Scratch Made VS Box Mix

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Permalink Reply by Tanisha Lane on January 18, 2011 at 12:22am

I have used box mixes doctored up when I first started out and was learning all about the decorating, presentation, and support......I have now started making scratch cakes.......tried alot of different recipes and alot of money and frustration but I finally found the scratch recipes I like :).......they are moist, dense but not too dense and have a great taste and can hold up under fondant :) and they are great as cupcakes too which is hard to find in a scratch cake. I do buy satin ice fondant. i have tried to make my own several times and it just isn't the same. I am 50/50 when it comes to making my own buttercream depending on the conditions of where the cake will be and how much time i have on my hands.

The recipes I love come from Elisa Strauss cake books. She has two out and alot of good recipes :). You can find them on amazon!!!

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Permalink Reply by Mizztry on January 18, 2011 at 8:42am

Has anyone come across a really good eggless receipe in their search for receipes? I'm still strugging to get a good one :(

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Permalink Reply by Jenifer T on January 18, 2011 at 4:47pm

Seems like under Recipes here on this site there was one or two that said to use egg substitute. Try looking there.

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Permalink Reply by Lilly Wilders on January 20, 2011 at 7:17am

I'm in the UK and we don't tend to have the variety of basic cake mixes here. The ones we do have are aimed more at children such as decorated cupcakes. The only mixes I remember seeing regularly are Victoria sponge and chocolate fudge cake but I've never actually used either because it's so easy to make a Victoria sponge anyway and I've never had occasion to try the chocolate. I have used packet mixes from time to time because I have children and it isn't as precise for them (and they don't care what they tastes like as long as they had fun making them and there's lots of icing! lol) but the only mix I would choose over scratch is for Brownies because I just haven't found a recipe I like yet. Packet mixes here are mostly seen as the lazy option rather than an alternative and I’d never heard of one being doctored before finding this site! I actually wouldn’t mind having a go at that but I wouldn’t know where to start as we don’t have the same mixes here.

I've been baking from scratch since my teens and the recipe is the key. I have a handful of recipes that I love and make all the time but there have been others I've hated. In my experience there are more so-so recipes about than there are great ones so it's a lot of trial and error to find ones that work for you. For myself it's worth the effort because the great recipes are so much better than anything else I've had, but I can see where that would be off-putting for a lot of people.

When you’re starting out baking from scratch the most important thing to remember is to measure the ingredients as accurately as possible. A few grams more or less really can make a huge difference. Also use the best quality ingredients you can afford. When I started out I just used whatever was in the cupboard until as an experiment I decided to have a go with all the best ingredients just to see if it was worth it and the answer was a resounding YES! I knew it would make a difference, I just hadn’t realised how much of a difference!

You also need to know your oven fairly well. Scratch cakes are a little more unforgiving if they’re cooked at the wrong temperature. If you want a moist cake that’s cooked properly the oven can’t be too hot or cool and I’ve never used an oven that could be used at the temperature in the book. Often they only have to be changed by 10-20°C but my current oven is a huge 50°C different – I had a lot of overcooked cakes before I got it right! Having said that, this may not apply so much to cakes cooked in separate layers - it’s more usual here to bake a single deep cake and cut layers, especially the denser cakes for decorating, so there’s much longer cooking times.

I use a hand mixer for my cakes but only from quite recently; I used to make all my cakes by hand with a wooden spoon! (I like to be more involved in the process than just putting things in a bowl! I still make my buttercream by hand. I prefer the smoother texture without the air bubbles) It makes a small difference with some recipes but not all if it’s a half decent recipe and the instructions are followed so I can’t see that there would be much difference between a hand or stand mixer.

 

Most of all, you need to enjoy yourself; if you're relaxed and happy it shows in the finished cake. If it's too much stress or hassle you probably will get better resuslts with a box mix and at the end of the day, getting the results you're happy with is what that matters! :o)

 

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Permalink Reply by Jenny Maynard on January 20, 2011 at 10:21am

I use box mixes but only as a base. I always add to them. There are a couple of scratch cakes I do though, Coconut and Italian Cream. I just depends on what I am making. I have tried some scratch recipes but have not been happy with the outcome.

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