Betty Crocker Downsizes Cake Mixes To 15.25 oz.

[roto204]

Funny

It struck me as funny that the natural solution to downsized mix is to downsize the cake pan.

Funny at first, and then I cried.

 

[magic_clean]

Nate

agreed............it's disgraceful. Thanks Eddie for the 'upgrade' solution!

 

[jamiel]

Does anyone know why the west coast butter/margarine is "cubes" where in the rest of the country it's "sticks"? I have never been able to figure out why something like that occurs--not that one is better than the other...in the same vein, why are King size beds in California "California King" which are different than the norm (narrower but longer).

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Downsize the Cake Pan?

Then I'll have to buy new bake-ware!  And probably pay more for the smaller size, not to mention buying (more) junk made in China...!

 

 

-- Dave

 

[ken]

Well you'll save on icing.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I rarely bake cakes

so I would have never noticed this...but please do not laugh. This will not affect me because of the way I make cake, but obviously it will in price. Sometimes I crave cake, but not often. I once came across a recipe for 321 cake where you mix one flavored mix with one angel food cake mix in a zip lock bag and shake. You then just add 3 tbs cake mix to 2 tbs water in a small bowl, mix and microwave for 1 min and you now have this single serve cake that I put vanilla ice cream over and it melts into the hot cake. OMG it's so good! Some people put frosting on it but I don't. I keep the zip locked cake in the freezer...Next time I think I'm going to try strawberry instead of chocolate. I've never tried store brand cake before. I've never been able to decide between Pillsbury, Duncan Heinz or Betty Crocker, they all are good. I know this is terribly unhealthy, but I eat this type of thing in moderation.

 

[polkanut]

I just looked at a devil's food cake mix that I have in the cupboard from Aldi's, and it's 16.5 ounces. 

 

[frigilux]

Et tu, HyVee?

Well, they held out for five years. Unfortunately, the upper Midwest chain has downsized their cake mixes to 16.5 ozs. Oddly, they didn't follow most national brands down to 15.25.

The 18.25 oz. box, a standard for so many years, fades away into the the realm of kitchen-shortcut legend.

 

[washman]

hi Frig!

 

[frigilux]

Hi, Ben!

 

[ken]

I wonder what kind of BS justification answer one would get if one were to call any of them and ask why they downsized their cake mixes?

 

[launderess]

Same as everyone else's responses

Basically it allows for a lower or (relatively) same price, even though you are getting less product.

Almost everything one can think of in supermarket that isn't legally required to be a certain weight (dairy for example) has been downsized. If one bakes flour, sugar, and other ingredients now come in smaller packets. Local supermarket brand of sugar was the last hold out for "5lb" bags; now they too are around 4lbs.

If one cooks/bakes from scratch this throws off so many things as now often have to purchase two bags or boxes of flour if doing a large product because of that missing cup/pound or whatever.

 

[petek]

Memories.. reading thru this and seeing Kelly's postings.

 

[gyrafoam]

I noticed Aldi's mixes are at 16.5. Better than most but no hecksher----yet.

Kelly, rest in peace, was wonderful to discuss cooking and baking. He had such a kind soul. AND,he was very good at fixing Mixmasters!

 

[frigilux]

I thought of Kelly when I added the post above. Always enjoyed looking at his baked goods lined up on every square inch of counter space available to him. Never saw the man make a single pie or one cake or one pan of rolls; always in quantity.

 

[vacerator]

Let them eat cake!

I don't use box cake mixes anymore either.

 

[washman]

Box mixes................bad

 

From scratch..........good

 

[mattl]

I think of Kelly frequently, miss his wisdom.  I think of his kindness when I use the toaster he gifted me when I could not find the one I wanted.  The one he sent was a perfect replacement.

 

[ovrphil]

Mixminder

Well I was fairly new here in 2012 and I didn't really become familiar with Kelly. So for you people who knew him. my sympathies.

 

[launderess]

Personally feel if am going to bother baking a cake

Might as well do it from scratch. Once you master a basic white or yellow cake they are easy enough to whip out. Pound cakes are particularly easy, especially not now that mixers even up to professional grade/standards are easily enough found.

In the old days when making a cake from scratch meant endless beating and creaming by hand, (remember those old box cake directions to beat "300 times" by hand if no mixer was around?), can see a case for box cake mix.

Quite honestly there is so much "garbage" in today's box cake mixes it isn't that much different than buying store bought cake. Not a good bakery cake, but those things you get in supermarkets with shelf live measured in weeks.