I don't have a business, but a few acquaintances have asked me to decorate a cake for them for whatever occasion, knowing that I'm not a professional. Anyway, since it's so much fun, I think I may look into to creating a website with prices and such, but that's still a ways off. My question is: up until now I just ask what flavor cake/filling they want and then go buy a Betty Crocker cake mix and mix whatever filling (usually flavored bc or jelly glaze). If/when I start really charging a set price for my cakes, is it okay to use a box mix, or should I bake nice recipes from scratch? Right now it's just more convenient to use a boxed mix, so I haven't thought about anything else, but I don't know if paying customers would be happy with a beautiful Betty Crocker cake. Please give me your opinions and insight. Thanks!

You can bake with whichever you like. I know a lot use doctored cake recipes, such as the White Almond Sour Cream, WASC, which used a boxed mix as part of the ingredients. It helps to make the cake sturdier and tastier! I think your customers would love it and that's what matters most.

Oh goodness, this is always a HUGE debate.

If you really want to read a LOT about this, go here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-684698.html

Most people don't ask, they just think my cakes taste great (I use a doctored box), but you have to make whatever your customers like!
So, no, you don't HAVE to make anything a certain way!

Do whatever you want as far as mixes go.

To add another hot topic, though, if you're in California you need to rent a commercial kitchen, as far as I know it's illegal to sell cakes from a home kitchen.

If you have people who like your cakes with what you are already doing, why would you want to change it? Do what works for YOU and YOUR clients.

They've worked for me for 30 years!

Seriously, as an above post said, if they like your cakes, why change?

Many bakeries use 50 lb bags of cake mix and they just add water. For some reason people think if they are selling cake/food, then it all HAS to be from scratch. This is just not true. If it were, there would be a LOT of restaurants and bakeries go out of business!

Yes it is illegal to bake and sell cakes from your home in CA so please don't make a website posting prices. I decorate cakes for a hobby so I only make cakes for friends, family. I give them a list of ingredients and have them bring them to me or I will add up what each ingredient costs and they cover the expenses. I figure it gives me something to do and more cake decorating experience. My husband always gets mad at me because I don't make anything on my cakes. He complains that I spend so much time on making a cake and get nothing for it. I just ask him what would I be doing if I wasn't making a cake sitting and watching tv? Checkout your local church. Most of them have commercial kitchens that they are willing to rent out. As for the cake mix I prefer cake mixes over scratch cakes. I have been decorating for ten years now and still haven't found a scratch cake mix that I like. I like light, airy and moist cakes not dense cakes.

Thanks so much for the replies! I had no idea it was illegal to sell cakes from a home kitchen in CA. I would have looked all that up before I made a website, but that is very good to know. Thank you all!