I've been doing all my cakes and cupcakes from scratch. It def is very time consuming, but I get HUGE compliments on the taste and quality. How many of you use a box mix? Do you make modifications? Do you find the quality and taste of the box mix equal to the scratch made? I just want to offer my clients the best and not skimp on quality. TIA!

You can taste the diff in box cake mixes if you eat enough of them.
I have been using box mixes cos I just want an easy option while I'm practising decorating.
Everybody still says they are delicious.

One box makes a good 8inch for me - betty crocker (new Zealand)

I havent tried it - but apparently adding a good whack of melted chocolate makes them taste like a home made one.

heaps of people on here will have good tips and tricks though as i think its quite a normal practise.

PLEASE search this topic. Its one that gets a heated response!!!

I use the WASC recipe (and all it's many variations) which is pretty much scratch but happens to have cake mix as one of the ingredients, lol. Seriously though, I spent an entire weekend baking an assortment of test cakes, from scratch, trying out different recipes and none of the scratch cakes came out nearly as moist, level and tasty as WASC. I like box mixes okay, they're a little too fluffy for my taste but I used to use box mix all the time and still do if I have a customer who wants something like funfetti or cherry chip. The only thing I do different with a box cake is get it out of the pan and wrapped in plastic ASAP and into the freezer, I don't have to do that with WASC.

you'll probably find they're hidden inside posts with different titles - start clicking.
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=search&mode=results

But in the end its personal choice.

I checked out your website by the way. How is it that you can do that ladybird cake for $20 from scratch and all?

I love to try new recipes and use my friends and family as guinea pigs. By far for white cake the WASC recipe I got on here gets the best comments. I have heard so many times that it is the best cake they have ever had. I recently made a wedding cake for a friend and there was not a piece of cake left at the end of the wedding and there were way more servings then she had people. I was given a scratch chocolate cake recipe by another friend who wanted me to use it for her wedding cake and it is awesome. I think it is 100 times better then using a chocolate mix in a WASC recipe. Everyone who tastes it loves it. It is way more work, but worth it completely.

That being said, I whipped up some cupcakes for a friend's daughter and she didn't have money to spend so she just brought me betty crocker french vanilla box mix to use and several people at the party were just raving about how great my cupcakes were. At the end of the day, regardless of what you use, the key is to cook it properly (not over mix and not overbake) and put some kick ass frosting on it

Scratch always has the better taste. Boxed mixes always have that certain fake taste. There are some ways to doctor the mixes though, adding an extra egg, using buttermilk instead of water, adding pure vanilla extract, etc.

Keep in mind that baking from scratch gives your product more value because you can then market it as, "baked fresh, from scratch." That means people will be willing to pay more for your quality goods, rather than buy from the supermarket

oh this is gunna get good right about now........ ( fetching popcorn)

I just tried my first box mix cake mix for my leprechaun cake in my photos, It turned out ok, the taste was however a bit sickly, I think I shall stick to doing mine from scratch in the future, unless its for cupcakes. Still I need to practice more scratch recipes though,
Karen xx

If you make a cake that everyone loves, why would you want to change it? I'm a box mix baker, but I believe it takes a great talent to make scratch cakes really good, and consistently. (made scratch cupcakes once and I made money by selling the bottom halves to the local hockey team for practice pucks. )

Scratch or box .... if they love your cakes,regardless of what kind they are, then you have found the formula that will make you successful.

As I tell box bakers ..... stay with the cakes that your customers love while you experiment with scratch recipes (don't throw out the good stuff until you have more good stuff to replace it!). Same here .... stay with the scratch cakes while you experiement with doctored mixes until you find the formula that you like.

It is scientifically proven that box mixes taste 34% better than scratch cakes

I am a box cake maker and my customers love it! Again "my" customers are young and don't really care for the taste of scratch as I've been told. So it all depends on your clients an what they like...No complaints on taste so therefor no change in cake!

OK, I have my popcorn, but it is getting cold. So far everyone has been very civil and helpful and no "nastiness" at all. Wha hoppened!!!!!

I make scratch and doctored box mixes, it really depends. I hate dealing with all the red food coloring for red velvet cakes so for those I always use DH mixes, add the extra egg and use buttermilk instead of water. If I need more than one box mix worth of mix then I use the variation of WASC, I use chocolate pudding mix and buttermilk. If I am carving a cake, I do find some box mixes are too fluffy, so I have some scratch recipes. Trader Joe's just came out with their own brand of chocolate and yellow cake mixes and they are awesome. They are not cheap, compared to when I can get BC or DH mixes on sale for .99, I think the TJ's are $2.69 a box. TJ's also make a vanilla baking mix, that only makes about 15 cupcakes, that is so so good. Again, it is not cheap it is also around $2.50 for a small box mix.

If my audience is a bunch of kids, then I definitely use a box mix. However, if I am baking for adults who appreciate my time and effort then I may make it from scratch. But it really depends on what they want. I am not making RV from scratch, I hate all that red food dye.

My frosting is always homemade, I would never use that horrible tasting can stuff. I agree with a previous post that said, good frosting makes the difference.

Cake balls are always made from a box mix (and I don't doctor it up at all) but the frosting is always homemade.

you guys are funny!

There is no right or wrong. It is all in what you and your clients prefer. One is not "better" than the other. If you are happy, your clients are happy, then you are obviously doing something right. There is no reason to put down one method over another.

I bake strictly from scratch...I believe that anyone can buy a box mix and bake it up. Now I agree box cakes are consistent and I dont noch any who uses them as an ingredient...just my personal belief. Hey many high end bakery uses mixes. I just like the fact i can say that i bake from scratch.

I'm going to pull a Kanye West and say that George Bush hates scratch cakes