"A party without cake is just a meeting." —Julia Child
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Pound cake or Chiffon cake, Hot Milk or Sour Dough cake, Dump cake or Upside down cake, Devils Food or Angel Food. So many choices...
Mix or scratch ? That is the question...well for some people, for others there is no question! I personally use both boxed mixes and bake-from-scratch recipes. For me it depends on what I'm doing. If I am baking a German's chocolate cake, three layers and all, I use a recipe handed down from my Mom. If I am taking a decorated cake to a birthday party I usually use a boxed mix. All boxed mixes are not alike! Duncan Hines mixes produce a consistent cake...every time. If you are the one responsible for bringing cake, your fans expect a perfect cake every time! So, Duncan Hines is my go-to cake mix. I realize that there are die hard fans of Betty Crocker and Pillsbury out there and you probably will not be swayed and that's alright but the mixes are not consistent batch-lot to batch-lot so I do not use them.
That being said, I do often doctor the mixes. Over the years I have talked shop with so many professional bakers and one of the things I learned was that most bakeries use Duncan Hines wholesale bulk cake mixes. That, most bakers doctor the mixes by adding extra vanilla or cocoa or both, a little lemon or orange zest or whatever will bring a bit more flavor to the cake. An extra egg and milk instead of water give the mixes a homemade taste and texture. Artificial food coloring is an issue with many families as it can affect children's behavior and moods. Children often outgrow these issues but until then, reading ingredient lists is a must. Adults who have allergies to food coloring must be careful or deal with hives and rashes. Homemade cake batters are often the answer to these trials and tribulations. I started decorating cakes while earning a baking badge in Girl Scouts in Junior High and I've made so many Winnie the Pooh cakes covered in buttercream stars for kids birthdays I could do it in my sleep even after all these years! Wedding cakes and anniversary cakes followed, calling for fancy fillings and fountains and columns...my coat closet was restructured with shelves many years ago and is often bulging with special pans and all the paraphernalia that goes with the business. |