My daughter took the Wilton Course 1 class in June. Her last class she had to bake and take an unfrosted cake with her to class. Sierra was going to decorate the cake during that session.
Sierra and I are currently taking Wilton Course 2 which is definitely a more advanced cake decorating course, working with fondant, gum paste, and royal icing! We will be decorating our cakes tomorrow for our final class.
Why? am I telling you all this. Hold on, I promise, you will understand…. Whether it be a Wilton class or just any day, cake baking in our household is a “thing”. I bake lots of cake throughout the year. Cakes are celebratory, holiday-making, and turns an ordinary day into something special. It always has in our home. I am very picky when it comes to cakes. I almost NEVER buy a cake from the bakery. I really LOVE(and so does my family) the cakes I bake and decorate.
Well, corporate America has done it again….. Most standard box cake mixes are 18.25 ounces of yummy goodness. To my disappointment, cake mixes are now approximately 15 ounces. Yes, my friends, the 3 ounces makes a huge difference. Smaller, flatter layer cakes, sheet cakes, bundt cakes, less cupcakes, get the point? When one bakes, you want a full to the top of your pan cake! These smaller cakes are now an embarrassment to your dining table or the next pot luck!
It’s not just Betty Crocker, it’s Duncan Hines as well!
I have been baking cakes since I was in junior high school! I know exactly how high and fluffy my cake will bake in whatever pan I use. It’s been done so much that I just know… Now, I don’t know!
I have over the years have been a huge follower and fan of Ann Byrnes aka “The Cake Mix Doctor”. If you have never been a fan of baking, her recipes are SO SO easy and delicious. Nobody ever knows its from a cake mix…..
These recipes are all from a 18.25 ounce cake mix that I can no longer find! There are all kinds of cakes, bars, and cupcakes that are decadent. From a cake mix…..NOT anymore.
I found an article called the “Cake Extender” to add a certain amount of flour, sugar, eggs to make it equivalent to the 18.26 box. Why bother? The convenience of opening up one box and dumping it into the stand mixer are over.
Here’s the link, if interested! http://caketrimmings.com/duncan-hines-classic-cake-mixes.html
Companies have made lots of products smaller over time and we have adjusted. When it comes to baking, it is a science experiment. The perfect amount of ingredients makes the cake come out just right. Companies know that- so WHY did they change the cake boxes on me and millions of other bakers? I would rather they have charged more money for the original size box. I think that would be a much better compromise.
As for me, I am on the hunt for a box cake mix that is STILL 18.25 ounces. The real bummer is missing out on all those delicious flavors.
What is this world coming to?
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