In the Wilton classes this is what they teach you, but obviously they have an affiliation w/the cake company. What brands do you all use? My teacher told us that she only adds one box of pudding and this is it. Could I be doing it better? Thanks!

i use betty crocker, DH, store knock-off brands, whatever is available and then i doctor it...there are cake extender recipes online here and it makes it de-lursh.....

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Recipes&sort=recipename&sort_dir=ASC&op=search&chname=X&chingredients=X&searchtext=extender&cat_id=-1

You'll get 10 responses with 12 different opinions on this one!

I use Betty Crocker only unless I need a flavor that BC doesn't do, like red velvet or marble. I do not prefer the DH texture. You will find just as many people who are full blown DH fans and do not prefer to use BC at all.

Then there are the scratch bakers, who don't prefer the boxed mixes!

I also recently tried adding a box of pudding and an extra egg to my cake mix, like I've seen suggested on here so many times. I sent the cake in to work with my hubby, to my group of official taste testers. It bombed big time. But you will find others who swear by that method and wont' do cakes any other way.

None are right.... none are wrong. There just aren't any absolutes in this industry. It's all a matter of taste.

I actually do love DH mixes. Since I've had such good results, I only use them and have been consistently pleased. I noticed the Wilton affiliation after the fact.

I prefer Betty Crocker and so does everyone who eats my cakes. My favorites are french vanilla and triple chocolate.

When I was a student of Wilton, I was told NOT to use Pillsbury; use either Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker. So, that's what I do. I now teach Wilton Course 1, and have passed that on to my students. If there is nothing wrong with Pillsbury, I would like to know. My instructor told us not to use it because it flakes and breaks up easier.

Now when I buy cake mix, I buy whatever is on sale, either BC or DH. Seems that Pillsbury is on sale the most around here!

I'm a WMI and actually like using BC. I find that it is more consistant than DH. It is fail proof. I also like to Dr. the cake mixes also. I usually recommend BC to my students, but also tell them they can use what ever they like!

Katie

Welcome mypiggybank!!

I have to agree with indydebi regarding the responses you will get on that question

I use DH mixes and add 1 egg (4 total), 1 cup of water and 1 packet of Dream Whip - any flavor. I also add the liquid coffee creamers from time to time depending on the cake flavor. I picked that hint up here.

I also use BC mixes, especially the small pound cake boxed mix. It's perfect for sculpting and for those that prefer pound cakes. It's also nice under fondant because the two together aren't as sweet - just what I've been told by people that have eaten it.

I think I'm in the minority. I use Pillsbury and sometimes doctor them with coffee creamer. I have tried DH and BC and my clients PREFER the Pillsbury. This is really weird....The WHITE Pillsbury! Kinda cramps my "creative" style.

But, today I "busted out!" Doing a last minute cake for our Youth Pastors. Its a BC French Vanilla with French Vanilla Creamer. I'm going to torte a 12" square with strawberry mousse and frost in French Vanilla Buttercream using REAL cream with REAL vanilla bean infused. I'm then going to use Piourette Cookies around it and put white chocolate dipped strawberries on/in the very top. Finish it off with a ribbon that says Good Luck! They are leaving our church for another.

So, SOMETIMES I can get away with a new flavor, but, not really often!

Beth in KY

Well I had always used Pillsbury brand up to just recently I have like the DH brand, I love the Red Velvet. But there are still certain brands I will only use the Pillsbury flavor. I think it is just a matter of what brands you like.

Yeah, I'm a Pillsbury gal.
I actually found that it's less 'flaky' than the rest.
But then again I also freeze or refridgerate them at least a whole 24 hours before I torte/decorate them.

I use certain flavors in certain brands, I found from trial and error.

I use Pillsbury Classic White

DH Triple Fudge

BC French Vanilla

Don't forget you can doctor or customize cake mixes to add your own twist and flare.

I personally prefer the Duncan Hines above ALL the others. I LOVE the way they bake and for a cake mix, they don't have quite as much chemical flavor as some of the others. ( To my taste buds. ) I've tried to go mostly scratch, but if I"m in a pinch, I'll use the DH.

Do you buy them by the box? is there a way to buy them wholesale if you are making a lot of cakes a week?

i couldn't taste the difference between any box mix prior to finding this site and once i started doctoring my cakes, i still can't taste "chemicals"...now i can taste a scratch cake (i am trying to do better in this area) but is it weird not to be able to taste the difference between DH and Betty Crocker and so on?

Sysco doesn't carry them (I checked). I asked my small business rep at Sam's to check into getting them but I never heard from her. You can contact your local walmart grocery manager .... they will set aside however many you need. The lady at my walmart said they have a lot of daycares and other businesses who do that .... she said, "I set aside 2 skids of juice for a couple of daycares every week."

Duncan Hines girl here....Pillsbury just never bakes up right. I think preference has alot to do with how well your oven regulates temperature, and what taste you prefer. My oven just doesn't like Pillsbury and bakes up flat everytime, in comparison to the others. I'm sure there are others who swear by it. Whats important is that you make what you like and what your customers like!
As for the commercial sized boxes....I know that Duncan Hines makes large boxes, and you can purchase them in large quantities. A local bakery uses them, and you probably can get 4 batches out of one mix. I've been looking for them in the stores around here as well.

i got a case of bc milk chocolate cake mix from amazon once.

I love DH mixes. Haven't been able to perfect my scratch cakes yet.

I like DH and BC...I Dr. them with extra eggs and the pudding.

Funny thing....we have a discount grocery store called ALDI and they sell a white cake that is to die for!!! I think it's only like 77 cents a box and it is really good. I add a box of white chocolate pudding and follow the directions on the back of the box and it comes out like pound cake...it's really good.

Now, I will admit that the 77 cent cake bruises my pride. I have always been a scratch baker and it pains me to use this mix but hey, it's good and I have yet to be able to replace it with a scratch cake that is this yummy....if it's not broke I'm not gonna fix it! LOL!!

I'm glad this came up -- I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this has already been addressed. I love DH mixes. But lately they bake up rather dry or drier than I would prefer and no amount of doctoring has helped. I've talked with other cake designers and they have had the same problem, one even took it to a chemist and found that the "new" recipe DH uses is quite similar to their sugar cookie recipe! That's why I'm wondering about other brand names and such. Yes, I'm very glad this came up! Thanks for posting this thread!

I bake either doctored mixes or scratch cakes. Usually, I use Betty Crocker because that's typically what goes on sale at the grocery store. Publix will have them "Buy One Get One Free" and BJ's carries a bulk package of them also. However, I doctored up a Pillsbury Funfetti cake once and it baked up just fine, no problems. My grocery store however, usually only carries that one flavor of Pillsbury plus one additional so there is just no selection.

I have always been happy with DH so that is what I continue to use. I like to dr. my mixes with the standard extra egg, milk instead of water and pudding mix.

Doesn't Pillsbury and BC already have pudding in their mixes? Do you omit the box of pudding mix when you dr. a mix? Or do you add it anyway? I've always wondered.

I love Duncan Hines cake mixes. I make almost all of my cakes from scratch but when I have craving for cake and don't feel like making it from scratch I reach for Duncan Hines!

I tend to use the DH brand, but if it's not on sale, I've been known to use the Meijer store brand with great results. In fact, one time I used the "store brand", and my snobby BIL raved up and down about how this cake matched his mother's homemade chocolate cakes!

I took a secret pleasure in telling him my cake mix cost under $1.00! Of course, I use a delicious homemade BUTTER buttercream that can make a piece of shoe leather taste divine. LOL

I love DH too.. I will buy that over any other cake mix. I use the extended receipe for mine. Extra flour, sugar, egg, sourcream, vanilla and salt. I love the way the cake comes out.

I think it's all what you prefer. I always use BC and add my doc to it and EVERYONE loves it. I have also been shifting them or using a whisk to break up the lumps and I think that helps A LOT. IMHO

Pillsbury girl here!

Julie

I find it interesting that Wilton now says to NOT to use Pillsbury. When I took my classes (in 1990), it was suggested that we use Pillsbury Plus so that is what I have used since and people love it! I tried DH once or twice and was not at all happy with the results so I went back to Pillsbury.

I haven't tried any of the extenders or additions suggested on this site but I'm looking forward to trying them. As soon as we finish this bathroom remodel we are working on, I'm going to start experimenting. They will love it at work when I bring in my 'experiments'.