Night Elf Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I wanted quick cake yesterday. I didn't want to go to the trouble of baking from scratch. Well, it's terribly disappointing. The cake mix isn't all that bad, but the frosting tastes commercial. So I decided to make a quick cream cheese icing instead but didn't have any unsalted butter. I had to find a new recipe online that used regular butter. I made it and it's not great either. Before I started baking from scratch, I loved boxed cakes and ready made icing. I'm spoiled now I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Isn't that the truth! If you don't bake from scratch, don't start now. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I don't mind the cake mix if it's doctored. Buttermilk and extra egg is usually what I do. But the frosting, yeah. Ick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I always use salted butter in frosting. I don't change anything else with the recipes. :) I agree with PP--doctored cake mixes can be really tasty. I haven't found a scratch white cake as good as the doctored one I use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I agree! It will ruin you, the boxed mixes have a strange flavor now, icing is worse. Fortunately I have my cake recipes down so they don't take much longer than a mix any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 We refuse to eat boxed cake mixes and canned frostings- and I won't let my kids eat them- even if it means turning down birthday cake. And honestly, DS isn't a big dessert person so he doesn't care. We also turn down anything with cool-whip. *gag* That stuff is just too unhealthy! The frosting has 2 grams of trans fats per serving!!!! That isn't safe in any amount. We also don't buy/order cakes unless they come from Whole Foods or my friends bakery, because I know they don't use all that fake crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 We refuse to eat boxed cake mixes and canned frostings- and I won't let my kids eat them- even if it means turning down birthday cake. And honestly, DS isn't a big dessert person so he doesn't care. We also turn down anything with cool-whip. *gag* That stuff is just too unhealthy! The frosting has 2 grams of trans fats per serving!!!! That isn't safe in any amount. We also don't buy/order cakes unless they come from Whole Foods or my friends bakery, because I know they don't use all that fake crap. If you're at a party and cake is served, do you ask whether it's a mix or from Whole Foods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 We refuse to eat boxed cake mixes and canned frostings- and I won't let my kids eat them- even if it means turning down birthday cake. And honestly, DS isn't a big dessert person so he doesn't care. We also turn down anything with cool-whip. *gag* That stuff is just too unhealthy! The frosting has 2 grams of trans fats per serving!!!! That isn't safe in any amount. We also don't buy/order cakes unless they come from Whole Foods or my friends bakery, because I know they don't use all that fake crap. No cake at a birthday party? I'd have a mutiny on my hands, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I wanted quick cake yesterday. I didn't want to go to the trouble of baking from scratch. Well, it's terribly disappointing. The cake mix isn't all that bad, but the frosting tastes commercial. So I decided to make a quick cream cheese icing instead but didn't have any unsalted butter. I had to find a new recipe online that used regular butter. I made it and it's not great either. Before I started baking from scratch, I loved boxed cakes and ready made icing. I'm spoiled now I guess. Since I started baking from scratch, I get a strange chemical taste from boxed cake and icing; it's almost like a burning sensation. We were on vacation so I opted to bake a birthday cake using a mix and canned icing. Like always, the icing left a burning sensation in my mouth, but I shrugged and thought it was just me. I made the cake according to directions and frosted it. Luckily, DH tasted the icing before it was served to the kids. He spat it out, grabbed the frosted cake, and threw it away. It turns out the frosting was bad. I couldn't tell because canned frosting tastes bad to me, even when it's "good". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I don't find that baking a cake from scratch takes much more time than from a box. I mean, all the box is is measured flour, sugar and baking powder etc. It doesn't take but a moment to measure out some flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, and maybe some cocoa. If I am going to go to the trouble to use buttermilk or add flavoured coffee creamers to the cake mix then I might as well dirty a measuring cup and make the cake myself. I haven't made a cake from a box since I was in high school, and that was a LOOOONG time ago. Now, when I get fed a box cake, I swear it tastes of the box. I don't mean that it is tasteless, but that it literally tastes to me like the box smells. I busted a wedding caterer for using boxed cake because I could taste the cardboard. If you charge my friend for a freshly made cake then you had better make the cake. And I often use salted butter for frosting. If I have unsalted in the house, then great, but if not I don't let it hold me back, lol. It doesn't taste any different to me. Canned frosting is fun, but it is like comparing poptarts to homemade strudel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 www.cakemixdoctor.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I don't mind a boxed mix, especially if it's doctored up a bit (I like to add sour cream), but I cannot abide canned frosting. Yuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indian summer Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Oh yes, anything with artificial vanilla tastes toxic to me now since I've been baking from scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I don't mind boxed cake mix but I cannot abide canned frosting. I usually make a quick XXX buttercream and throw in cream cheese if I have some on hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I used to like the cake mixes and in high school I kept a can of frosting in my locker. The very thought of eating that cr@p now makes me cringe. Honestly though, I think it is a combination of my being used to the "good stuff" and I am fairly certain the quality of ingredients in the boxed/canned stuff has decreased dramatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Maybe not much more time, but a cheap box can be so much cheaper. I priced the ingredients for one of my children's birthday cakes and was floored. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I have found some excellent recipes that use cake mixes for the base. One particular one is made in the crockpot - double bonus! But adding sour cream, eggs, etc. is almost always going to make something better. I use salted butter all the time for our cream cheese frostings...maybe I should try unsalted sometime just to be able to tell the difference :) Canned frosting is nasty, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Maybe not much more time, but a cheap box can be so much cheaper. I priced the ingredients for one of my children's birthday cakes and was floored. Emily If you don't regularly bake then it can seem more expensive. I pay .99 for 5lb of flour. I use a couple cups of flour for a cake. I usually have at least 20lbs of flour in the house, so a couple cups is negligible to me. Same for sugar and other things. I already own those thing and bake and cook enough from scratch that I don't have to pay up front. If I had to buy a 5lb bag of flour and a 5lb bag of sugar and a box of baking soda and a can of baking powder and a dozen eggs and a gallon of milk and a bottle of vanilla and a tin of cocoa to make one cake, then it would add up. But, if I know I will be getting ingredients for several things (a birthday cake, a batch of brownies for dh to take to work, some cookies when friends come over, several loaves of bread, homemade hot cocoa etc) then it is very cost effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I don't mind a boxed mix. We don't eat cake often enough to be true connoisseurs. My family of four can't finish a whole cake before it goes bad, so we eat a layer and freeze a layer. The canned frosting, though, is just kind of icky. We make that. I do make an exception for the coconut pecan one that goes on German chocolate. Its a childhood hang-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I've yet to find a chocolate cake scratch recipe that comes out as good as a boxed mix. They are usually too dry. I do use butter instead of oil, and an extra egg. Somewhere I came across instructions for adding more flour, I think, and some other things to enhance a mix, but I lost track of it. We do make our own frosting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I love homemade frosting. Store bought works in a pinch but butter frosting made from scratch is 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I've yet to find a chocolate cake scratch recipe that comes out as good as a boxed mix. They are usually too dry. I do use butter instead of oil, and an extra egg. Somewhere I came across instructions for adding more flour, I think, and some other things to enhance a mix, but I lost track of it. We do make our own frosting. The recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa tub is divine! You mix in hot water and it's super runny, but it bakes up moist and rich. The frosting recipe is excellent too. Try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I've yet to find a chocolate cake scratch recipe that comes out as good as a boxed mix. They are usually too dry. I do use butter instead of oil, and an extra egg. Somewhere I came across instructions for adding more flour, I think, and some other things to enhance a mix, but I lost track of it. We do make our own frosting. The secret is chocolate pudding mix. I use an organic mix and add it in as I am making the cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 If you're looking for a chocolate cake - the recipe on the Hershey's cocoa powder box is insane!!!! Frosting recipe is on there too - and delicious!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa tub is divine! You mix in hot water and it's super runny, but it bakes up moist and rich. The frosting recipe is excellent too. Try it! If you're looking for a chocolate cake - the recipe on the Hershey's cocoa powder box is insane!!!! Frosting recipe is on there too - and delicious!!!! Yes! Just what I was going to say. I have a friend who is a trained pastry chef and that is what we both make for chocolate cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 If you're looking for a chocolate cake - the recipe on the Hershey's cocoa powder box is insane!!!! Frosting recipe is on there too - and delicious!!!! Copycat! LOL. Full disclosure: I did just eat a piece of Funfetti cake with Funfetti frosting and thought it was awesome. So I am glad others agree with me about the Hershey's cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I cannot eat boxed cake or canned frosting at all. It all tastes like processed garbage - ick! I like the cook's illustrated old fashioned layered chocolate cake. It's absolutely to die for, but you might have to take out a small loan to bake it! There's a pound of chocolate in the frosting! (there's a link to the frosting from here ...) http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/old-fashioned-chocolate-layer-cake/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I love doctored box mix cakes! My favorite is pumpkin spice with a homemade caramel/brown sugar frosting. Oh man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I placed well once in our not-a-state fair with what was a heavily doctored cake mix to make pumpkin chocolate cupcakes. But I think it was the homemade cookies in the shape of the not-a-state that really won it. They were homemade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 If you're at a party and cake is served, do you ask whether it's a mix or from Whole Foods? No, but, first of all, most of the parties we go to are for close friends who are food snobs just like us, to it's a non-issue. At "party package" places (bowling, jumping, laser tag, etc.) you KNOW it's chemical poison cake just by looking at it, so we just say "No thank you." When in doubt, I can usually (almost always) tell just by looking at the frosting if it's from scratch or not- honestly, I don't understand how anyone who does any amount of baking can't tell the difference between homemade and canned just by looking at it. But if there is any doubt, we just say "No thank you." If they ask why not, DS can say "he doesn't really like cake," and not be lying, because really, he could take it or leave it, and he's been raised on "the good stuff" and just doesn't like the not-good stuff. I am overweight and technically, diabetic, so I just say "I can't eat sugar." The above is why I'm such a food snob- genetics have already handed me a raw deal- I have no desire to worsen my health and shorten my life even more, on purpose, by eating crappy tasting food. And even though my son takes after his dad and is skinny as a string bean, he still has my genes and I'll be darned if I let him eat something that is 100% guaranteed (trans-fats) to cause heart disease and a plethora of other health issues. We practice moderation with some other things- but trans fats are banned from our diets. I'm sure some still sneak in, when eating out and such, but we sure as heck won't do it intentionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Sorry for hijacking! Off my soapbox now :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 No, but, first of all, most of the parties we go to are for close friends who are food snobs just like us, to it's a non-issue. At "party package" places (bowling, jumping, laser tag, etc.) you KNOW it's chemical poison cake just by looking at it, so we just say "No thank you." When in doubt, I can usually (almost always) tell just by looking at the frosting if it's from scratch or not- honestly, I don't understand how anyone who does any amount of baking can't tell the difference between homemade and canned just by looking at it. But if there is any doubt, we just say "No thank you." If they ask why not, DS can say "he doesn't really like cake," and not be lying, because really, he could take it or leave it, and he's been raised on "the good stuff" and just doesn't like the not-good stuff. I am overweight and technically, diabetic, so I just say "I can't eat sugar." The above is why I'm such a food snob- genetics have already handed me a raw deal- I have no desire to worsen my health and shorten my life even more, on purpose, by eating crappy tasting food. And even though my son takes after his dad and is skinny as a string bean, he still has my genes and I'll be darned if I let him eat something that is 100% guaranteed (trans-fats) to cause heart disease and a plethora of other health issues. We practice moderation with some other things- but trans fats are banned from our diets. I'm sure some still sneak in, when eating out and such, but we sure as heck won't do it intentionally. Seriously? Eta - my kids are GF so I get having to turn down food. But not eating cake at birthday party because it's from a mix seems extremely over the top to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Seriously? Uhhhhhhhhhh, yeah... (??????) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 My picky eater, my Aspie ds17, doesn't like any homemade sweets, no cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, etc. He'd rather eat the boxed stuff. When I wanted a quick cake this time, I did think about him as well because he never eats the sweets we have in our house so much. I think I bought Duncan Hines triple chocolate cake mix. The cake is actually pretty good. I like it better than the chocolate cake we made with cocoa. It was really the frosting that I felt was horrible. But I did frost a small portion of the cake with it so my son would eat some. I threw the rest out. When the cake is gone, I'm going back to our apple cupcakes with cream cheese icing, both made from scratch. The dumb things fall in the center every time, but they taste amazing. I do like a good oreo though. That white stuff in the middle is no longer as good to me as it used to be, but with the chocolate cookie, it isn't so bad. I've had rotten luck with making cookies. They just never turn out right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I might get flamed for saying this, but I actually don't mind artificial vanilla. I grew up on the stuff. Meaning my mother bought the fake vanilla to use in her baked goods. When I got older and baked on my own I bought real. I never thought it tasted quite as good. I thought I was a bit nuts. BUT I read in Cook's Country that they tested real vanilla to imitation (blind tasting) and people overwhelmingly preferred the fake! They said it had much stronger vanilla taste. So I don't think I'm completely off base for feeling that way. Because artificial vanilla is cheap to make (it is a by product of the paper making process) manufactures load up on the flavouring. That is why it tastes stronger than natural vanilla extract. It was the CVS brand of 'fake' vanilla (vanillin) that came in second: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84904494@N00/3296012221/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Shaws, which is a store brand, pure vanilla came in first place. I just make my own vanilla extract. I bought a couple vanilla beans at the supermarket and I tossed them in a bottle of vodka. I've had that bottle for years. Every few years I top off the bottle and last year I stuck a couple more vanilla beans in there. It is still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvToRead Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 If you're looking for a chocolate cake - the recipe on the Hershey's cocoa powder box is insane!!!! Frosting recipe is on there too - and delicious!!!! This is my favorite cake and frosting recipe too. And it is sooo easy. Literally one bowl and no mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I love American cake mix. The British brands are dry. Not a fan of canned frosting,funny taste. Personally I find most homemade white/yellow /sponges to either be dry or taste greasy so cake mix for me if at all possible. I think there is a reason the Brits dump a half cup of cream on a plain piece of cake. Taking a cake without plenty of cream is rude here. Funny story: My dc's enter a cupcake decorating contest each year and have a great time. Their best friend never enters and I politely asked her why -- because my dc's cupcakes taste so much better than anything she can make. Her mom used to bake professionally and makes fun of my mixes to my face but her dd likes them better when mom can't hear! Please realize this is a decorating contest, the cupcakes are not tasted so cheap mix or easy sponge is our base. We are not cheating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I just make my own vanilla extract. I bought a couple vanilla beans at the supermarket and I tossed them in a bottle of vodka. I've had that bottle for years. Every few years I top off the bottle and last year I stuck a couple more vanilla beans in there. It is still going strong. My mind has been blown. You can really do this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 My mind has been blown. You can really do this? Yes, you can. You could use vodka or bourbon. It is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 My mind has been blown. You can really do this? Yes m'am. And I have done the same thing with a vanilla bean and sugar. The bean gets quite dried out, but it keeps flavouring the sugar for years and years. I've had a canister of vanilla sugar for years as well. I pull it out when company comes for coffee or to top a plain cake. Every now and then I toss in more sugar to fill the cannister. I can't remember when I added a new vanilla bean. It could literally be 15 years since I started that sugar. I must have added another bean in that time, but the original is still in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I've yet to find a chocolate cake scratch recipe that comes out as good as a boxed mix. They are usually too dry. I do use butter instead of oil, and an extra egg. Somewhere I came across instructions for adding more flour, I think, and some other things to enhance a mix, but I lost track of it. We do make our own frosting. I agree. I've never had a homemade devil's food cake that was as good. I'm not much of a baker though. Try this one too! http://foodess.com/2011/03/moist-chocolate-cake/ I'll have to see if I can sneak some Hershey's powder into the house to try their recipe. My DH and one of my sons can't tolerate Hershey's chocolate. I buy Ah!Laska usually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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