Most of the rampant product downsizing which has occurred since the bottom fell out of the economy hasn't affected the way I cook. It doesn't bother me if a jar of peanut butter has 3 fewer ounces than before. This one, however, has me spitting nails.
I bring at least four cakes of one kind or another---many of them coffee cakes---to work each Monday for the break room. Most of the recipes I use start with a standard 18 to 18.25 oz. cake mix as its base. I go through a lot of cake mixes each month, so whenever they go on a super sale ($.79-$.89) at the grocery store, I usually pick up a couple of cases each of yellow, white, and chocolate mixes, plus a half dozen each of spice, lemon, carrot, butter pecan, etc.
I just broke open a case of Betty Crocker cake mixes (purchased two or three weeks ago) and when I was loading them into the panty, I noticed the boxes were a bit shorter than the others on the shelf. I figured they just downsized the box. But no, the company had downsized the amount of mix by 2.75 ozs., which I believe translates to about two servings.
I have at least a dozen really good recipes that start with a cake mix base, plus two "doctored cake mix" cookbooks. Suppose I'll have to add a few tablespoons of flour and maybe a bit more baking powder to compensate.
I made a lemon poppy seed cake this morning using one of the 15.25 oz. boxes and it is noticeably shorter. It resembles a bakery sheet cake and not the nice, tall cake I'm used to producing.
I certainly hope this is not adopted by Pillsbury, which is the other brand I purchase regularly. I'm not a huge fan of Duncan Hines mixes, and have always stuck with Betty Crocker and Pillsbury; plus, they are usually the brands that go on sale.
This example of product downsizing is going to have negative effects in a lot of kitchens. G-R-R-R-R-R!!
I bring at least four cakes of one kind or another---many of them coffee cakes---to work each Monday for the break room. Most of the recipes I use start with a standard 18 to 18.25 oz. cake mix as its base. I go through a lot of cake mixes each month, so whenever they go on a super sale ($.79-$.89) at the grocery store, I usually pick up a couple of cases each of yellow, white, and chocolate mixes, plus a half dozen each of spice, lemon, carrot, butter pecan, etc.
I just broke open a case of Betty Crocker cake mixes (purchased two or three weeks ago) and when I was loading them into the panty, I noticed the boxes were a bit shorter than the others on the shelf. I figured they just downsized the box. But no, the company had downsized the amount of mix by 2.75 ozs., which I believe translates to about two servings.
I have at least a dozen really good recipes that start with a cake mix base, plus two "doctored cake mix" cookbooks. Suppose I'll have to add a few tablespoons of flour and maybe a bit more baking powder to compensate.
I made a lemon poppy seed cake this morning using one of the 15.25 oz. boxes and it is noticeably shorter. It resembles a bakery sheet cake and not the nice, tall cake I'm used to producing.
I certainly hope this is not adopted by Pillsbury, which is the other brand I purchase regularly. I'm not a huge fan of Duncan Hines mixes, and have always stuck with Betty Crocker and Pillsbury; plus, they are usually the brands that go on sale.
This example of product downsizing is going to have negative effects in a lot of kitchens. G-R-R-R-R-R!!
