The first box cake mix was created 1930 to figure out a way to use up molasses. Each batch of cake mix contained 100 pounds of wheat flour and 100 pounds of molasses.
Then, a 14-ounce can of cake mix cost 21 cents! They discovered that housewives preferred to add their own fresh eggs, so powdered eggs were removed from the original mixes. Not until after World War II did the cake mix become popular. Yes, the box cake mix is convenient and makes a pretty good, moist cake, but baking a cake from scratch is much healthier.
The ingredient list on a typical box cake mix might read like this: Sugar, enriched bleached wheat flour, (flour, miancin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil shortening (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, propylene glycol mono and diesters of fat, mono and diglycerides), leavenings (sodium bicarbonate — baking soda, dicalcium phosphates, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), contains 2% or less or wheat starch, salt dextrose, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, cellulose gum, artificial flavors, xanthan gum, maltodextrin, modified cornstarch, colored with yellow 5 lake and red 40 lake.
Food coloring is also added in since the egg yolks of today do not have the dark orange color of the past, when the chickens were able to be free-range and eat grubs and worms.
Monoglycerides and diglycerides are emulsifiers that keep ingredients such as oil and water from separating. These ingredients also help incorporate more air into the batter as well as hold the batter together. Emulsifiers also improve the effectiveness of leaveners such as baking powder and baking soda by helping the batter hold more of the gas that the leaveners produce.
Propylene glycol mono and diesters of fats are additives of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that help ingredients blend together.
Phosphates help make the finished cake fluffy.
Dextrose is natural sugar found in fruit and honey and is added to the box mix in addition to the sugar.
Wouldn’t you rather bake a cake from scratch and be able to pronounce the ingredients? Here is Cook’s Illustrated recipe for yellow cake.
Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake
Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best Recipes
Serves: 10-12
Bring all ingredients to room temperature before beginning this recipe. Be sure to use a cake pan with at least 2-inch tall sides.
2 1/2 (10 ounces) cake flour
1 3/4 (12 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, separated, plus 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of cream of tartar
Foolproof Chocolate Frosting
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment and flour pans. Whisk flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, egg yolks and vanilla.
Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip whites to soft billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add flour mixture to now-empty mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour in buttermilk mixture and whip until almost incorporated (few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl, then whip on medium low speed until smooth and fully incorporated, 10-15 seconds.
Using rubber spatula, stir 1/3 of whites into batter, then add remaining 2/3 whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smooth tops with rubber spatula and gently tap pans on the counter to release air bubbles.
Bake until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. (It took about 30 minutes in my oven, Do not remove until the cake is fully baked, otherwise the center will drop!) Let cakes cool in a pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discard parchment and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before frosting. (Most frostings contain butter, which will melt if you frost a warm cake.) Cooled cakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
Line edges of the cake platter with 4 strips of parchment paper to keep the platter clean. Place 1 cake layer on the prepared platter. Place about 1 1/2 cups of frosting in the center of the cake layer and, using spatula, spread it evenly right to the edge of the cake. Place the second layer on top, making sure layers are aligned, then frost top in the same manner as the first layer, this time spreading frosting until slightly over the edge. Gather more frosting on the tip of the spatula and gently spread icing onto the side of the cake. Smooth frosting by gently running edge of spatula around cake and leveling ridge that forms around top edge, or create billows by pressing back of spoon into frosting and twirling spoon as you lift away. Carefully pull out pieces of parchment from beneath the cake before serving. Assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
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Foolproof Chocolate Frosting
Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best Recipes
Makes: 3 cups
20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners sugar
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa
Pinch salt
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled
In a food processor, process butter, sugar, cocoa and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, 5-10 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl, then add chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10-15 seconds. (Frosting can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 hours before frosting cake or refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.)
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.