I've only been doing cakes for about 6 months now but I've tasted cakes from scratch, cakes from a box mix (I use Betty Crocker) and cakes made with The Cake Doctor recipes and I prefer the taste of the box mixes... is that strange? It just seams like cakes from scratch and even the doctored cake mixes are very dense and a little dry... I find the cake box mixes much lighter and more moist. Has anyone else found this or is it just me!?!

You will have a lot of people agree with you. Personally, I like boxed (BC) & some doctored. I'm not a huge fan (with a few exceptions) to scratch for the same reason you have.

Be careful - this subject usually turns into a heated debate.

There is no right and wrong here.

Whatever you use is up to your preference; what works best for you and your taste. There are many members here who prefer boxed mixes, and many others who prefer scratch baking.

Theresa

Nope! Me, too! I've used them my entire life.

I agree with previous threads on this topic that it all depends on what you grew up with and what you're used to. Most scratch cakes I'v tasted have not encouraged me to have a second bite (and most of them, I'll looking for a place to spit out my first bite!). My daughter makes a scratch cake that I like .... it's the only one so far.

but cookies? Now that's a different story! Made-from-scratch only for me! No refrigerator rolls, no big-box mixes .... scratch only! (Bought some of those Toll House squares recently for when the granddaughter was spending the night. I grew up on those (well, the refrigerated roll version) .... I LUV'D those! Well, I 'bout gagged on those cookies! I couldn't figure how I ate them so many years ago! Guess I'm used to the good ones, now!

So cake mixes work well for my cakes. But because of my stance on cookies, I TOTALLY understand those who prefer scratch cakes.

There's no right or wrong....just personal preference and whatever works best for you!

Hey I think I just saw a worm crawl by, cuz you just opened a big ol can of them! ROFL.....there have been more debates about this than I can shake a stick at. Everyone has there own preference, but I agree with you, for the most part, I prefer a plain box mix. I do like the texture of a denser cake, but never dry, so I will add a box of pudding to my mix quite often if I have one. But I don't think you are weird. I also think it really depends on what you have grown up eating what kind of cake you like better.

uh oh... i didn't mean to open any sort of can... I just thought I was weird for liking them best... but I guess I'm not alone! Thanks for your replies and I hope I didn't offend anyone!

emilygrace, i dont think youre weird, i just think you havent had any amazing scratch recipes that have won you over yet!

pm me IF YOU WANT, i've got three classics, chocolate , vanilla and carrot, that are absolutely delicous, light and moist and i'd be glad to share the recipes. (not my original recipes, these are just the ones that i use, and that converted me ! haha ) if you prefer to stick to box, thats up to you, but i think you're missin' out !

I prefer the boxed mix myself too. Never heard of using pudding or and extra egg, but I'm gonna have to try it! If the mix calls for 1 1/3 water, I use whole milk. That's how I get mine moist.

I love scratch cakes, Thats what I make all the time, But I have tried very good made from a mix cakes... very, very good ones.

I have a friend hows getting marriend this weekend, and she wants a cake mix cake, but besides the puding and the extra egg, do I have to use butter and milk or water and oil?

Please help this scratch baker to make a cake from a mix!!!!!

Claudine1976 - Just follow the recipe on the back of the box! Usually you add either water or milk (I prefer whole milk too!) and oil and 3 eggs.

I'm definatley going to try the pudding and and extra egg too! Thanks for the tip girltrapped!

o my god I'm not the only one I only use cake mix from a box I would like to have a recipes so I can do one from scratch but have not found one ,melysa can you email me recipe thank you at [email protected] thank youuuuuu

I use both. I like some mixes for certain cakes (but I doctor them) and there are others that I like scratch. I agree with everyone else who said to just use what you and your customers prefer.

Claudine, this is what I always do with cake mix.
1 box cake mix
1 small instant pudding
1 stick butter, melted
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
3-4 drops of cream bouquet

Mix it up and bake.

http://recipes.chef2chef.net/index-3.htm

I just found this site yesterday and if you are looking for some scratch cake recipes, it has some that sound really good. Just scroll down to the cakes section. Hope this helps.

i've had several people pm me in the last few moments requesting the recipes, so here they are in case anyone else wants to try them.

(copying a pm i sent to emilygrace)

Subject: Re: I would LOVE your recipes!

EmilyGrace wrote:
That is so sweet of you to offer... and It's probably true... I just haven't found a recipe I like! Thanks so much!


i used to bake with mixes too, then moved on to doctoring them, then i decided it was time to get serious and learn to bake from scratch. its super important to pay attention to details like creaming butter and sugar for long periods of time (this makes the batter light and fluffy), sifting the dry ingredients and weighing them if you can get hold of a scale (try ebay, i got a new $70 model for the cost of shipping) even walmart or target for under $20. this makes the results far more consistant. you can also use a simple syrup on the cake layers (one part water, one part sugar, brought to a boil and flavored with extracts or liqueors). one of my absolute favorite ingredients in scratch baking is buttermilk. it has lactic acid in it which tenderizes the crumb. i TRULY believe that if you follow these recipes well, you will LOVE them. i'll try to find links for the frostings and ganache too. let me know how you end up feeling after trying these.

vanilla (or yellow):
http://www.epicurious.com/reci.....ews/109358 try this with espresso swiss meringue buttercream or fresh fruit and VERY vanilla swiss meringue buttercream (elisa strauss' recipe, i'll see if i can find a link.)

carrot cake:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/B.....etail.aspx
i omit the raisins, crush the walnuts and finely grate the carrots. i frost with this:
http://cakecentral.com/cake_re.....sting.html

chocolate cake: (try this with elisa's vanilla smbc or whipped MILK CHOCOLATE ganache and a chocolate wrap. i swear, you'll think you died and went to heaven on this one.)pm me back with your altitude, so i can help you adjust the baking powder and soda if necessary. i am near sea level so i had to drastically reduce from 1 tb to 1 tsp.

One Delicious Chocolate Cake (Kate Sullivan)

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
3 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs, room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 ½ cups buttermilk, room temp
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups strong coffee

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour sides and bottoms of pans. Set pans aside.

In large bowl of mixer, stir together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and soda. Stir in the sugar.

In small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix into the dry ingredients. Stir in the buttermilk, melted butter and coffee. Divide batter evenly among pans.

Bake at 350 for around 50 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack. (i actually start testing at around 35 minutes for 8" rounds - dont overbake! - melysa )

on the chocolate cake, if you use the vanilla smbc, cover the top with white and dark chocolate shavings, it tastes just like chocolate chip ice cream!

elisa's vanilla smbc

2 and 3/4 cup plus 3 tb granulated sugar (i like 2.5 cups so its not as sweet)
1 and 1/4 cup egg whites
5 sticks butter (i use half salted, half unsalted)
1/4 plus 2tb vanilla

on a double boiler whisk together the sugar and egg whites for 3-5 minutes constantly so the eggs dont cook. get it as hot as you can, test for the sugar melting all the way by touching the mixture and rubbing your fingers together..no gritty feel- its ready. put in stand mixer and whip on high till the bowl is cool (about 10 minutes). add chilled butter in 1" chunks until incorporated. add vanilla after icing has thickened. YUM YUM!

just my opinion on vanilla smbc or imbc...it needs ALOT of flavor, other wise its bland and buttery. you can also flavor this with 1/4 cup coffee, fruit puree, melted chocolate, liqueors etc, to every two cups of icing.

3-4 drops of cream bouquet is added to box mixes...

what is it & where please do I get it? never heard of it....

thank you.

I have made both scratch and mix cakes. I have found some great tasting scratch cakes but find that they tend to taste dry quickly. Anyone find a way around that? Other than that I like them but am almost ready to go back to mixes because of it!

With me it depends I like the the doctored white cake mix recipe because it adds flavor and makes a larger cake, but at the same time I dislike the doctored chocolate mixes I have tried because they have taken away the chocolate flavor and given it a weird texture. But that is just me and I sure there are some fabublous doctored chocolate cake recipes and some awful doctored white cake recipes out there.

Deborah

I use mostly box mixes, but some cakes are by scratch. Yesterday, for a customer, I did a BC yellow cake (extended), split the layers and filled with Jello Cheesecake Pudding (prepared with some whipping cream and milk) and frosted it with Whipped Cream - - this made a 10" cake with 4 thin layers. I got a call last night (while her guests were still there) and she said they all went crazy for it!!!!!!! Said it was the best cake they'd ever eaten. I hope this means repeat business . . .
JoJoMick

Oh Melysa - - - how much batter does that Choc cake make? Seem like more than a usual recipe (Not complaining at all!!!!! Just curious . . . . )
JoJoMick

Emilygrace,

You're not strange. I also prefer the taste of Betty Crocker mixes to scratch cakes.

You really just have to find what you are comfortable with and stick with it.

melysa,

i cannot get the epicurious links for the vanilla/yellow cake and carrot cake you posted above to work. I click and it takes me to a page that says it is not there. Is it just me?
I'd very much like to try the recipes as I would love to find some scratch recipes I love!
thanks for sharing,
kim

Thanks Melysa - - - I'm going to make the chocolate cake recipe this week. I once made the that frosting (or similar) and it was wonderful consistancy but the flavor didn't seem to be enough oomph to it . . . any suggestions as to what I did wrong or not enough of something?!?!?! The frosting I did didn't have the shavings on it, that would add lots of flavor. You do beautiful work!!!!
JoJoMick