I was going through my huge supply of BOGO cake mixes and found that most of them expire in a month or two, and some expired as far back as Feb, 2012. There is no way I can possibly use them.
How long past the date will these be good? Is there an ingredient that needs to be added if I can use them?
Thanks!
Have no fear. These products last forever. The date is only a suggested use by/ sell by placed by the manufacturer to fool us into believing there's a freshness code. I once worked in a kids' camp where the cook used five year old cake mixes he found in someone's garage after they had moved.
I was burned badly by expired mixes--ONCE. They were less than 6 months out of date.
I baked a WASC cake (with all of the extra $$ add ins) and in addition to not rising properly, it tasted "off"/stale & was spongy. I had to throw it out.
I re-baked with fresh mixes--the only thing I needed to purchase in order to replicate the cake--and everything was fine.
I attribute some of this to the decrease in potency of the baking soda in the mixes.
I don't use expired mixes for edible cakes anymore. I try to buy only what I need, as I need it (another good reason to have clients fully committed to cake details no less than 2 weeks before a cake is due).
I have used expired mixes to make inedible dummy cakes (no dairy used, either) and that works fine--but I often add a small amount of.........fresh baking soda.
Just a personal policy that increases my comfort.
Rae
I agree, I stockpile mixes and some expire in the Spring after a long drought of cake free months. I've learned to add a teaspoon of baking powder to them and they're fine. I believe the only thing that goes flat is the potency of the baking powder.
Thanks OP, and everyone else. So you add baking POWDER? (not baking soda?).
I bought ahead last year and then had a bout of depression for about 8 months. Ooops..... no baking for a while. I was just going to use them for my hobby cakes, but I'm glad to hear I can add a "margin of safety".
Well, I feel better that I won't have to throw these out. Publix has Duncan Hines BOGO right now and my husband bought four more today! Yikes!
Any way, just to be clear, do I add baking soda or baking powder?
Have no fear. These products last forever. The date is only a suggested use by/ sell by placed by the manufacturer to fool us into believing there's a freshness code.
There is a huge difference betwenn Use by and Best Before Date... depending on the product.
Everything has an expiry date .................even us lollllllllllllll
I have tasted two cakes others have made from eXpired cake mixes and they have that *dead flour* taste to them. Honestly - after baking you can taste the difference...
I once worked in a kids' camp where the cook used five year old cake mixes he found in someone's garage after they had moved.
Ikkkkk - your joking right?
Thats just down right nasty - imagine the extreme temperatures those boxes had been exposed to over the years - my god....I hate to think what was going on in those boxes...blahhhhhhhhhh. Let alone the kids tummys after eating it .......... blahhhhhhhh again
What adult is that cheap and nasty to use old crap like that....BLAHHHH
If selling a cake it would simply be illegal to use out dated ingredients in the UK... and at least immoral everywhere else in my opinion unless you give the recipient the choice of fresh or a discount for old?
If anything goes out of date for me I just keep it for personal use if its worthwhile, but I do appreciate the train of thought having a huge expiring unusable stock you'd like to get a return on...
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