Stylism~How 'stylist' Of You~Way Not Cool.
Decorating By -K8memphis Updated 16 Jun 2009 , 10:01am by JanH
There are good tasting cakes and bad tasting cakes.
I think it is not only unprofessional but also childish to continue to bad mouth the entire style that was used to produce a cake because of one particular cake that was below standard.
Statements that encompass all of one kind or another (yes it's scratch and mix time again) I'm calling stylism.
This battlefield divides us and is as unpleasant as it is unnesessary.
I ain't reading your dang post if you display such flagrant ignorance.
Scratch cakes that have too much stabilizer taste like poo--they are not all cake mixes. Twinkies are made from scratch.
Any cake can appear scratch or mix.
You decide~~
if you want to be part of the division and perpetuate the problem and be guilty of "stylism" ~~
~~or if you wanna quit pricking people about how they freakin make their cake.
Hey if it's a bad cake it's a bad cake. But just being able to detect stabilizer in no way deems it a mix. In. no. way.
If you want to slam me and respond by saying~
~Omg why bring this up AGAIN???
I'll resolve that for you in advance and say~
~then don't be guilty of 'stylism' and I'll shut up.
<We now return you to your regularly scheduled cake message board>
I really dont get the whole scratch vs box. Not every one is the same. Let them bake as they choose!!!
Thanks for posting!!!
What a hornet's nest.
Did I miss the bad mouthing? What about the stabilizer taste?
Take for example this week's cupcakes. I needed 3 dozen chocolate and 3 dozen vanilla cupcakes. Whimsical Bakehouse Chocolate Butter Cake (scratch)makes exactly 3 dozen and tastes great so I made those AND I have found that a box cake even with the cake mix extender doesn't make the required amount and neither does the BH&G white scratch cake recipe I love. Having found that I can't go wrong combining the French Vanilla Box cake and the BH&G White cake, that is what I did.
So What!! Both batches tasted great!!!
I like how both votes are "yes" LOL
Ok, I have a question though... isn't style more than just the methodical style you used to bake your cake(s)? I mean you have
-Style of decoration
-Style of stacking
-Style of carving or displaying
or...
-Style of baking (which K8 is talking about)
Since we are so fond of acronyms here, why don't we call this something? You know how a pain in the a$$ is a PITA or a Mother-in-Law is a MIL and both are incongruous? 
How bout calling this type of baking your Baking Approach? We could call it BAKEAPP.
Or...
BAKEAPP = Baking Approach
BAKETECH = Baking technique
Anyone?
I like how both votes are "yes" LOL
Ok, I have a question though... isn't style more than just the methodical style you used to bake your cake(s)? I mean you have
-Style of decoration
-Style of stacking
-Style of carving or displaying
or...
-Style of baking (which K8 is talking about)
Since we are so fond of acronyms here, why don't we call this something? You know how a pain in the a$$ is a PITA or a Mother-in-Law is a MIL and both are incongruous?
How bout calling this type of baking your Baking Approach? We could call it BAKEAPP.
Or...
BAKEAPP = Baking Approach
BAKETECH = Baking technique
Anyone?
I wanted to give everyone a choice 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isaac Mizrahi called a contestent 'size-ist' whenever they used real people and not models on that reality tv show The Fashion Show--and the contestant was having a difficult tiem completing the task and he construed her discomfort as being 'size-ist' --like thinking she was only wanting the coat hanger type models to work with. And he made a beautiful social statement in the process.
(although in the show I think the contestant was not meaning that--it just kinda came out that way kinda sorta because she was frustrated)
So I looked up the word "method" in the thesaurus and I thought the word stylist reflected my sentiments. Do you like stylist?
The other word I considered-- started with an 'a' and ended in the hole
So I thought I was doing pretty good using stylist. <evil grin smile face>
See where I'm coming from???
I never cease to be amazed at how many people diss shortening--especially on another board--it's cray zee.
I mean there's always something to dig deep down into the jr high playbook to throw up (literally)--but I can't take this one from my peers--from the unenlighteded masses yes of course we must be patient--but my meager reserve is dangerously low.
I'm not SCRATCH vs. Mix...i use both depending on what type of cake. i'm always trying new recipes and if the scratch doesn't beat the mix, Back to the mix i go until further research.
No no no, I got it!
Cake-ist!!!
OMG, love love love it. Cake-ist. It's like socialism for cake.
This lov-ely Memphian weather must be good for the brain. I also like cray-zee. Gotta use that sometime! 
GenGen: stabilizers are the food-safe chemicals that manufacturers add to their boxed cake mixes (Like pillsbury or Betty Crocker). They are what make cake mixes fool-proof and come out smooth when mixing. Also, they react with leaveners or are chemical leaveners that help cakes always raise. Stabilizers: 1) help with mouthfeel 2) help raise cakes 3) help with texture 4) help with stability (that one was a duh!)
I've always called that attitude plain old garden variety snobbishness, which I simply ignore. It bounces off me because I don't have to make snobs happy with my product. I just have to make my customers happy, and they keep coming back, so I'm golden.
But I do like cake-ist. I'm thinking method-ist doesn't work because it sounds like a religious slur!!!!! Scratch-ist just sounds icky. : )
Cakin' has become like politikin', a firm belief in how one does things is the right way and the ONLY way...then try to force their beliefs on others by belittling or having the holier than thou attitude. I am an Independent Free Thinker, I do what works for me.
Not my affair if Frick and Frack bake scratch and Harry bakes commercial, whatever works for them as individuals.
However, I might be a "cake-ist" because I do have a prejudice against powdered sugar buttercream, and fondant. I would love to see more interest with dessert cakes as opposed chewy fondant or make your false teeth hurt sweet buttercream, but thats another debate I guess.
Cakin' has become like politikin', a firm belief in how one does things is the right way and the ONLY way...then try to force their beliefs on others by belittling or having the holier than thou attitude. I am an Independent Free Thinker, I do what works for me.
Not my affair if Frick and Frack bake scratch and Harry bakes commercial, whatever works for them as individuals.
However, I might be a "cake-ist" because I do have a prejudice against powdered sugar buttercream, and fondant. I would love to see more interest with dessert cakes as opposed chewy fondant or make your false teeth hurt sweet buttercream, but thats another debate I guess.
On the essentials, unity
On the non-essentials, liberty
And in all things charity
No you're not cake-ist for liking one icing over another.
You might however be a fondant-ist --but I don't think it'll catch on because there's no preceived value to fondant or not like there is with 'can she bake a cherry pie, charming Billy'. kwim
I mean fondant has been slow to catch on in America--compared as to how it is the norm in most of the rest of the world. It has it's purpose, yes? But we don't have to use it. We can make another choice without cutting someone off at the knees (not that you did at all) but I'm just saying.
Scratch cake is not sawdust.
Mix cake is not toxic waste.
Beauty is in the eye (or the heart) of the beholder.
Each one can only be as good as the person making them. If some people can't make a mix cake that doesn't taste like sh*t then they don't have the ability of most. Also true for scratch cake.
Ok to sum it all up in a Short Story:
One day, Frick and Frack were skipping along on a busy street. Along came Harry, who bakes commercially. He was carrying a big fondant-covered cake, which he baked from scratch 'cause he's a cakeist.
Woops! He smashed right into Frick. Frack says, "what the frikkin frack happened?" Frick licks his lips and says "yum!! I don't mind. I'm no fondantist!" so Frack give him his hankerchief and he wipes his face and they both keep skipping along home.
Harry takes his smashed cakeist cake and brings it to the Methodist church, 'cause they are really cool about smashed cake since they believe in unity and liberty and charity.
The End.
*bow*
So they became fondamentalists and lived happily ever after.
Alternate ending:
So they became fondamentalists/fondantentalists and lived uptightedly ever after.
Yes, Loriana, this Memphis heat does cray zee things to our brains!!!
Ok to sum it all up in a Short Story:
One day, Frick and Frack were skipping along on a busy street. Along came Harry, who bakes commercially. He was carrying a big fondant-covered cake, which he baked from scratch 'cause he's a cakeist.
Woops! He smashed right into Frick. Frack says, "what the frikkin frack happened?" Frick licks his lips and says "yum!! I don't mind. I'm no fondantist!" so Frack give him his hankerchief and he wipes his face and they both keep skipping along home.
Harry takes his smashed cakeist cake and brings it to the Methodist church, 'cause they are really cool about smashed cake since they believe in unity and liberty and charity.
The End.
*bow*
Storytelling is SUCH a Southern thing...see how easily you did that???? Great!
Oh, you women make me laugh out loud! Fondamentalists - I love it.
Fondamentalist makes me think of
Fondant - which I like
Mental - which I am
Better than being a fundamentalist I suppose 
How bout calling those BC lovers buttercreamists and those in England who have that amazing "I'm going to ice an entire octogon-shaped cake in royal icing" Royalists.
I like that. Wish I was a Royalist! 
I am confused, amused, but confused about where all of this is coming from. Of course, it doesn't take much to confuse me today. Did I miss another juicy thread??
Ah well, to each his or her own. As my dear departed MIL would say- "ya' ain't snorin' in my face or payin' my bills so it ain't my bizness!"
That always made me laugh.
I am an admitted cake/food snob but I try to follow the rule of be nice or say nothing at all.
Ive seen a little of it. Some of it is said nicely, some not so nicely. She is referring to the battle between those who bake from scratch and those who use mix. Correct?
Some of the scratch bakers (I have seen) have been putting down the box bakers, saying that is sub-standard, or not of quality. Its just snobbish. I say if it tastes good, EAT IT! It doesnt matter how you got there, just the final outcome.
What about those of us who "doctor" our mixes? Is that box baking? Or semi-scratch baking? Are we just in the middle of everything?
What about those of us who "doctor" our mixes? Is that box baking? Or semi-scratch baking? Are we just in the middle of everything?
Nah... we have to come up with a name for you (Im one of those too)
Let's see:
Cakeist - an opinionated person who is a bit snobbish about scratch baking
Fondamentalist - someone who is against fondant
Doctorist - us? Or a "CD" for short (Cake Doctor). Wait. That's weird... I dunno LOL I'm all out of ideas too and it's like 100F out at 4PM!
What about a mixtenderist (extender-ist, mixtender-ist) << Webster would be proud!! yes?
k8, I think by now ya know I luv ya but honestly this thread has me completely wondering "what the heck is she saying?"
No disrespect meant at all......cut me some slack, it's Friday afternoon and this hair"stylist" is exhausted................
I am confused, amused, but confused about where all of this is coming from. Of course, it doesn't take much to confuse me today. Did I miss another juicy thread??
Ah well, to each his or her own. As my dear departed MIL would say- "ya' ain't snorin' in my face or payin' my bills so it ain't my bizness!"
That always made me laugh.
I am an admitted cake/food snob but I try to follow the rule of be nice or say nothing at all.
Yes be nice or say nothing at all. Everybody's got an opinion~I have tons of opinions but it ain't fun no more when someone's opinion poops on mine or on other cake buddies for no rational reason.
I read something that pissed me flat off and I thought it was safer/nicer/easier to approach one of my favorite subjects this way--by just making a separate thread of equal parts rant, humor and exasperation.
Yah getting me, Camera-guy? (from the Shamwow commercial)
Im so lost!! I dont know how to vote. I normally use box mixes but have started to make from scratch and if my scratch cakes keep turning out better than my box mixes then thats the only way I plan to bake. I feel you should just bake the way you want and to each is own. Mom always said if you dont have something nice to say DONT SAY IT!!!
I get frustrated because it seems in Australia it is all about the look and the taste comes second.
It is all about getting perfect corners in the fondant on the mud cake (they call it plastic icing, and it tastes like it as well)
Perhaps I am a fondantphob (fondant/ phobia)
I say bring on the delicious cakes, it is cake after all, that is its function, not just eye candy. Cake with delicious fillings and icings.
Please don't feed me mud either. BORING. Yes I am a mudist as well.
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