Betty Crocker Downsizes Cake Mixes To 15.25 oz.

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frigilux

frigilux

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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!!

 

 

 

 

frigilux++2-26-2012-08-42-33.jpg
 
Suppose I'll have to add a few tablespoons of flour and

Or, you can open one box and use it to top off the other boxes.

I get really mad about product downsizing too. I'll bet they didn't drop the price when the volume dropped. I would rather have them raise prices than drop product volume. Companies generally don't respond to customer complaints, probably because many people don't bother to complain or don't even notice the difference in product size. But, if I recall, Jimmy Dean sausage tried this and public outcry did in fact make them go back to their old size.
 
I'm with David on this one...

<span style="font-size: medium;">I too would rather they raise the price than lower the product content. This is just plain robbery. If they were really serious in saving money they can make the boxes smaller. I've always thought that most manufacturers make package sizes far too big in comparison to what they actually contain. Seems that they're mostly interested in fooling the consumer, making them believe that they are purchasing actual product when in reality it's just air.
</span>
 
Haven't Made A Box Cake In Ages

Much prefer making things from scratch as my mother and other females in the family do, but....

One assumes given the vast amount of testing that goes on in test kitchens on such products, you shouldn't have to add anything extra. Long as the batter fills the same size/amount of pans as before you should be good to go.

Baking a cake from scratch isn't that hard, once you get the knack of it you'll never go back to boxed. I recommend "The Cake Bible" to get you started. Very easy and simple pound cake (including lemon poppy seed)recipes as well.

Downsizing of packages is here to stay and only going to get worse. Suppose we should be happy on one level as it has kept prices from rising *very* much higher then they would have which in turn as kept the (official) inflation rate down.
 
This is Pinko-commie talk!!!

Oh, but you don't want government interfering with a business's god-given right to short-sell it's customers. That would be like socialism.  

 

Caveat Emptor is the phrase to the wise, although with lobbyists working hard to make sure we have as little say in these matters as possible, as with insurances and gas, who cares for the troubles of the "little people" who just want to bake a cake?

 

I'm a fancy schmancy pastry chef who makes everything at work from scratch but every once in a while I love to treat myself to a Duncan Hines or Betty's golden cake or brownies. Junk food is good.

 

The lose-lose here is that by doing this they damage what was a good relationship between a company and its customers. But I'm sure their "people" have already figured out that doing these underhanded changes periodically isn't going to hurt the stockholders. It's just going to take away a little bit from millions of consumers who are customers.

 

And that's the new math.

bajaespuma++2-26-2012-16-10-24.jpg
 
It Has Nothing To Do With Republicans Or Anyone's Politi

Companies run by conservative and liberal alike are doing the same thing. IIRC even the Hormel company has downsized "Spam".

It's simple economics, if costs go up for a thing you either must raise the price or find a way to offset. It isn't clear in this current economy consumers can or are willing to accept price increases especially with so many other choices, so we have downsizing with perhaps a small price increase.
 
Even Tuna

Looking at older recipies I often see the 7 oz can of tuna. Tuna is now down to 5 or 5 1/2 oz and a lot of water. Back in the 1970 (ancient history) I could get 2 - 3 sandwiches from one can. Today, barely one. The pound of coffee has not been a pound of coffee for years.
Harry[this post was last edited: 2/26/2012-19:06]
 
I just realized...

As a friend pointed out to me that they now add Soy to Canned Tuna as a Filler. Bumble Bee, Star Kissed, (Not sure about Chicken of the Sea). Ingrediants : Fish,Contains Soy. I wonder if the Soy is Monsanto's GM Soy ? My God, They even have to screw with Tuna Now.
 
I ran to the pantry as soon as I read Eddie's post on Tu

<span style="font-size: medium;">I have Chicken of The Sea Fancy Albacore, it does list soy, put as part of the vegetable broth. For a second I thought they were substituting actual tuna for soy. Whew....well at least not yet. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">As for the vanishing contents of cake mixes I was at the local Path Mark tonight and yes, Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines are selling less product, more air, for the same price. Pillsbury still had the same amount as before. So did the store brand. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Odd thing I saw at the checkout. You know those TV's they have showing you "tips", "recipes" and commercials while you load your items on the conveyer? Well it was giving a "tip" when preparing a cake mix, it recommended to add a cup of flour and a stick of butter to give it a "made from scratch" taste. I wonder if that had anything to do with what Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines are currently pulling?</span>
 
I just noticed something else...

<a name="start_39003.578342">
frigilux++2-26-2012-08-42-33.jpg
</a>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">See how much harder it is to see the type font used in the net weight from the original version to the downsized one? Sneaky crooks. </span>
 
Tuna Without Soy

Supposedly Bumble Bee "Tonio" tuna packed in olive oil (the gold can) does not have soy. Will have to peep the labels when at the supermarket this week.

Checked the can of Progresso tuna in the cupboards and yes it contains soy and is only about 5oz. Drat, as one really liked Progresso tuna, it was one of the few that actually tasted and looked like tuna fish of old. Much of what one get's today rather resembles what one feeds a cat.

*Sigh*

Yet another thing may have to make up from scratch. A few upscale supermarkets here (Fairway and Whole Foods mainly) sell rather nice tuna filets. Could slice that up and add olive oil to make salad or paste.
 
Petek--- The directions on the downsized box calls for the same amount of oil as an 18-oz. box (3 eggs; 1/2 cup vegetable oil), but less water (1 cup vs. 1-1/4 to 1-1/3).

Cakes from scratch: I used to make all my cakes from scratch, but have since switched to box mixes. I doctor the mix when appropriate (adding real shredded carrots and a bit of freshly-grated nutmeg to the carrot cake mix, for example). I make the frosting from scratch, which makes the final product "pop".

I realize it takes only a few extra minutes to measure out the flour, leavening, and butter for a from-scratch cake, but since I'm making four different cakes and trying not to spend the whole morning in the kitchen, I've opted for the perceived convenience of opening a box and dumping it in the mixing bowl.
 
Downsize, downsize, downsize...!

Disappointing to see smaller packaging, in laundry detergent, and now that you've brought it to my attention cake mixes...

Restaurants, too, seem to be compensating for food that goes to waste, serving ever smaller portions, at ever increasing prices...

I should know, from a sandwich shop my in-laws regularly go to & took me to a couple times, being pretty skimpy on putting onions on my sub & having a whole tub of 'em, as if NO ONE likes onions or don't want a lot on their sandwich, whereas I love 'em (RED ONIONS, mind you!--Yum!) and had to beg two or more times to have a sufficient amount...!

(Hmmmmm, Hmmmm, Hmmmm...!)

-- Dave
 
Laundress,

I agree 100% that even the Solid Pack Albacore Tuna over the past 5-6 years is abosolutely nothing what it used to look like. It does resemble Cat Food. I've noticed it has a Yellow Tinge to it as well. And when it comes in water, you used to be able to drain off the water. But thanks to the soy, it thickens the water into a almost paste like with consistancy of syrup.
I guess I will go back to Pastene Tono in Olive Oil or Genova.
It is ashame what Big Business is doing to every Product these days. And I'm pretty sure that the average consumer does not ever read a label on food products. (I'm hoping I'm wrong)

Didn't mean to HiJack the thread.

Back to your regular scheduled program.
 
saving time making cakes from scratch

If you want to save time making cakes from scratch, get yourself a digital kitchen scale and WEIGH the flour, sugar, etc. Obviously you'll need a cookbook that uses weights, such as The Cake Bible that Laundress mentioned or something Euro like _Delia Smith's Book of Cakes_ from UK (which is a great book).

I find that it is a real time saver. I don't bake if I have to sift, measure, sift again. PITA! But if you weigh then even if you sift it is weigh/sift.

Of course, I also buy flour by the 25 pound bag so that's a savings too.

What makes me crazy about the package shrinkages is that there is a fixed price we are paying for the PACKAGING - the box, the can, whatever. IF YOU PUT LESS STUFF IN IT PROPORTIONALLY I AM PAYING MORE FOR THE BOX. GRR..

Soy. It's nice to see other people avoiding soy. I try and avoid it whenever possible. The 'soy' in tuna is probably the veg broth.
 
I had to go to our supermarket/Pharmacy at lunch and picked up so medicine and did look at the diffent cake mixes.  BD was the 15.25 Ducan Hines was 18.2 and so was Philsbury.  The stor prand Best Chice (which is very good and we use0 is still the 18.25 and then the low cost price Saver is 15.25.had burchased some cake mix from Aldi Saturday and the 3 boxes are 18.25 per box.

 

 
 
i got to thinking about the cake mixes past and I was sure at one time it was add water only.  Sure enough women griped that they didn't add enough to make it home made.  So dried eggs were removed and the whole eggs were added as ingredients.  i think back then also the cake mix had solid shortening (lard ?) also blended in.  now it is add eggs and oil with the water.

 

here is a good timeline of the Betty Crockers cake mix.

 

http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/cakemixes/Over_50_Years_of_Cake_Mix_Success.html
 
I have to agree with others here, if it's worth making, it's worth doing from scratch.  A good basic cake is not that much harder to make, and the better stuff you can't make from a mix.   and extra 5 or 10 minutes to make from scratch is well worth it.  I've pretty much decided to avoid all processed, or prepared food, and feel much better for it.
 
Since One Always Used The "Cream" Method

For making box pound cakes when one first started out baking as a wee slip of a thing, it wasn't that much of a stretch to step up to making the entire thing from scratch.

Homemade "Cake Mixes"

All one needs to to is measure out the dry ingredients (by weight is best) ahead of time and store. This can be anything from a covered bowel the day or so before to putting in a zip-lock bag for longer term storage. When you think about it that is all boxed cakes mixes are except they add things to increase shelf life both in the box and after the product is baked.

If one really wishes to get fancy and save time subsitute dry milk or buttermilk if the recipe calls for it then all one need do is "add water",along with eggs and so forth.

Personally cannot see spending the prices they want for boxed stuff when flour is on sale often enough and can be used for other things as well. If one bakes allot it also is much cheaper to purchase cake flour in large sacks from commercial vendors.

Mixing A Boxed Cake By Hand:

Whenever Mother Dear made a boxed cake (normally Duncan Hines) one always remembered reading the mixing directions that stated if doing the thing by hand to beat 200 (or was it 300?) strokes.
 
I've Converted Many A Recipe To Weight

Even when directions are given in volume. Professional bakers and cooks have used weight for measuring when baking for ages and there isn't any reason to stop now. For one thing you never know how accurate particular vessels are marked.

The Cake Bible gives pretty accurate standard weights for most flours, sugars and other common ingredients (and some uncommon as well). I've used them to scale flour and what not when baking bread various recipes including "The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook"

When Fanny Farmer set about writing one of the first printed cookbooks to be sold in the United States she had a heck of a time when testing various recipes, especially for baked goods. Women/cooks used all manner of measurements much of them depending upon what was used in the "old country" for themselves or their mothers, grandmothers, etc....
 
the most lucid explanation I've seen..

...for why we use cup measures in the USA (and Canada? I don't know) is that, being frontier societies, scales and weights were heavy, and expensive. So folks used a 'teacup' for a measure. This evolved into our 8 ounce cup.

Logical, thought I.
 
One question I'm wondering about is the difference between a cake baked from scratch vs. a cake made from a mix, or bought in a grocery store. From my limited experience years back, it seems to me that the cake mixes and grocery store cakes were noticeably lighter. But that is from very limited experience--I can only recall my mother baking one from scratch cake, which was a recipe that probably put a priority on "get it done fast". Plus it was baked with regular flour, not any sort of special cake flour. My own cake baking experience is pretty limited (and has been non-existent in recent years).
 
Generally Speaking

Most cakes are made with cake flour which is lighter and has less gluten than "all purpose". Also there are certain cakes that should be dense versus very light, but in general commercial mixes and cakes made for mass production (for sale in supermarkets and so forth)have various was to make their products lighter.

Finally commercial bakeries use very controlled conditons most housewives could only dream about.
 
I believe we use volume here because of the huge number of people that speak the same language.

In smaller countries it becomes a PITA to accurately and quickly translate "teaspoon", "tablespoon" "cup" etc. from country to country across languages and have them mean the same amount.

5ml
15ml
230ml are more universal and easily understood "over there!"

You wanna die with "not standard" ?
Greek recipes tend to be conveyed with measures such as

demi-tasse cups
wine glasses
water glasses
"sweets" spoon
"tablespoon"

SHOOT ME NOW!
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN in terms of quantity

So their "formal" recipes (by weight) are difficult for me (metrics); and their "casual" recipes (with non-standard measures) are not much better!
 
Oh, those crazy Greeks, LOL.

We are lucky to have today's detailed, well-written recipes. I own a cookbook made in South Dakota of "area recipes" from around 1900. Some of them have no directions whatsoever. Several of the yeast bread recipes are like that. I guess a young housewife was just expected to know the bread-making process.

Others are written in paragraph form, which makes it difficult to organize the ingredients you'll need to prepare the recipe.

[this post was last edited: 2/28/2012-02:03]
 
"We are lucky to have today's detailed, well-written recipes."

We probably are. And books/TV shows/whatever that teach why something is important can be quite useful. I was amazed at how much one can learn by watching Julia Child's old TV shows.

At the same time, however, it's easy to get trapped in a recipe prison where one does exactly what the recipe says, whether or not that recipe exactly matches one's needs/desires. And I wonder how well exact recipes age. Ingredients can and do change over the years, and thus an exact recipe from several decades ago might not work quite the same today.
 

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