to blame but yourselves for this *STIGMA* that you claim there is. Man get over yourselves, nobody freakin' cares.
If you're ASHAMED to admit that you use a mix, then start browsing the millions of scratch recipes out there today and perfect a few.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, to all of you that use a mix and admit it...........you all are AWESOME!!! Maybe if more people were like you this stupid *STIGMA* debate would end once and for all.
Good Lord please let this subject die a quick death..............Amen!
Because it can hurt your business.
If/when it starts hurting mine, I'll let you know. Along with all of those other commercial bakeries that also use a mix. And the restaurants who use pre-made desserts and frozen soup, etc., etc., etc.
And with my "talent" for making scratch cakes, I'd probably go out of business if I changed to scratch!
This is why I love ya Debi! You obviously are very successful so you must be doing something right! You're a great role model and I'm proud to be your *virtual* buddy! We need more *straight shooters* like you in this world!! 
I simply CANNOT believe that you guys are at it again! It always seems to come down to mix vs. scratch doesn't it?
Ya wanta know what I really think? No? Too bad I'm gonna say it anyway..........You know who placed the "so called" *STIGMA* on *mix* users? MIX USERS did!!! (that is, if this STIGMA even exists)
What the hell is the problem with admitting that you start your baking process with a mix if you do?
You guys have nobody to blame but yourselves for this *STIGMA* that you claim there is. Man get over yourselves, nobody freakin' cares.
If you're ASHAMED to admit that you use a mix, then start browsing the millions of scratch recipes out there today and perfect a few.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, to all of you that use a mix and admit it...........you all are AWESOME!!! Maybe if more people were like you this stupid *STIGMA* debate would end once and for all.
Good Lord please let this subject die a quick death..............Amen!
amen
So, I found this great "recipe" online that I am going to try, for making your own cake mix.
And why, pray tell, would you want to make your own cake mix?
For the same reason that I do food prep a day or two before a catering.... so when it's time to do the cooking, everything is ready to go (prep work can take HOURS).
She's just premixing her dry ingredients for faster productivity. No sin.
Wasn't insinuating that it was a sin. Sounded like double work...like "I'm going to make cake mix just to make cake mix...for whatever reason...I dunno" Never heard of doing that.
I get 'cha!!
If you ever do as much food cooking as I do, it's easy to understand having everything already done and ready to go. Ever paint a room? While it can be a pain to put down all of that painter's tape as part of the prep, I'm sure anyone who's painted a room will agree that the work itself goes SO MUCH FASTER when proper prep work is done.
I do not see what the big deal is. It is your choice. I really do not think one is better than the other. Does it really matter? Ask yourself does it taste good?
Well, whenever the question of how to respond to a customer's question about cake mix use comes up here, many of the responses tend to be on the "be cagey about it" side........ Tapdancing around it is silly, it's a yes or no answer.
Yeah, now that I think about it, I guess you're right. If everyone was comfortable with it, this whole issue wouldn't come up.
So here's my personal plea: Will the rest of you mix bakers, who feel intimidated, pull your backbone out of the closet and install it where God intended it to be, so we can close this conversation and move on?
Which is why just about every time this issue comes up I quote (not necessarily verbatim, but close enough) Alton Brown of Good Eats: "You just about can't go wrong with cake mix." Now, I figure if a cake mix is "good eats" enough for the Food Science Guru, then it's good enough for me! Edited to add it's like the bumper sticker that says: God spoke it, I believe it."
Ok... I spoke with the health department and they told me that I can decorate cakes in my home as long as I purchase the cakes from a wholesaler. The cakes have to be pre-made, labeled, packaged, and frozen.
Just curious, why would it be okay to make the icings and fillings to go in a cake but not the cake itself? Wouldn't you have to buy all of those things already pre-made and just do the actual decorating part of it?
I don't believe any of it. Yes...how is it ok to make frostings and fillings, which is very hands on, lots of potential for mishandling and contamination, maybe even more if you think about it, all the contact with your hands (spreading icing, smoothing icing, assembling, applying details, kneading fondant..etc., etc., etc.)...that is what HD is trying to avoid right, contamination and such?
And OP, not attacking you, it must suck to be in that position, I just honestly cannot see how they allow most of the physical hands on stuff with your ingredients, and disallow the baking. Don't understand at all.
...We can talk in circles for the next ten years, but as long as mix bakers don't want to say that they use mixes the "stigma" will exist. If you have a good mix cake product and you don't want to tell people that you use a mix, you're perpetuating the stigma...
Wonder what the scratch makers could say to help dissipate the stigma, illuminate the truth and bust the myth.
Since we're all in this together yes?
What can we do? Well, if you read back over this topic you will find that all the scratch bakers have said bake what you like - pretty supportive for a bunch of sanctimonious, organic hippy bakers with whole load of (chocolate) chips on our shoulders, eh?
However when it comes to selling our product do you expect us to keep quiet about our use of natural, fresh ingredients, organic, free range etc? Thats our selling point... If I do a tasting and someone says "wow, thats really chocolatey!" do I say, "well it should be theres a ton of Lindt chocolate in there" or do I say " thanks, I bake scratch but some of those box mixes are excellent too"? Harping on about using great ingredients doesn't mean we think we are morally superior to box bakers, it's just good business sense.
For the record I don't care which box or packet the chemical stuff comes from, I don't want or need it in my cake. If anyone thinks adding stabiliser to an otherwise scratch cake is any different to using a box mix they are deluding themselves.
to make anything from scratch one must first create the universe...i bake probably 70/30 with mixes and no one has *ever* asked me about my cakes - they eat them and they love them and that's all i care about.
but for the op's dilemma, i say do what you need to do to survive. your cakes are awesome so don't let this be the reason you give up. things will get better for you and then you will have more than one choice in front of you...
I think a lot of people take this scratch definition a little too far. This is what I consider scratch: cake flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, etc., etc.
Ingredients all separate, and brought together in a very specific order, with very specific methods, with very drastic consequences if steps are omitted, half a$$ed, or skipped all together.
There is a difference in how scratch cakes are prepared...you can't argue it. It takes skill, patience, and results in something you get to be proud of for accomplishing.
I am convinced this is equally as thrilling for someone who makes a cake from a box.
Personally, I scratch when it's for sale or whever I want to make something extra special for whatever reason. I have also used WASC at times for personal or freebie cakes. WASC tastes great to me.
But there is a difference......just like there is a difference between the color red and white. And making a left hand turn instead of a right hand turn. You get different results, it's just an obvious fact.
I think a lot of people take this scratch definition a little too far. This is what I consider scratch: cake flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, etc., etc.
Ingredients all separate, and brought together in a very specific order, with very specific methods, with very drastic consequences if steps are omitted, half a$$ed, or skipped all together.
There is a difference in how scratch cakes are prepared...you can't argue it. It takes skill, patience, and results in something you get to be proud of for accomplishing.
I am convinced this is equally as thrilling for someone who makes a cake from a box.
Personally, I scratch when it's for sale or whever I want to make something extra special for whatever reason. I have also used WASC at times for personal or freebie cakes. WASC tastes great to me.
But there is a difference......just like there is a difference between the color red and white. And making a left hand turn instead of a right hand turn. You get different results, it's just an obvious fact.
I understand...but it begs the question....should the person who makes it from a box, or who makes it from scratch and adds an additional emulsifier...be ashamed?
Because your post seems to suggest that it takes no patience, no skill, and does not result in something you can be proud of. And yet....the thrill must be the same? What does that imply?
Also, to Dkelly, who is obviously fed up with us who think there is a stigma...but you can see no implied stigma from scratch bakers....maybe you can look at a post like this and see where this whole debate comes from. Maybe you are just sick of the debate...and I can feel your pain. It is old. But it will continue until either Webster changes the definition of "from scratch" or the laws are changed to make sure what we can call "From scratch". I am sorry that it angers you that some people are really...in reality...as in real life...looked down on. Their ingredients, and their methods....because of an additional ingredient. If the addition or omission of that additional ingredient makes it less or more worthy of pride no matter what the outcome....then the fight will continue.
Hardee's says that their biscuits are "from scratch". Yet, if you look at their ingredients...they start with a biscuit premix. No ingredients to that disclosed. Maybe an emulsifier? not sure.
There is another "scratch" baker on here who's tagline says "if it ain't scratched, please fix it". What needs fixed? And why? If my customer buys it and my family likes it?
That is where this invisible, yet big as a silent-elephant "perceived" stigma comes from.
*edited for clarity
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