Q and A

Sue, I have a silly question for you! I have made cakes from scratch and boxed since I was 11 years old, but these last 5 years or so they have not been turning out right and I dont know why. They break/fall apart easily! The major change I have made is that I now use Olive Oil instead of veggie oil, but The frosting which has been homemade (and has not changed in recipe) has just tasted awful to me anymore too. I keep thinking they change the way they make powdered sugar or something but not sure. I have also been using P.C. stoneware for at least 8-9 years now so I didnt think it was that. Do you have any idea why any of this would be? Making cakes/cupcakes used to be my thing for family functions, but I seemed to have lost that ability.. Teresa

Teresa, Several things come to mind... Olive oil is heavier than veg oil so that could be effecting your cakes to some degree, but doesn't seem like it should be making them fall apart. Are you changing anything else in the recipe/preperation? If you are using the same brand of cake mix and only changing the oil it shouldn't be that much different. If you have changed brands of cake mix and changed oils that could be the problem. I have found a big difference in cake mixes. If it is scratch cakes, brands of flour, butter etc can all make a difference in your results. Also- powdered sugar has cornstarch in it to keep it from clumping. Each brand has a different amount of cornstarch in it and will effect the outcome of your frosting. One more thing, as we change our eating habits, such as eating healthier foods, our tastes begin to adapt also. This could be part of why you no longer like your frosting recipe.  Sue


Sue, Wow! Thanks for the info! Yes, I usually get whatever box cake is on sale at the time and same as flour. My taste has changed a bit since I've changed my eating habits, but I guess I never thought it would make stuff taste worse! ha ha My mom swears by Domino sugars for recipes but unfortunately we usually get what we can afford. Butters are the same way,..whatever is cheaper. Do you have recomendations on which name brand of Flour, Butter, and Sugars are best for cakes? Also, what was the name of that stuff to help get cakes out of pans I also use Olive Oil in the pan bottom,..maybe thats a problem too. Should I also use veggie oil for making cakes? If so, which brand is best? I miss making good cakes!! Teresa


Teresa, I think Pillsbury is the most consistent cake mix brand. The stuff to coat pans is called 'Pan Release". You can get the one Wilton makes at most places that sell cake supplies or you can go to HandiCraft Headquarters in Norwalk and get their off brand of pan release which is cheaper and works even better then Wilton. Domino is one of the best brands. For sugar what I look for is one made with cane sugar, not beet, and one that says fine or extra fine. Really cheap sugars are often larger crystals which don't give as light of results as a fine sugar and beet sugar tends to be heavier and doesn't dissolve as well. Flour brands can vary also. Moisture content can vary even in the same brand so you have to watch for the right consistency in your recipe and know when you need a little more or less flour that particular time. I generally use gold medal unbleached and watch for sales. 
NEVER use low fat or light butter or margarine in baking as they are much higher in water and will not give good results. To me. the important thing for butter is to get one that has 2 ingredients: cream and salt. if you stick to that you should be ok. Margarine I prefer Imperial most of the time, but you just need to experiment and see what works best for YOUR recipes. One thing wiht scratch cakes is ot keep in mind if a recipe calls for "cake flour", you can use your regular flour, just take out 2 TBL flour per cup called for in the recipe. And be sure to measure by dipping method not scooping flour directly into your measuring cup which can pack it and therefore use more than you should. Did I answer your questions? I feel like I am rambling. lol  Sue