I feel guilty when I bake from a box, I can't seem to get cakes moist enough from scratch. I was wondering how many of you bake more from dr. mixes over scratch cakes?

Thanks

You will find a pretty even spread. I only bake from scratch. I have been baking since I could hold myself up at the counter and I prefer scratch cakes over mix cakes. But there are MANY who bake starting with a mix or with a straight mix.. it's all about what you are comfortable with. If you like your cakes.. and people like your cakes.. it doesn't matter where they started from.

Just a warning that this has been a very HOT topic lately. Opinions vary. In my case, I use both depending on what I need. Pound cakes are scratch, chocolate is boxed no doctoring, all others are doctored mixes. I have no shame in any of it and openly tell my customers if they inquire.

Yes, there are several posts regarding this. I started with box mix and now I'm making scratch cakes. I use moistening syrups which also help but I have tried many recipes until I found some basic moist recipes. I've noticed scratch recipes that use sour cream or buttermilk seem to make the moistest cakes.

A geat book about scratch cakes is the Cake Bible. It has recipes and it's a great source of how to bake cakes properly.

It just depends. I use Collette Peter's chocolate cake recipe but I add an extra egg and sometimes make it with whole milk instead of buttermilk. For a white cake, I'll use the WASC recipe here on CC or the Vanilla Buttercake from the Mermaid Bakery
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-4313-Vanilla-Butter-Cake-from-The-Mermaid-Bakery.html
And I'll usually use a flavored simple syrup just for fun and add that extra egg.

The last wedding I did, I used the WASC recipe and was told the cake was the favorite thing people loved about the wedding. So...it just depends on what you like. I have no qualms about baking with a doctored mix or from scratch.

Also, I'll wrap the cakes hot, 5 minutes out of the pan in plastic wrap and freeze them. Locks all the steam in and when they are defrosted they are amazingly moist. Mostly I experiment with recipes to see what I like the best. Hope this is helpful.

I agree with ladyonzlake with regards to the Cake Bible. This book is priceless. I use mine so much the pages are breaking away from the binder. I may have to splurge and get a new one!

I bake from scratch. I enjoy baking just as much as I do decorating. Now, with that said, I have come across some bad scratch recipes. Like others, I just tried out recipes until I come across something I like.

I'm just curious on why someone would feel "guilty" about using a box mix? Guilt implies you're doing something morally wrong or illegal and I don't think you are doing that if you bake from a box, or use Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, or buy salad in a bag instead of cutting it yourself, or buy chocolate milk instead of adding the Nestle's Quick yourself, etc, etc.

If you dont' feel guilty using other modern food products, why do you feel "guilty" using this particular one?

I second IndyDebi's view on this one!