Betty Crocker shrank cake mixes again

[mattl]

BC cake mix shrank from 16.25 oz to 14.25oz, added more modified corn starch and xantham gum. I seem to recall folks here posting about the previous shrink from 18oz to 16 and adapting by adding back some flour.  Pretty soon BC will be like Jiffy and  their mixes will make  a single layer cake.

 

It's rare for me to use a mix it's pretty easy just to mix from scratch.

 

Here is a link to a bakers taste test - it's not favorable.

https://www.insider.com/baker-reviews-smaller-super-moist-betty-crocker-cake-mix-2023-11

 

[DADoES]

 
It fouls-up recipes based on box mixes, obviously they don't care.

 

[ea56]

I never use cake mixes anymore. It’s really not that difficult to measure out a few ingredients, mix em’ up with a mixer and have a much better cake for a whole lot less money and know what the hell is in the finished product.

I think what Betty Crocker and the other manufactures want is for the customers to have to buy TWO boxes of these cake mixes in order to make a decent sized cake, and double their profits.

Eddie

 

[foraloysius]

Shrinkflation!

BTW, why is there xantham gum in a cake mix? My grandmother baked perfect cakes without it. Too much processed food.

 

[ea56]

Reverse Creaming

Reverse Creaming is a method for making a cake batter by first blending all the dry ingredients together then adding softened butter or shortening and blending the dry ingredients with the butter on low speed using a mixer until the mixture resembles wet sand. Then you add all the wet ingredients blend for 30 secs on low, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 mins, and viola you have nice cake batter that will bake up just like it was made using the old fashioned method.

If you want to make an excellent plain Yellow Cake quick as a wink try this recipe that uses the Reverse Creaming method. Be sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature and the butter is soft. If you need to make a cake right away and your butter is cold out of the fridge just nuke it on 10% power for 1 min., check it by gently pressing the sides of the cube of butter, if not quite soft enough nuke it for an additional 10-15 seconds on 10% power again.

This recipe will make a 9” square cake, for two 9” layers or a 9”X13” cake use the amounts with the * asterisk next to them.

This cake is super easy and delicious, as light, high and fluffy as a cake made by the traditional creaming method, if not better. And WAY better than any cake mix. Try the Yellow Cake first, when you get the feeling for the Reverse Creaming method you can then adapt any traditional creaming method cake recipe that uses either butter or shortening by using the same amounts in your recipe and just mix it according to the recipe below. Sorry I didn’t type out the recipe but just took a photo of my hand written recipe, hope you can read my handwriting, its not as good as it used to be, too much keyboarding has made my penmanship suffer, LOL.

And a easy, simple Buttercream Frosting can be made by just using the recipe on a box or bag of powdered sugar, again way better than that canned crap frosting.

Hope that you will give it a try.

Eddie

 

[tomturbomatic]

I used to make cakes with this method when my Cuisinarts were new. Even pound cakes came out great.

 

[mrsalvo]

I noticed that too that they are shrinking the size of the cake mixes, esp Betty Crocker, Usually make a cake once a week to satisfy the sweet spot through the week. Try to practice moderation!!!

Barry

 

[ea56]

Barry, I too make some sort of dessert once a week to satisfy our sweet tooth’s too. The recipe for the 9” square cake is perfect for us because its smaller than a full layer cake, assuring that we won’t over indulge. For us our “cheat days” are Fri., Sat. and Sunday. Then back to restricting desserts for the rest of the week.

Eddie

 

[rinso]

That old bat! How dare she shrink the size of her mediocre cake mixes yet again! For some reason, her rumored decades-long affair with Marie Callender has made her bitter and less generous. Of course the two of them are both total lushes.

 

[circlew]

My mom almost always used Duncan Hines mixes when she made a box cake. She didn't like Betty Crocker very well, and thought Pillsbury was even worse.

If you make box cakes frequently, it might make more sense to buy the large 5 lb. size, and weigh out the proper amount for each cake. Krusteaze and Gold Medal are available in this size. I saw even larger (25 & 50 lb.) bags on the Webstaurant website, if you make several a week, such as to sell.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

At least I can count on a store brand to give me the original and reasonable size at a still low price…

What is it with xantheum gum and other chintzy, harmful ingredients that have to be added whether or not those increase the price?

No matter, I’ve been making and eating all my life, cakes “baked from scratch” that’s really a mix…

— Dave

 

[DADoES]

 
Xanthan gum is a fermented product (alcoholic beverages, anyone?) made from sugars, gets the name from the species of bacteria involved in the fermenting, typically of corn syrup.  It functions as a thickener and stabilizer/binder to keep other ingredients from separating.  It's used in cosmetics (moisturizers, sunscreen, shampoo, makeup) and food products such as chewing gum, salad dressing, sauces, frozen foods, toothpaste, and cheese spreads.  Also some medications such as tablets that dissolve slowly.  It's soluble in water and the molecules are large so it doesn't much absorb into the skin.

 

[petek]

There was an article in a recent CR issue talking about how food manufacturers are at the point where they can't keep shrinking the size of their products anymore so what they are doing now is substituting less costly ingredients in place of older ones hoping that no one notices a change in taste or texture.

 

[jamiel]

the Xanthan gum is likely the "pudding added" concept in a cake mix....frequently it's used for gluten-free baking.

 

[mattl]

Eddie-

Made your cake tonight, very good! It was a spur of the moment thing and forgot to take some butter out. Had set the convection/microwave to preheat so I ended up shredding the butter, worked fine.

Quick, easy and good.

 

[ea56]

Matt,

I'm glad that you gave this Reverse Creaming method cake recipe a try. To me its just about as easy as making a cake with a mix, but with much better results and flavor.

Here’s the Dark Devils Food version of the reverse creaming method for a 9” square cake. It is a very moist and flavorful cake. To modify it for a 2 layer 9” cake just increase all the ingredient amounts by 1/2.

We find that these 9” square cakes are the perfect size for a small 2 person household to allow yourselves a nice homemade treat without having overindulging.

Eddie

 

[dermacie]

My mother will go ape sh@t when she sees this lol.

 

[launderess]

Sad reality is flour and sugar along with many other ingredients used to bake from scratch have suffered from "shrinkflation" as well.

What once was a five pound bag of sugar is down to four.

https://www.marketplace.org/2023/04/24/heres-why-you-cant-find-5-pound-sugar-bags-anymore/

Flour may still be had in five pound bags but depending upon brand costs have gone up.

Don't get me started on eggs, butter and milk...

 

[ea56]

Sugar went to 4 lb bags from 5 lbs at least 5 or more years ago. And yes, all the other baking ingredients have gone up too, but it’s still cheaper to bake from scratch as opposed to buying bakery goods or baking with mixes. And many, if not most times better too.

Eddie

 

[launderess]

Well yes, all that you say is true.

But keeping things in perspective one must bake fairly frequently to use up a supply laid in, otherwise things can go off or something.

Sugar lasts ages. Flour has a definite shelf life and or may get buggy if not stored properly.

Back in day people often baked weekly if not more frequently. That and or had other uses for flour so it was used up rather quickly.

Above assumes one was using all purpose flour. Myself prefer cake and or bread flour for those purposes each. Then there is White Lilly for biscuits and certain pastries or crusts.