I've been making my own cake mixes for decades.

Unfortunately, I use ingredients that most do not have in their pantries so giving a recipe isn't useful. We cook from a home food storage program & I use organic powdered whole eggs, organic butter powder, organic milk powder, etc. My mixes are shelf-stable & taste wonderful. They work with any of the add-in type recipes like jasdip mentioned for her lemon bundt cake. A couple times a year, I make up mixes for cakes, brownies, pancakes, muffins, etc. Most are "just add water". Even for the vanilla, I use the dried vanilla powder from KA. They're more expensive than a DH mix but, IMO, much better.

I'm sure I would never buy two packages of commercial cake mix to get the correct ingredient weight & then deal with the leftover mix. If I had to use one box of commercial mix & add in flour, eggs, etc....why bother using that mix in the first place? It's too easy to make a scratch cake, again IMO.

/tricia

It's easy enough to find a recipe for cake mix and make your own, although it will have to be stored in the refrigerator so the butter doesn't get rancid, it doesn't have all the chemicals and preservatives that cake mixes come with.

I found this one with a quick google search, there are also instructions for using this mix to make a white cake, yellow cake, chocolate cake or spice cake.

Cake Mix (Master)

This wonderful mix can be substituted for any purchased cake mix. Unlike other homemade cake mix recipes, this one has less fat, so it can be substituted for the purchased cake mix recipes, which often add oil or butter.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 3 cake mixes

Ingredients:
�7-1/2 cups sifted flour
�1 Tbsp. salt
�4-1/2 cups sugar
�2 Tbsp. double acting baking powder
�3/4 cup cold butter

Preparation:

In very large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder and mix well to blend. Cut the butter into small pieces and place in food processor bowl along with 2 cups of the flour mixture. Cover and process until mixture is very fine. Make sure that the butter is completely evenly distributed in the flour mixture. If it isn't, your cakes will have uneven texture and each will turn out differently. Return to bowl with remaining flour mixture and mix well using a wire whisk.
Divide the cake mix into three equal portions (about 4 cups each) by lightly scooping the mix into measuring cups and leveling off with the back of a knife. Place each portion into a quart glass jar or heavy duty zip lock plastic bags. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Each portion of cake mix will make two 8" cakes or one 13x9" cake.
Make sure you measure the flour correctly for this recipe. NEVER scoop flour using a measuring cup. SPOON the flour into the measuring cup FROM the bag. Also make sure that you follow the directions for using the mix, including beating times, to the letter. The gluten in the flour has to develop a bit to form the cake's structure. And the butter needs to be dissolved in the batter for the best texture.

I've attached the link.

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Homemade cake mix

Here's an interesting thread about this very thing over on Cake Central.

Smiles,
Sooz

Here is a link that might be useful: Change in Cake Mix Formulas

Until it was mentioned in your link, Sooz, I never thought of checking the generic brands. The only one we have is No Name, which Zehrs/Loblaws sells.

I only ever buy cake mixes when they're on sale, usually for 99cents. I use it for my lemon cake. The No name ones may not be much more expensive, and might be a full size.

No I've got a mission! Thanks.

Well after reading all of this thread - I will just eat pies!

Good thinking, eandhl, I like pies much better than cakes anyway. I'll make them in my good old deep dish Pyrex too, not some new smaller pan. (grin)

Annie

Annie, my DH is with you - he loves pies and tolerates cakes, so I rarely ever make cakes, even though I like them. I can certainly live without them.

Jasdip, you mean there's really a brand called No Name? That tickles me.

Sally

I'm confused...... (not unusual for me!)

I did a google for a pic of a No Name cake mix to post, just for Sally. :-) It is a 520 gram pkg. (The No name brand is all in yellow packaging)

The DH lemon cake I picked up on the weekend is a 515 gram (so not much difference at all). In doing the conversion, I see that 515 grams is 18.2 oz. So our cake mixes are still full size!

It could be Jasdip that your store still has some stock of the old ones. But I wouldn't be at all surprised if Canada is different than US!

We use a lot of cake mixes here, although never for cake. My wife makes lots of cookies and bars and her recipies often seem to use a mix or two with additions of extra ingrediants.

I suppose that means that she could use the extra box method, but might I suggest an alternative for those in similar situations. At least so far, the decreased product is only down by a sixth. Doesn't it seem easier to just decrease the additives by a proportionate amount, which in this case is easily done by using scant measurements? Instead of a cup or a teaspoon of X, use just under a cup or a teaspoon etc.

With all due respect, how is changing all subsequent ingredients by cutting them down some any simpler than just buying two cake mixes and adding a 1/2 cup or whatever 3 oz net weight comes to?

arkansas girl, I'm not sure it's simpler, but it's cheaper than buying that extra mix, then storing it opened in the pantry. I don't know about your pantry but in mine it's a perfect storm for a mess. I'll knock that over, just like I do the spaghetti box or the half box of raisins or the partial bag of beans. Everything has to go into a container or I AM going to spill it.

And I don't want to buy TWO of something when i should be able to get by with one.
Annie

Here's an update of what I found at a large supercenter store today. It appears as if Betty Crocker is the only mix that has been cut down. When I checked the DH boxes, they were all 18.25(+/-) and then Pillsbury was 18.25 and the store brands were 18.25. So maybe BC will be the only one to mess things up! Maybe stock up on your favorite mix and hope they don't cut down the size too.

@annie, I put opened things in jars or containers. What is really good are square shaped ones like the ones for freezing. Those are handy because they stack, you can label them with some masking tape on the side so you know what it is. Just a thought. For the person that makes a certain recipe time after time, saving some is really not that big of an inconvenience, they will just use it next time.

Thanks for posting that, Jasdip. There's something I like about a generic product that is called simply No Name.

How would you cut slighty down on the eggs?

Sally

Now that I realize that Duncan Hines is full size, I'll make sure I don't buy any Betty Crocker on sale. Then I don't need to potentially adjust anything. It probably doesn't make much difference as I use other ingredients as well, that I mentioned for my lemon bundt cake.

Sally, the recipe calls for 4 eggs, I was thinking of just using 3. But it looks like I won't need to.

Arkansas girl, I do keep everything in containers. I usually use quart canning jars, they fit in my pantry well, but if I stuff a bag of cake mix into a jar I'll either forget what it is or I'll upt the box top in the jar with it to remember. Then I'll stick it in the back of the pantry and find it in three years.

I seldom make a recipe often enough to use a partial box of anything. if I have a partial package of something, I usually have it for a long time, I like to cook a big variety of items and I don't use any convenience mixes other than those I make myself. I usually make pasta, on the rare occasions that I use it, and I bake all our bread. Cakes and cookies are from scratch. Always. I even baked my own wedding cake and those of both of my girls, all from scratch.

My girls, however, actually LIKE cake mix cakes. It must be their father's genetics, LOL. They both prefer Duncan Hines so I guess they're good to go!

Oh, and what is @annie?

Annie

@ stand for "AT"...so comment directed @ annie. They do that at a lot of forums when a comment is directed @ a certain person.

Annie, I realize that you don't make cake mix dishes but a lot of people other than you post and read here. For those millions of women/men that use cake mixes OFTEN, they would most likely use that left over portion. For those who never use cake mixes, well this subject doesn't really matter then does it? HA! Most people don't bake their own bread or make their own homemade pasta and don't even make scratch cakes either. Heck, a lot of people don't even make homemade anything...HA! You can even buy frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if I'm not mistaken! GAH!

Here is a link that might be useful: the @ sign

I just checked all our mixes and none were decreased (except an angelfood that I expect was always that way). We had DH, BC and Pillsbury (only one), so perhaps all this concern is moot.

However, if this is going to happen, I will defend my suggestion and say that scant measurements only take the one second it takes to remember to do it, while opening/reopening/storing the extra box is comparatively more difficult. But I admit that sally2 makes an excellent point "How would you cut slighty down on the eggs?". This is often a problem anyway. You have extra large eggs and the box, or recipe calls for two large eggs. If I think it is going to make a difference and the eggs are to be beaten, then I just catch some extra in my hand. I have separated yolks, mixed them and left the estimated unneeded amount behind for the dog. I don't suppose any of you keep large and extra large (and medium) on hand?

I suspect that many of you would just be a little under or over with the eggs and adjust the total volume to appropriate consistancy anyway, yes?

Eggs is always a problem with baking. If I cut down a recipe that calls for 1 egg, how do I measure 1/2 of an egg?

The easy thing is to beat the amount of eggs called for, measure then add the appropriate amount of egg.

Here's an easy way to use high quality organic eggs in baking. No problems with wondering what to do with leftovers. Usually, 1 tablespoon equals one whole egg.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Frontier Organic Powdered Eggs

chas045, let me assure you that all the BC mixes I looked at yesterday were only 15+ ounces. So unless they suddenly decided to change back and the store I was in had old stock then the point is not moot.

My curiousity got the best of me. Here's what's available here in Mystic...

Betty Crocker, 15.2 ounces
Duncan Hines, l8.2 ounces
Pillsbury, 18.2 ounces

/tricia

I also found numerous generic/store brand mixes, they were full size still at 18.25 oz. Maybe Betty will be the only one and we can just stop buying BC and they'll get the message!

I never worry about that half an egg. I'll just go ahead and use three eggs even if the proportions work out to 2 1/2 eggs.

AK girl, I did say that although I didn't use them, my girls both do, so I guess I do have some interest in this or I wouldn't have clicked it.

As for those people who don't make homemade ANYTHING, what in the world would they be doing on a cooking forum? (grin)

I have seen the frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I really just don't get it.

I still say that if I did use a boxed mix for something, I would be less likely to make it if I had to buy two boxes and store part of one. It would be more expensive, more inconvenient and since some of my family members actually LIKE mixes, I'd be less likely to make something for them if I had to buy two and throw part of one away.

Heck, I've even been known to buy refrigerated pie crust. Now, understand, I don't particularly care for pie crust, I like the filling, so the crust doesn't matter a lot to me. As a result, I think that the stuff that comes in the red box isn't awful. If I had to buy TWO boxes, though, that would be the deal breaker, so I still think that Betty is making a business error.

Annie

Oh well, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on the subject.

For the life of me, I cannot see what the big deal is if you'd have to buy two of something to make a recipe. Recipes often call for many ingredients that you have to go to the store and buy...like I said, if a person has a favorite recipe that they make often/regularly, they'd just use the opened box the next time.

I think we all, that are concerned, should write to the companies and tell them we'll stop buying if they reduce the size of the mix. Also write to companies like Duncan Hines that have NOT reduced their size and thanks them and tell them that you will no longer buy anything except for Duncan Hines. Maybe that will convince them to keep it like it is!

Well, for the obvious thing, it makes the recipe more expensive to make. Somehow I'm sure the price will stay the same, so if that cake mix is $1, and you have to use half of another one, that's increased your price by 50%. That doesn't matter to everyone, but it does matter to some people.

I can only hope that writing the company would make a difference but my experience says that it probably won't.

I remember when the Ball canning jars started coming packaged in a plastic wrapped flat instead of a box. The lids are sealing side down and often are stuck onto the jars. when you pull them off to use them, they sometimes will not seal when you process the jar.

Thousands of us home canners, probably more, wrote the company. The response was pretty much "so what", and we were all told that if one of the lids didn't seal, send it back and they'd replace it. Yeah, and we got to pay for the envelope adn stamp too. They still come in the plastic wrapped flats and the company says their "research" shows that they aren't compromised by it. Sigh.

I have this sneaking suspicion that the other companies will follow suit shortly.

Now, for those who do use the cake mixes, how about Jiffy Mix? Those make one layer from one little box. I don't know the weight, but maybe two of those would make one cake mix and the weight might not change since they are already smaller?

Annie

We drink Maxwell House and I hate that wide lip/ring they leave around the rim. You can't get all of the coffee out of the can, it hangs on the edge.

I wrote to them recently, and suggested that they do away with that edging. It wouldn't be hard to do, and it serves no purpose, and other coffee brands do not have it.

They recently re-sized their cans to the 1/3 size smaller, so it would have been a prime time to do it.

I got a form letter back, thanking me, but they have a design team, yada yada. Not even a thank-you coupon for being a valuable customer. (I did mention that theirs is the only coffee we drink).

Uuuum so Annie, buying two $1 Jiffy Cake mixes is OK but buying 2 $1 Betty Crocker mixes is not OK? I don't get that reasoning. The Jiffy Mix appears to be only 9 oz and though I haven't bought it, it appears the price is $1 a box from google searching it. Right now, one of our local grocery stores has BC mixes on sale for $1. Wouldn't Betty Crocker be the better deal? $1 for 15.25 oz vs. $1 for 9 oz on the Jiffy Mix?

and here's something else, if you buy an extra box of BC mix for your recipe that calls for one box (18.25 oz) the new box that's only 15.25 oz can be used for FIVE, count it FIVE uses! So you only would have to buy two mixes once every five times. Keep the opened box and use 3 oz at a time out of the 15.25 oz box.

Ark Girl, you've got me convinced. If I ever run out of the Duncan Hines and have to resort to BC on sale, I'll use your method. Shoot now I have to buy a scale.

Here Jiffy mix is usually 2 for $1, (except the corn muffin mix which is 3/$1) so that makes it the same dollar that a "regular" cake mix would be. As I mentioned, I don't/didn't know the weight. I was only hoping that maybe it would make up the difference for that $1, requiring no second cake mix and no storage of any "leftovers". Since it appears that here my 2/$1 Jiffy Mix would be the equivalent of the original 18 ounce cake mix called for in the recipe, my reasoning was correct and it would be another option.

And I'm done with this thread, since my opinion is clearly unwanted and unpopular and appears to be growing contentious. I will tell my girls to not buy Betty Crocker.

Now I'm going to go frost the Hershey's chocolate cake currently sitting on my counter, baked entirely due to the constant cake discussion in this thread. Talking about cake is a very dangerous thing, apparently, causing the intake of several hundred extra calories!

Annie

jasdip, if you don't have a scale, you could divide it into 5 parts or measure 1/5 of a box. Like in other words, measure contents of the box by volume rather than weight and take 1/5 of that...then write it down so you'll remember how much is 1/5th. That is if they change other mixes and you can't find 18.25 anymore.

If the Jiffy is only 50 cents a box then that would be an option assuming it tastes OK. My mom used to swear by Jiffy pie crusts. She loved those things! The only thing Jiffy I've used is the corn bread mix which I LOATH! HAA!

Here's another thing, you could use the left over mix to make a cobbler with the crispy crust that uses a half box of cake mix. :)

The only reason I clicked on this post was because the rare times my daughter makes a cake she uses this mix. Most of the time she will ask Mom if she has time to make a cake! As I only bake from scratch and always have everything I need on hand it takes no time to make a cake. And if I had to figure out about buying one or more mixes and then worry about using the extras I think I would just forget it and make cookies! For me baking needs to be fun and not a brain teaser on what mix to buy and if it will be enough.
Kat

Ha, Arkansas, I just checked my pantry and lo and behold I have a Betty Crocker here. The Duncan Hines is the full 515 grams as previously mentioned but the BC is 432 grams, so they're screwing North America. :)

Jiffy mixes here are also $.50....I always try to keep one around, just in case I need a bit of a cake in a hurry....but mostly I throw them away because they get too old.
I guess is you often make box cakes, buying an extra mix would make sense...provided you always make the same kind of cake....or else you would have part of a chocolate cake, part of a yellow cake, part of a spice cake....etc.
And I really don't understand why anyone would go to the trouble of dividing a box of cake mix into 5ths, and storing for the next 5 times you make that boxed cake again.....but won't go to the trouble to make a cake from scratch...?

Jiffy mixes here are also $.50....I always try to keep one around, just in case I need a bit of a cake in a hurry....but mostly I throw them away because they get too old.
I guess is you often make box cakes, buying an extra mix would make sense...provided you always make the same kind of cake....or else you would have part of a chocolate cake, part of a yellow cake, part of a spice cake....etc.
And I really don't understand why anyone would go to the trouble of dividing a box of cake mix into 5ths, and storing for the next 5 times you make that boxed cake again.....but won't go to the trouble to make a cake from scratch...?

Make a cobbler with a cake mix?? Another scratch cook here. Rather just throw the ingredients together.

It sounds to me like everyone is just wanting to argue here rather than taking some suggestions....seriously, I've said it before but "what is so hard about measuring 3 oz?" I for one have mastered the use of a scale! GAH! OH and don't knock the cobbler made from cake mix until you've tried it, it's delicious!

I think this is only one thing where the incredible shrinking package will become an issue. I noticed that pasta sauce is about 4 oz less than before so people that made say a lasagna from a bottle of spaghetti sauce will suddenly wonder why their lasagna is so dry without noticing the jar is less than before.

I checked here yesterday. BC was 15.2 oz. and DH was 16.5 oz. So both have down sized their mixes.

AK girl if it makes you feel any better, I agree with you. It's no big deal. Most things are more expensive now, it's a fact of life. So either the quantity stays the same and the price goes up or the quantity goes down so the price can stay the same. It's just marketing. Yes we should be aware of it, but if you're like me you shop looking at unit price, not package price. Some folks might not prefer the quantity change but I'd venture a guess that more people buy these boxes to follow the directions on the box than to use as an ingredient in another recipe. I doubt many people would be complaining if they offered 5 pound bags of cake mix at a discount that we'd have to go through the "trouble" of measuring each time we went to bake a cake. How many avid bakers here buy packets of yeast? Probably not many, because measuring out 2 1/4 tsp out of a jar just isn't all that much of an inconvenience.

Interesting discussion. It really grinds my gears when I see examples of downsizing, and it seems no product has been immune from the "axe".

I only use cake mixes on occasion, I prefer to make cakes from scratch. I think both DH and BC have downsized their packages where I live. We don't have Pillsbury and the generic (No Name) is not an option because I think most of those products are inferior. I will certainly be buying less cake mixes than before. The suggestion to measure out from another package is not good for me because I often toss out opened packages (especially if I'm not sure of its freshness). BC goes on sale more frequently than DH mixes...I would never buy them at full price anyway.

I think the real point here is that DH, etc, like a LOT of other companies are downsizing their products and still keeping the price the same. In this way, they are making more money, and a lot of people dont even notice. I guarantee if they kept the same size package and upped the price they would notice. I remember when I bought my first downsized junior bacon cheeseburger without warning. Prices of groceries as with everything else but jobs and wages are going up. These companies are going to raise their prices one way or the other. I doubt complaining to any of them will do any good. The only thing we can do is adjust in what ever manner is convenient to the individual. Myself, I dont buy a lot of prepackaged foods, and I have a small garden to try and use more fresh and can for winter. As with Annie, if I split a cake mix, the other part would never be found let alone used. But thats just a personal thing :)
Tammy

Tammy, you make it sound like the only reason for raising prices (or lowering quantity) is to make more profit. It's not like they make this stuff out of thin air and get it to the supermarket shelves for free. There are production costs and distribution costs. As those costs go up they need to be passed on to the consumer.

Yes, lowering quantity rather than raising price might be a little less obvious to the consumer. Apparently that trick works because everyone seems to be doing it. While it can be called a trick it's not dishonest because in the end it's the same thing. Nobody is selling 4 pounds of sugar and calling it a 5 pound bag. Nobody is selling 1.5 quarts of ice cream and calling it a half gallon. Nobody is selling 10 of anything and calling it a dozen.

foodonastump, I didnt mean it to sound like they are being dishonest, or trying to gouge the consumer.Its just a matter of running a business.
I stated:" Prices of groceries as with everything else but jobs and wages are going up. These companies are going to raise their prices one way or the other."
Gasoline to truck these groceries, and all the other expenses that go along with getting things to the shelves have gone up dramatically. If they didnt raise prices, then that would seriously chip away at any profits they are making.And we know EVERY business is in it for a profit or they wouldnt be in business.(Exceptions are non profits.) I do believe they hope the customer isnt going to notice the increase by making things smaller, or otherwise they would just increase the price and be done with it.
But the fact is, prices are going up on everything.Its just "cause and effect". There is not a whole lot that can be done with it.
Tammy

@triciae, I would like to try your scratch cake mix if you would be willing to share the recipe. I am not adverse to buying powdered eggs, etc. love KAF products, too.

I no longer buy DH or BC products Maybe they no longer need our business Too Bad

I no longer use DH or BC. ibe I’ve stop us these productsany years ago. it it’s a shame when they have the best product ever, then they change it. Its just not good anymore.

11 year old thread