Let's
begin by discussing baking a cake
from scratch. "Scratch cakes take a tightrope balance of flours, leavening agents,
liquids, fats and flavorings" (Smith). According to DIY Bride, the pros of scratch cakes
are: the unlimited amount of flavor combinations you can create, the freshness
of the cake without preservatives, better consistency for wedding cakes and the
satisfaction of creating a piece of art from scratch (Cake month: boxed, 2012). With scratch cakes, you can find great
recipes online or create a one of a kind cake, with the ability to modify,
enhance flavors and chose exactly how you want your cake to taste.
With
all pros come cons, baking a cake from scratch takes practice because measuring
ingredients must be done accurately.
Scratch cakes do not have a guaranteed taste; it is all about the amount
and types of ingredients that make the cake taste great. Scratch cakes can also be more
expensive depending on the ingredients the recipe calls for (Cake month: boxed,
2012.
Now,
let's look at the pros and cons of boxed cake mixes. Boxed cake mixes have been around for years. Boxed cake mixes are convenient,
inexpensive and can be stored until ready to bake. It's easy to mix the three or four ingredients together and
create a tasty cake that most Americans are accustomed too (Smith).
Although
boxed cakes have proven to be easy and convenient in a time crunch, they have "limited
flavors, texture and "weight" options and have preservatives in
them." When it comes to
weddings, it is hard to scale box cake mixes to feed a mass amount of
guests. Some mixes also leave a
chemical taste behind (Cake month: boxed, 2012).
Most
people will agree that scratch cakes have a better taste. One baker has found a way to make a
boxed cake mix taste like a scratch cake with just a few minor tweaks. By simply mixing the cake as
instructed, adding an additional egg and pudding mix and by mixing
confectioner's sugar with your frosting, you can create a tasty boxed cake that
tastes homemade (Ipatenco, 2011).
See the full article on how to make a boxed cake mix taste homemade here.
After
investigating the pros and cons of both scratch and boxed cake mix, I still
strongly believe scratch is the way to go. I like a challenge and enjoy experimenting with flavors,
textures and decorating techniques.
From my experience in baking cakes, my "taste-testers" have
always preferred my scratch cakes to boxed cake mixes any day.
References
Cake month: boxed mix or scratch
recipe?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.diybride.com/index.php/blog/item/2436-cake-month-boxed-mix-or-scratch-recipe
Ipatenco, S. (2011, May 14). How do
i make a boxed cake mix taste homemade?. Retrieved
from http://www.livestrong.com/article/442401-how-do-i-make-a-boxed-cake-mix-taste-homemade/
Smith, K.
(n.d.). Bake a cake from scratch. Retrieved from http://www.hgtv.com
Great blog! The debate between boxed versus scratch will go on forever, I think. My personal opinion is that there are times when one or the other is more appropriate. I am a baker also, and some of my most popular cakes and desserts start from a boxed mix. Of course, there are many tweaks that I make that completely change the taste and texture of the cake or dessert. But, of course, there are some cakes that need to be made from scratch, as a boxed cake mix just doesn't come close to what you need.
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ReplyDeleteMy daughter is doing a research paper on homemade cupcakes vs box mix..she's doing a T-Chart and was wondering if anyone had any pros and cons in cupcakes from scratch
ReplyDeletenice article about Cakes Boxes
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