Birthday cake for my boss (yes I have a day job). Just something simple and delicious. Vanilla cake with organic strawberry preserves, covered in almond buttercream.
One thing that comes to mind to talk about is the difference between scratch cakes and box mix cakes. First of all, there’s really nothing wrong with using a box mix - it’s especially nicer if you can find a nice brand with a clean taste that doesn’t use any corn syrup. It’s what most of us grew up on and are used to - something light and fluffy and generally very sweet.
Scratch mixes are generally more dense, heavier, with more flavor. Our grandparents baked cakes that were a bit on the dry side (the buttercream was the moisture), but nowadays, the trend is towards very moist cakes that can last longer. Being scratch doesn’t mean it’s more high-end, as you can find mixes that use high quality, organic ingredients without any odd chemicals. Also, many people, being brought up on box mix cake, don’t actually like a real scratch cake when they try it, because it’s not as fluffy and sweet. It can sometimes even verge on breadlike, but with a finer crumb.
Here’s a trade secret - most bakeries use mixes, and have their own special recipe for doctoring them to improve the flavor and create a denser cake while retaining all the moisture and consistency that mixes offer. It is, however, a faux pas to not make their own buttercream, which can make or break a cake no matter how good the inside is. They also usually have scratch recipes that they will use on request. Of course, some bakeries specialize in scratch cakes - as a customer, you need to try out both and decide what you want.
I have a few recipes I like to use now, but am still experimenting. The recipe with the most consistant results with the highest approval rating by tasters is a doctored cake mix. As one professional baker told me, “If someone else wants to mix some of the dry ingrediants for me, I have no problem with that. I put in everything else and make it what it needs to be.”
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