Rock Hard Lumps In Mix Destroyed My Batter

Decorating By FullHouse Updated 23 May 2011 , 9:40pm by MamaDear

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FullHouse Posted 29 Dec 2010 , 10:05pm
post #1 of 26

I will NEVER EVER not sift a cake mix again. AND I will always sift it separately from my other ingredients.

Grrrr. I just wasted 9 eggs, 24 oz. sour cream, 3 c. cake flour, 3 c. sugar, 2 c. milk, 1 c. butter. Not to mention my time.

I mixed a triple batch of WASC using Betty Crocker white cake mix, only to discover as I'm pouring batter into the final pan (filled 4 pans for 2 tier cake) that at the bottom of my mixing bowl, there are dozens of small rock hard pieces. I immediately called BC's 800# and was told that it is ingredients that sometimes build up a residue on the equipment, get heated on over time and fall back into their mix. Ewwwww! Now, my triple batch is ruined, I'm out of ingredients, baby's naptime is over and I have to get back to the store to buy all new ingredients and make the cake all over again. Also still need to make fondant and huge batch of buttercream.

They apologized, are sending me vouchers and have agreed to reimburse me for my other ingredients as well. Oh, yeah, and not I have to figure out exactly what those other ingredients cost me because my expense list is about a year old (been meaning to update) so I know its more than I have been tracking. Grrrrr!!!!

Anyway, just hope that sharing my experience will save someone else the trouble. 2 of my mixes have a Sept. 22, 2011 date, the other has June 3, 2011.

I WILL, FROM NOW ON, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS sift my cake mix!!!!! And yes, I'm know I'm shouting icon_mad.gif.

Well at least I discovered it before anyone ate the cake, that would be a much bigger disaster.

25 replies
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neelycharmed Posted 29 Dec 2010 , 10:27pm
post #2 of 26

I've never heard of that icon_surprised.gif
Can you say YUCK!?
Sorry it ruined your day...
Hopefully, it can only get better!! icon_lol.gif
Jodi

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FullHouse Posted 29 Dec 2010 , 10:32pm
post #3 of 26

Thanks, yeah, I'm pretty skeeved. I've been using BC for years though and this is the first issue. Customer service was very quick to agree to reimbursement for all ingredients. Hoping I can get my mind past it and use it again, I really love the WASC recipe. Though I am tempted to bake a scratch vanilla cake for this one. Guess it could happen with any food product though, even the ingredients I use for scratch. And here I thought I'd be done caking before dinner time, I was really hoping to spend some time with my kids.

Edited to add: ingredients other than cake mix $12.68, they said they'll send me a check for $13. Maybe I should have included time and gas to go back to the store too.

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langranny Posted 29 Dec 2010 , 10:39pm
post #4 of 26

I always put all the liquid ingredients for the WASC cake in the mixer first and blend them together. Then I whisk the cake mix, flour & sugar together in a large bowl and add it one cup at a time while the mixer is on "1". Seems to blend better and the cake comes out with a finer crumb.

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FullHouse Posted 29 Dec 2010 , 10:52pm
post #5 of 26

I also always put the liquid ingredients in the mixer, then I whisk together the dry. These hard lumps are very small, so I didn't see them when I whisked, they sunk to the bottom of the mix so of course I only saw them after loading the pans.

My wonderful husband just volunteered to go to the store for me so I can at least clean out and prep everything.

Can you believe DH was arguing with me to try to get me to bake up the batter anyway for him & the kids to snack on???? Men are so gross.

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doramoreno62 Posted 29 Dec 2010 , 10:58pm
post #6 of 26

Oh no!! So sorry that happened to you. I have been using boxed mixes for 20+ years and have NEVER sifted before. I use Duncan Hines. But this reminds me of the time I made a last minute cake for someone. I told them I didn't have any cake mix so they went out and bought it and brought it to me. I mixed everything and as I was about to pour into the pans, I saw little wiggly worms in the mix!!! GROSS!!! I called my customer and told them. It turns out they had bought the mix at a 7-11. I wasted all the ingredients and the customer had to rush out and buy everything I had just wasted!

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-K8memphis Posted 29 Dec 2010 , 11:30pm
post #7 of 26

I had a similar experience with a bag of flour last year. Huge white chunks of ickbo mojo flour puckies, smooth like opaque glass shards. Tremendously discouraging.
It feels like someone was very rude to you doesn't it.
Like you got dissed bigtime.
Coupons really don't cut it but what can you do?
I'd rather have my money & time back!

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FullHouse Posted 30 Dec 2010 , 1:24am
post #8 of 26

I remember that, K8, now that you mention it. So gross. It definitely helps to come on here and know ya'll understand. They are giving me $13 in addition to replacing the 3 mixes. Knowing it happened to your flour at least saves me from rethinking my recipes, can happen with anything.

Well, cakes are FINALLY in the oven. I decided to bake up 8" & 9" rounds of the nasty batter. I am a Wilton Instructor and I have to bring a cake to demonstrate torting, filling, leveling and icing. I never really have to bake specifically for a class since I'm always baking anyway but at least it will save me some $. I'll just demo then throw the cake in the garbage. Still, DH & kids are asking me to bring them back home. I also caught DH scraping the batter out of the bowl to eat, had to pour sink water in the bowl to make him stop. My man really will eat anything, lol.

I am just so relieved I noticed before I spent all the time decorating or worse, anyone ate the cake.

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mareg Posted 30 Dec 2010 , 1:49am
post #9 of 26

I am sorry that happened to you!!! I sift my mixes too. I have found the hard little rocks too. I did an experiment and soaked them in water once and they not dissolve!!! I always sift especially now.

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mareg Posted 30 Dec 2010 , 2:18am
post #10 of 26

I am sorry that happened to you!!! I sift my mixes too. I have found the hard little rocks too. I did an experiment and soaked them in water once and they not dissolve!!! I always sift especially now.

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sandeeb Posted 1 Jan 2011 , 2:40am
post #11 of 26

Hi, So sorry you had a problem like that. I learned to bake bread when I was 16 and I was taught to sift the flour and I have sifted pretty much all of the dry ingredients I have baked since then. I know some people don't but I just can't stand not sifting. I have found that the cake rises a little higher when I sift. Customers have told me they like the texture of my cakes compared to another lady that bakes but doesn't sift. I don't break all of the eggs into the same bowl at the same time either. One bad egg will ruin the rest. I guess it's a personal preference.

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kansaslaura Posted 1 Jan 2011 , 3:13am
post #12 of 26

I'm a long time sifter, but that being said, doesn't it strike anyone as odd that the woman on the other end of the conversation knew EXACTLY what those lumps were and where they came from?? Why isn't BC doing the sifting at the factory if this is such a common problem?

I wonder what else is falling into different BC products from other machines ..ICK!!!!

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Sangriacupcake Posted 1 Jan 2011 , 3:35pm
post #13 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by FullHouse

... at the bottom of my mixing bowl, there are dozens of small rock hard pieces. I immediately called BC's 800# and was told that it is ingredients that sometimes build up a residue on the equipment, get heated on over time and fall back into their mix.




I usually sift my cake mixes, and I have seen those hard little bits.... never knew what they were. You're right....gross!!! Ok, now I'm always going to sift.

I'm impressed that BC is going to reimburse you for all the other ingredients, but still, what a waste of your time. icon_sad.gif

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Ruth0209 Posted 1 Jan 2011 , 4:26pm
post #14 of 26

Every cake mix I've ever used has those little bits in them and I ALWAYS sift them out. They're not appetizing, but considering the process cake mixes go through before they're packaged, I'm sure they're harmless.

It would be impossible to eliminate these in the manufacturing process. Product is always going to build up on the sides of equipment.

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mareg Posted 2 Jan 2011 , 5:15pm
post #15 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by kansaslaura


I wonder what else is falling into different BC products from other machines ..ICK!!!!




You got me thinking now! Yes ick!

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mbark Posted 2 Jan 2011 , 5:46pm
post #16 of 26

this is interesting.. has any customer ever complained about a hard bit in their cake? I eat a lot of my cakes (make lots for family get-togethers) and have never ever bit down onto something hard nor has anyone else that I know of. Do the bits somehow dissolve when baked?
based on this thread I will start sifting..

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kansaslaura Posted 2 Jan 2011 , 5:51pm
post #17 of 26

Good question, mbark. I converted to sifting several years ago, but wonder from time to time what got through before. I find those lumps in nearlly every BC cake mix I sift--I on rare occasions will use another brand and can't remember finding those lumps in those.

Interesting....

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FullHouse Posted 2 Jan 2011 , 8:29pm
post #18 of 26
Quote:
Quote:

Every cake mix I've ever used has those little bits in them and I ALWAYS sift them out. They're not appetizing, but considering the process cake mixes go through before they're packaged, I'm sure they're harmless.

It would be impossible to eliminate these in the manufacturing process. Product is always going to build up on the sides of equipment.




Quote:
Quote:

I'm a long time sifter, but that being said, doesn't it strike anyone as odd that the woman on the other end of the conversation knew EXACTLY what those lumps were and where they came from?? Why isn't BC doing the sifting at the factory if this is such a common problem?

I wonder what else is falling into different BC products from other machines ..ICK!!!!




To me, this means that they need to be more diligent about cleaning their equipment. It is gross. I did find it in the next 3 mixes I have used as well, but sifted it out. They were the same manufacturing date, interesting to know that others have found this all the time in BC.

I always just whisked to get out lumps and never noticed any hard bits in the batter or in a finished cake. These were definitely prominent enough at the bottom of my bowl, there was no way not to notice them.

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vtcake Posted 15 Jan 2011 , 3:58am
post #19 of 26

I always let my KA mix the dry cake mix for a minute or 2 before adding other ingredients. Don't know if it helps, but makes me feel better. I hate lumps in the batter.

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FullHouse Posted 15 Jan 2011 , 6:00pm
post #20 of 26

I whisked the dry ingredients, these pieces were entirely different from the usual lumps that will break up. They did not even break apart when I took them out and tried to break them between my fingers. They were hard like grains of sand.

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MJTKNT Posted 18 May 2011 , 6:52am
post #21 of 26

Thanks for the explanation. I always sift my mixes too, but I didn't realize exactly what the little white 'rocks' were. I was afraid I was throwing out something important, but it doesn't sound like that at all!

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JanH Posted 18 May 2011 , 8:55am
post #22 of 26

If the lumps sank to the bottom of your mixing bowl initially and then the cake pans....

All you had to do to save your batter was pour it all back into a big bowl (let settle) and ladle or dip out the batter by cupfuls losing only a small portion of batter at the bottom which contained the hard bits. icon_smile.gif

HTH

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seedrv Posted 22 May 2011 , 2:36pm
post #23 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by mareg

I am sorry that happened to you!!! I sift my mixes too. I have found the hard little rocks too. I did an experiment and soaked them in water once and they not dissolve!!! I always sift especially now.




ditto, ditto, and ditto

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SarahBeth3 Posted 23 May 2011 , 12:20am
post #24 of 26

Eww! I have never sifted and have never suffered any consequences so far. But after reading this, I think I am going to be purchasing a sifter. Sorry that happened to you.

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CTamiLynn Posted 23 May 2011 , 9:00pm
post #25 of 26

I've seen this in both Pillsbury and Duncan Hines mixes.

I've also seen exactly the same thing when I've put my sugar through my colander that I use to sift my cake mixes.

I throw them out, but IMO, I believe it's just hardened sugar.

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MamaDear Posted 23 May 2011 , 9:40pm
post #26 of 26

I always sift because it seems to make my cake more even crumbed and rise without as much of a dome...I always buy BC because they have the Boxtops for Education...I also have found these little mystery balls of which you speak and I can tell you after hearing the BC folk's explaination that I will definitely be switching brands.

Wow...BC actually admitted to you that it was because of buildup on the machines. I guess that these are lumps of sugar that have heated enough to fuse and fall back into the cakemix so they are "probably" harmless but that is disgusting. That's like not cleaning the powdered cakemix residue off your mixer before you fix a batch of buttercream.

and yeah, DHs will eat just about anything...I constantly have to kick mine out of the kitchen.

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