Betty Crocker Downsizes Cake Mixes To 15.25 oz.

[lordkenmore]

There's something that might make those who are frustrated at Betty Crocker serving up smaller amounts better. Tonight I was at my usual grocery store, and I discovered they have organic cake mix. Quantity, at least on the one box I saw, was about what Betty Crocker has changed to. Price was something like 4 times higher.

On the other hand, the organic mix had nothing on the list of ingredients that I didn't recognize.

 

[launderess]

The Media Has Taken Notice

Pipe:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40915489/ns/today-money/t/shrinking-feeling-downsized-products/

 

[launderess]

But Wait, There's More!

CBS says:

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-501083_162-4540627.html

 

[launderess]

There's Even A Website

Why am I not surprised?

http://www.mouseprint.org/2010/12/06/more-products-downsized/

 

[mixfinder]

Big Boy!!

Krusteaz, a product of Centennial Mills and General Mills (Betty Crocker) both make commercial mixes. These products have more fat and different leavings to keep them moist and allow them to rise evenly when baking in large pans that taker olnger oven times. Both are pretty good at accepting alterations but Krusteaz is my favorite. I have represented both companies and their websites have lots of tips and recipes for using the products. Buying this way is also less expensive per slice or finished product. They are found in some discount stores like Sam's or Costco, AG Cash and Carry stores and most food service suppliers, sold under house labels like SYSCO or FSA.

 

[launderess]

One Sees SYSCO Trucks

All over the area delivering to commercial/restaurant and other professional kitchens including schools, nursing homes, hospitals.

 

[tolivac]

In the Rapid City South Dakota area-my Dad says there is a Sysco store there-you can go there and buy their items.I do see the sysco trucks out here-but no Sysco store.would like to see one.

 

[magic_clean]

Duncan Hines

"Classic" cakes mixes just joined the 15.25 downsizing club.

 

[magic_clean]

A Downsized

Bundt Cake. Usually they rise to rim of pan. Otherwise, it seems to have baked nicely.

 

[appnut]

One more reason why I'm more & more opting to make my own from scratch as much as possible.

 

[tolivac]

Yes,don't we all love the food makers convenient "GYP-YOU" downsizing!!!Just give me a standard measure of the stuff-you know like a pound or whatever--I am willing to pay for it.This nonsense has to stop!!!

 

[frigilux]

Wow, almost three years have passed since cake mixes were downsized. Much love to Hy-Vee, whose store brand mixes are still 18.25 ounces. I use them exclusively, to great results. Guess if they haven't downsized them by now, they never will.

 

[ovrphil]

What, still using a boxed mix?

Just kidding, Eugene. After all the aforementioned suggestion to just bake from scatch(which is what I do)..glad you were able to find a box with 18.25oz of product that meets your needs or expectation. I can only add...I stopped buying Dannon yogurt when they downsized(calling customer care, I said, "I like more in the container, not less!" and their response was, "we have found that the current size is what most customers like". I wanted to say, "who, BABIES?"

5oz-5.5oz tuna is useless - I remember, too, the days when we could make two sandwiches with a can of tuna.

Not that I eat them anymore so much, but try finding a POUND or Family Size of potato chips. The potato chip bag sizes are beginning to match a lunch bag size.

As noted, most pre-packaged grocery items all contain less product, same or greater price following.

Ah well, same old mantra - do more with less to maintain or bolster profitability.
I think I need a cream-cheese carrot cupcake right about now.

Phil

 

[magic_clean]

Figured out a

"work" around for the content reduced cake mix. I used a 9"X 12" oblong pan instead of the usual and customary 9" X 13".

 

[magic_clean]

Ooops

meant 7" X 12" pan

 

[magic_clean]

Ooops

meant 7" X 12" pan

 

[delaneymeegan]

The knee-jerk reaction is to assume that they are greedy bastards trying to make money by just putting less in the box, and probably charging more.

We have to remember, the world population continues to explode.
From 6.9 BILLION in 2010 to 7.4 BILLION July of 2015.
Food supplies aren't unlimited. That's way too many people.

By scraping a little here, and cheating a bit there, I think the food companies really do a disservice to society. It would be better to be up front about what they're doing and why.

We could tell Betty and Duncan to let those extra millions of people to 'let 'em eat cake' but, that might just exacerbate the problem.

http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2010/2010wpds.aspx

 

[ea56]

I have used this modification when using a cake mix with excellent results.

To the average size cake mix add:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp, baking powder
Substitute milk for the amount of water that the mix calls for
Use melted butter instead of oil, ( I used 1 cube )
1 tsp. vanilla
Add 1 extra egg
Mix as per the package directions. You will have a noticeably larger amount of batter. I used 2, 9" Wilton cake pans, which are a little deeper than most average 9" pans. If you are using regular 9" pans I would suggest using 3 pans, otherwise it may overflow. This recipe made the highest 9" cake I ever got out of a cake mix and the cake tasted almost like homemade. I haven't tried it with a chocolate cake mix, but I think I would use 1/4 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup flour instead of the 1/2 cup flour as listed above.
Eddie

 

[frigilux]

How many tablespoons in a cube of butter? I've seen butter sold in cubes when I'm in Seattle, but am not recalling if each is four or eight tablespoons.

In the upper Midwest, a pound of butter is divided into four sticks, each of which is eight tablespoons.

Thanks for posting your cake mix modification, Eddie. I want to give it a try.

 

[ea56]

Eugene

a cube or stick of butter = 1/2 cup or 8 tbls. I think that you could probably even put another 2 tbls. of oil in too if you wanted an extra moist cake. I remember that when ever my Mom made a cake mix she always put an extra splash of oil in and her cakes were always very moist. Anyway, the modification that I posted was the best results I ever got from a mix. Actually, it was reading your original post that got me curious for a way to make up for the new, smaller sized cake mixes. After some online searching and reading several different suggestions I came up with my formula. Hope it works well for you too.
Eddie