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Cake Mixes - Homemade Vs Store Bought

Mama Mangia

Mama Mangia

Super Moderator
What your preference with cake mixes, cookie mixes, baking mixes, frosting mixes, brownie mixes, etc?

I prefer to make my own baking mixes, cake mixes, pie crust mix, hot chocolate, etc. There are many store-bought mixes that I cannot use - it must be all the preservatives in them that make me very sick. Because of that I have had to make all my own mixes. Keeps me busy and out of trouble I guess - LOL!
:p
 
I generally bake everything from scratch, including bread. I have always LOVED to bake.

However, the one exception is brownies. I have yet to find a recipe that I like as well as the Duncan Hines mix. Don't know what that is about, but oh well. It's tasty, so I eat them and shut up. :D
 
In a perfect world I would make all my cake/brownie mixes but working 32 hours a week and being a mom to very active almost two year old I find myself using pre-made mixes more and more.

I do take a page from my Mom, who doesn't enjoy baking like I do and always uses box mixes. She always add a few extra ingredients to the mixes and everyone raves about her cakes.

But I do love baking, the last thing I made from scratch was some vanilla cupcakes w/super shock pink icing :)
 
I get a lot of satisfaction out of baking from scratch. I grew up baking and have always loved it, and so I very rarely use any store bought mixes.

However, I'm not above doing so in a pinch, since I am human after all....:D
 
I'm sure it is fun baking from scratch, when I was young I loved watching my mom do it, but I'll always be a store-bought man myself.
 
Has anyone made the famous Diet Coke cake? (actually, I think it works with any diet drink). The one with one package of store cake mix and one can of Diet Coke?

I haven't made it, but I have eaten it and it's not half bad. I need to try it soon. One of my friends recently made it with spice cake mix and diet Sprite. She said it tasted like gingerbread.
 
I don't think there is anything in the box that you can't make yourself for 10% of the cost. The box the cake mix comes in costs more than the ingredients. Cakes are quite simple recipes consisting of sugar, flour, butter, eggs, baking power, perhaps cocoa, and a flavor like vanilla extract or lemon extract. The cost of the sugar, flour, and baking powder is almost zero, and you'd need to add the eggs, milk, and butter anyway.

My point would be that if you can follow a recipe, make it yourself. If you can't, buy the box that's been measured for you.
 
I once saw a website that was selling a piecrust mix.

"Don't be afraid of making piecrusts anymore! Just add shortening and water!"

I was like, "So, it's a bag of flour?" LOL
 
It's do much healthier and so much cheaper to make it yourself. I make all my own mixes, spice blends, etc. I started doing it years ago and I really enjoy it. Some of my mixes go into gallon containers, some go into ziplock bags, spice blends go into jars of various sizes, homemade salad dressing (dry) mixes go into small ziplock bags, etc. I go through a lot of labels!



Is this the diet soda cake recipe you used?

1 box of any cake mix.. dry
1 - 12 oz. can of diet soda. . any flavor
2 egg whites...doesn't matter if you beat the egg whites or not first

Mix these 3 ingredients together in a bowl
in all recipes unless stated otherwise
Bake in a 9 x12 Cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees ...for what ever box calls for

Variations using different cakes and soda:
1 box of Butter Cream Cake mix
1-12 oz. Can of Diet Seven Up Wild Berry Plus
Blueberries ... fresh... or a 16 oz. bag of frozen blueberries.
. .or mixed frozen berries
this one you
Pre Heat oven at 350 degrees
Lightly spray pan with butter cooking spray. ...
Layer ingredients:
1st layer of Berries..than-Cake Mix... Diet Mixed Berry 7-up Plus
It's just like making what is called Dump cake!

Bake for about 35 minutes or until top is golden brown!
Serve hot or cold! Oh this is good you could
(while still hot) add a scoop of ice cream!!

or try
1 can of Diet cream soda . . excellent addition to any flavor cake mix -
vanilly tasting

or
Chocolate Cake mix...1- Diet Root Beer ... 2 beaten egg whites
So - moist ..yummy..

or

Chocolate Fudge Cake mix with pudding in the mix ..
1-12 oz. Diet Dr. Pepper
Add a few chopped walnuts... gives a cherry yet nutty flavor

No reason not to make cup cakes out of these

Don't use oil or the whole eggs in a mix again unless it is on these recipes
It's better without them! However, beating the eggs takes out the air and makes it lighter and fluffier.
 
I rarely make anything out of the box, and almost always start from scratch except for the staples like bread, pasta, canned tomatoes, etc. Occasionally I might cheat and buy a frozen pizza to have on hand for emergency lunches for guests.

If you think about something like Bisquick, which isn't anything more than flour with a baking soda,it doesn't make sense to pay 4 times as much for something that simple just because it appears easier. It's absolutely simple to add a 1/2 tbsp of baking powder to 2 cups of flour.
 
I don't remember the diet coke cake having eggs in it. But I have not actually made it myelf; I've only heard about it.

I know several people who make homemade Bisquick. It actually isn't just flour and baking soda; there is fat in it and a few other things.
 
It just amazes me that there are so many people who use soda in their cooking. Until this forum, I have never heard of such things.
 
Seems like I heard somewhere that Coke is a good marinade for grilled meat, but I can't remember where I heard that. Might be worth a try anyway.

Sorry, OT, this thread was about baking mixes. Carry on.
 
I thought Coke was only for drinking, I didn't know it was used it any kind of pastry. I suppose it would add a nice flavor, though.
 
Ooh. Does anyone want to share their hot cocoa mix with me? I'd greatly appreciate it!

I actually can't remember anytime that I haven't used a box mix. I know I've made a cake from scratch but I can't remember when, so it must've been quite awhile ago. For those of you who make your own from scratch do you ever just mix up the dry ingredients to store for a few weeks or do you tend to just make it when you want to bake it? Being able to do a lot at once and just store it away for easy baking later sounds rather appealing to me.
 
mantua -

I've been making my own mixes for years! Label and date the containers and/or what I am storing them in. I enjoy doing it and I am not eating all the preservatives, etc. that you find in store-bought. As far as one-time only mixes that I am going to use within a fews days - I do that to save time for myself. Even though I love being in the kitchen all day - any extra time gives me a chance to make something extra special.

Regarding hot chocolate mix - everyone has their own opinion of how it should taste. Here are a few I use:

Hot Chocolate Mix

16 ounces dry milk powder
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Sift together milk powder, white sugar and cocoa powder. Store in an airtight container.
To prepare, stir approximately 2 heaping teaspoons of mix into 1 cup of hot water.


for variation: add mini marshmallows if you want



Hot Cocoa Mix

2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa, unsweetened
1/2 cup non-dairy creamer
1 dash of salt

*

Miniature marshmallows or cream, optional
*

Combine all ingredients and store in a in tightly sealed container.
* Makes about 4 cups of hot cocoa mix.

Directions

* Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of mix to a mug and fill with hot water.
* Stir to blend. Add some marshmallows or cream.


I posted the smaller sized mixes; others call for 8 cups dry milk, etc. and I can't see you wasting all that if you don't like it.


If using a recipe with coffee creamer in it - some prefer the Carnation while others say that WalMart brand is much better. Once again - it's a matter of taste.
 
You know what I had never heard of putting soda in it either until I came here. That is very interesting - the soda. That is something that you make your own cake mixes. Wow!
 
Eggs in diet coke? I think it would say in the ingredients if that were true.
 
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