OK, here's my rant:

The general public that walks into your shop or calls you for a cake assumes you are baking from scratch. This IS a fact. It IS a dirty little secret that most bakeries bake from a box, and this thread was doomed to turn ugly because box bakers either don't want to admit it, don't want their customers to know, or have achieved a level of success that they've convinced themselves that the market does not care about the origin of their product.

But look, the frustrating thing for us scratch bakers about these threads is the open ridicule we get from box bakers dismissing us and our product. It happens 100% of the time. It is almost always a box mix baker that changes the tone of an innocent thread by posting stuff like "My box mix is better then your suckie scratch cake and NOBODY CARES neener neener." Then when scratch bakers defend their product and abilities we get further dismissed from the same box mixers like we are the ones being jerks and hijacking threads.

I want to point out how rude, dismissive and antagonistic it is posting how YOUR box mix is better when only ONE of us in this debate has had both my scratch cake and your box mix (since it's only a fact to say that I can get your cake at any supermarket or chain bakery, but you can only get my cake from me). There is a demand for what I do, just as there is a demand for what you do. But they are completely different markets.

I'm not in competition with any of you. I'm here for the knowledge and camaraderie. Please, let's leave the competition to your local market.

Jen

To answer the actual question the OP was asking, I do both depending on the cake. I typically make carrot/red velvet/sponge cakes from scratch, aswell as some of my other tried and true favorites. I also make many doctored box mixes. I love the taste of both, it just depends on who makes them and how they wre made. I personally think all my cakes taste great (if I don't say so myself ) and ive had an equal number of compliments on both my scratch cakes and my doctored box mix cakes.

I wouldn't know which choice to select. My cakes are made from koala sneezes, rainbow mist, unicorn farts and children's hopes and dreams. Oh, and I'm a hobby baker.

Ok, I have to post this.....I used to work for a Big chain and we got our cakes in frozen. Our competitor across the street did also. One day a customer came to us for a last minute order. Of course we could do it because the cake was baked and we had enough time to decorate it for her.

She told me the only reason she came to us was because the competitor had already "baked all their cakes" for the day! I said, "Really, is that what they told you?" She said, "Yes, They bake from scratch." I told her, "The only way they could call what they do "SCRATCH BAKING" is if they 'scratch' their butts between each box they opened from the freezer!" "They use the same brand as we do and has borrowed and return such!"

As far as this thread....IMHO.....the OP just wanted to know how many of us do which type of baking not why and if what you do is better than the other! That horse is dead and needs to be buried!

I've always made my cakes from scratch. I have on occasion used a box mix that my husband has picked up when shopping. I have always looked at boxed mix as "something sweet to stick in your face", but never really enjoyed. I would always say to myself.."why the heck am I eating this and wasting the calories when I'm not even enjoying it?" I would never serve one to guests. To me, they all have that weird taste that you just know came from a box, and no matter what flavor, they all seem to taste the same!

I am very new to the boards and was really surprised to learn how many use box mixes. To be fair, I have never tried a doctored cake mix recipe, but I am very curious after seeing so many use them, and plan to give it a try and see the difference doctored maxes over straight box mix.

and i want to address fromstratchsf....


I would never have even considered that the bakeries around me used box mix for their cakes instead of scratch. Its just assumed I think. Probably due in part to the price of the cake. You want homemade, special, etc. or just figure they scratch or really don't care as long as it tastes good!

And for a while I was considering using box. In fact, today I went and bought some mix to make my dad's birthday cake next week. But after reading your post, it reminded me of why I wanted to scratch bake in the first place.

I don't think that box bakers are bad either. And I surely don't fault them for doing so. Scratch baking is freakin' hard. It takes time and patience and really, a unique ability. Some of us are not destined to be good bakers but are great at the decorating part. And honestly, I'd wager to bet 9 out of 10 random people probably have never had a real scratch cake and don't know the difference. They do taste vastly different and are different in texture and in weight. So to get a box cake from a bakery doesn't raise any eyebrows because they have no idea there is even a difference.

So I thank you. I thank you because I think that making the decision to scratch bake my cakes will help my business in the long run, even if this short run is pure hell (I am having trouble getting it right). I think that based on this thread, a lot of bakeries use doctored mixes and for me to be 100% scratch will set me apart.

Like anything else, there is a market for 100% scratch. And I think that I've decided I want to pursue that market.

Thank you to everyone for your input. I really appreciated seeing everyone's methods and to see that it really is just a personal preference as to what you do to make your cakes.

You are all wonderful at this craft, box or scratch. CakeCentral has really been an integral in my process of learning to decorate and hopefully, soon to be opening a business. You are all educated, funny, talented people and I hope to be as good as you are some day. I'm practicing and trying.

I'm new to baking (I'm a hobby baker as of right now) and have never used a boxed mix. I bake from scratch because I enjoy the whole process of baking, from start to finish. I don't feel as though I'd get that enjoyment out of using a boxed mix, but as all the other peacemakers have said, that's just one opinion. I have no problem with people using box mix - though I am surprised to hear how many bakery shops use boxed mixes - since I've always assumed I was paying for homemade.

Some of you act like you are being disrespected for baking from scratch, what? The thread starts out by saying that they are cake snobs. A box mix will never come out of MY KITCHEN. saying box mixes having discusting ingredients, so can you blame the box bakers from getting defensive. Their clients like their cakes, so what does it matter. I'm not a lazy person, I like consistancy, never found a scratch white cake that I have liked. Had white cake from famous bakeries, that bake from scratch, didn't like it at all. I know you will say, but mine is great, and I might taste it and not agree, just my tastes. I bake from scratch with most of my cakes, but not white. I just found it really funny that the scratch bakers thought they were being disrespected, why would someone disrespect something like that, box bakers just didn't like being made to feel like they were producing an inferior product. Hey, if their customers are happy, it doesn't matter. Why can't we say great job for your delicious scratch cake, and the same for someone that makes a delicious doctored cake mix.

Vent alert. Just a vent. Not necessary to respond.

But............why, why, why does this subject keep coming up?????

First - there will always be strident posters on each side of this subject.
BOTH opinions are valid.

Second - it has been discussed TO DEATH!!!

I wish people would take the time time read the many previous threads before opening these subjects over and over again.

You may return to your regularly scheduled forum reading.
Thank you!

kristiemarie, there are plenty of scratch bakers who answer every question a baker has while learning to bake from scratch.

My suggestion.... pick a flavor you want to learn and let us give you a good recipe. That's where it starts. Don't try find a good one on your own. You will have many people who will walk you through it. And we won't mind getting you through the next flavor.

Ok the back and forth bickering needs to stop, otherwise the thread will be locked down.

I make from scratch now, although I started with boxed mixes. To me it's the challenge of getting the science right, to get just the right rise on my cupcakes, or the right density from my sheet cakes. I love to learn and experiment, and it makes me proud to find just the "right" combination of ingredients that give me what I'm looking for.

And it sets me apart from the other bakers in the area that use the boxes- any time there's a sale on cake mix at the local store my MIL sees a ton of ladies stacking their carts full. And I just chuckle. I can buy in bulk and always have what I need.

But I have no problem with boxed mix and will whip one up for my little family sometimes. I grew up with the box, and I get nostalgic at times. It's just in this area people's eyes get really wide when they eat a really good cake and I get to tell them it's all from scratch.

I started with Box mix, I do 100% scratch now, but I will admit there have been a couple of times i was short ingredients and had to use what was in the cabinet. Honestly some people prefer the taste of box mix (because alot of people have grown up tasting it) I do scratch because i have come up with some seriously good flavors. (i am a seller btw i know that was another part of the question)

I dont see what all the fuss is about on this forum, if you are against box mix then YOU dont use it, dont make other people feel bad about it, its not your business what other people do. I consider myself a 100% scratch baker, but i would use a box mix in a heartbeat if i couldnt come up with what my customer wanted by the time they needed it, and i wouldnt feel bad about it at all.

I used to use box, but once my decorating skills improved I wanted to try and improve my baking. It was very frustrating at first to find a few decent recipes, but I wouldnt go back to box now.

Right now I use cake mix as a base, but I let everyone know that this is what I do. I don't say - "my cakes" because they aren't "mine". They're DH's. Granted, I do this as a hobby & don't get paid, but I want to be honest with people. I really would prefer to bake from scratch, but I tried that & got a sheet of brick. I need to figure out what I did wrong and try, try again. My icing/frosting is always made from scratch. I figure you can't really get that one wrong. In the end, my preference would be to bake from scratch, but for now I am a cake doctor.

ChrisJack1, you are in the right place to get some amazing scratch recipes with plenty of people to give you pointers.

Thank you so much, scp1127! I know it takes a lot of tweaking and experimenting to get a scratch recipe just right, so my guilt of asking a baker to share their recipe after they've perfected it has kept me from asking for help. I know my first step should be to purchase a kitchen scale - I've heard it can be a more accurate way to measure your ingredients. Other than that, I think I need to take it one flavor at a time. I think I'll take a look in the recipes to see which one I might be able to handle. Thanks for the nudge!!

It always makes me chuckle when these threads come up and people start getting mad.

For goodness sakes, it's not politics! It's cake. Just some flour, sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Or a mix with eggs, oil and water! All things that are supposed to make us plump and happy.

I'm sure we can think of other issues to focus on... like world peace...ending poverty...helping people in Japan... But cake? Seriously?! Let's just eat it!

Too too funny!

ChrisJack, we love sharing recipes. Get your scale and pick a flavor. Let us give you the recipe. Then we will all walk you through it. I am an accomplished baker who only used french buttercream. When I screwed up my first IMBC attempt (through over-thinking it), CC members got me through my second batch. FromScratchSF just shared a great tutorial on SMBC with cream cheese. We will do the same for cake. Many of the recipes on here are not ours, but adapted from professional bakers who are top in this field. We all have recipes we keep to ourselves, but there are many recipes shared here...red velvet, white, vanilla, chocolate, yellow... you pick. Start the thread by asking scratch bakers to help you find a tried and true recipe in the flavor you want.

You really do need the scales, but the rest is just flour, sugar, eggs.....