Duncan Hines Classic Cake Mixes
Duncan Hines Classic Cake Mixes
Smaller Duncan Hines Cake Mix
Everything is getting smaller these days. I could live with smaller cans of coffee and smaller ice cream containers, but smaller Duncan Hines cake mix? Duncan Hines announced that they will be cutting the package sizes of their popular Classic cake mixes from 18.25 oz to 16.5oz. You may already be seeing the new packages on your local grocery store shelves.
Last year Betty Crocker reduced their cake mix sizes, and now Duncan Hines is following suit. In what they term a “cost competitive” move they have reduced their cake sizes in all their Classic line products. Duncan Hines cake mixes have been a staple to many bakers for alot of years. The Duncan Hines brand has been around since the late 1950′s. The cake mixes were first developed by Nebraska Consolidated Mills in Omaha, Nebraska; eventually the Duncan Hines brand was sold to Proctor and Gamble, and now it’s owned by Pinnacle Foods, which has its headquarters in Parsippany, NJ. Many of us use Duncan Hines mixes as a base for our cakes. As a cake decorator, I don’t want to see a shrinking cake! So, what are we to do?
There are a few options available. The first option is to use a cake extender recipe. As the name implies, a cake extender increases the size of a cake box mix. There are a few recipes on the web, but this one by “Bunny Woman” is my favorite:
Cake Mix Extender
1 cup cake or all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 tsp flavoring
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup water or milk or flavored coffee creamer
Add these ingredients to your standard cake mix. This extender will increase the volume of the batter to 1.5 times its original size. If you use one box of cake mix for a 9″ x 13″ pan the cake will rise to about 1.5 inches high. With the extender you will get a cake that is 2″ high.
Another option is to buy Duncan Hines cake mix in bulk. Pinnacle Foods and BakeMark USA have launched a new line called Duncan Hines Professional, which offers cake mixes in 50# bags. The mixes come in white, yellow and devil’s food flavors. You can find out more information on www.DuncanHinesProfessional.com. A fifty pound bag would make approximately 45 cakes so this would be for a serious cake decorator!
A third option is to buy the new cakes mixes by Anne Byrn of The Cake Mix Doctor. In November, Anne Byrn debuted her new cake mixes, “Anne’s Cake Mixes.” Flavors include Old Fashioned Yellow and Deep-Dark Chocolate, and they contain no artificial ingredients, trans-fat or preservatives. The cake mixes are 21-26 oz. per box. They’ve been shown on QVC and are now available in Bed, Bath and Beyond stores. You can get a listing of available stores at http://www.cakemixdoctor.com/annes-cake-mix/.
Anne Bryn is the author of many different cake recipe books, which I often use when I make my cakes. She recently tested her recipe, Darn Good Chocolate Cake, using the smaller Duncan Hines cake mix. The cake turned out fine, but she cautioned that you need to watch the cooking time because, with less dry mix, it’ll take less time to cook the cake.
I’d be interested in hearing from my readers about what successes or failures they’ve had with the new 16.5 oz. Duncan Hines cake mixes. And make sure you stock up on the 18.25 oz. mixes before they disappear from the shelves!
Filed under: Cake Decorating 101
I am very dissapointed in the new “Classic” cake mixes. I use to get rave reviews about my cake not only for the decorations, but for how moist and delicious they were. Now all get are questions about the fact that they don’t taste the same, or they leave an aftertaste in your mouth. They are not at all moist anymore which means Moist Deluxe is actually false advertisement! Please go back to the old recipe and mix size!!!
I am very upset, but I’ve decided to make my cakes from scratch, it’s probably cheaper anyway. I found a website with recipes for making your own cake mixes called http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/homemade-yellow-cake-mix/
If we stick together & stop buying their products maybe they will change back. Remember when Coca-Cola tried to change there product? There was outrage & they had to change back. This is just that serious to me.
I am so disappointed. Duncan Hines was the best for me…..not any more. Cakes are too flat, seriously!
I also found out the hard way also so I wrote the company and there response was the same you stated. I was very disappointed. In response to my letter Duncan Hines sent me a coupon to receive one Duncan Hines cake mix. Not impressed.
I have always wondered about the Ginger Evans brand of cake mix. I figure at .69 per mix I have nothing to lose, so I am going to give them a try.
I have heard some good things about Ginger Evans cake mix. Unfortunately the mix is sold at Sav-a-lot stores and there are none in my area. Let us know how you like the mix. Thanks. Liz.
I use nothing but the Ginger Evans brand since they started downsizing the Duncan Hines mixes. I get nothing but raves about my cakes. They’re just as good (if not better) than any national brand. Only downside to this is they come in White, Yellow and Devil’s Food flavors only. If you want anything else, you’ll need to “doctor” a mix or buy name brand
My store must have recently received the new packaging – I had no idea and have found out the hard way when preparing a cake for a party. Could you please tell us the original directions for the original 18.25oz size as I no longer have any of that packaging?? As soon as I’m out of cake mix I will probably be looking at other options. VERY disappointed. Thanks so much for helping us out!
Hi,
Here are the instructions.
■You will need: 1-1/3 cups water; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 3 large eggs.
■Directions: 1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F for metal or glass pans, 325°F for dark or coated pans. Grease sides and bottom of each pan with shortening. Flour lightly. (Use baking cups for cupcakes.) 2. Mix: Blend dry mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at Low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Beat at Medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter in pans and bake immediately. 3. Bake: Bake following chart below. Add 3-5 minutes to bake time for dark or coated pans. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Cool completely before frosting. Pan size/bake time: two 8″/33-36 minutes; two 9″/28-31 minutes; 13″ x 9″/32-35 minutes; Bundt/38-43 minutes; 24 cupcakes/18-21 minutes. Lower fat recipe: Prepare and bake following the directions above except using 1 cup water, 1/3 unsweetened applesauce and 3 eggs. Reduce baking time 1-2 minutes. High altitude (Over 3,500′): Heat oven to 350°F. Stir 1/4 cup flour into mix. Mix as directed above except using 1-1/3 cups water, 1/3 cup oil and 3 eggs. Bake at 350°F; two 9″ pans 28-33 minutes; 13″ x 9″ pan 30-35 minutes; Bundt pan 36-46 minutes; 30 cupcakes 14-19 minutes.
Hi, I’m planing on starting my own biz with cakes and cup cakes now am I able to use DH as the cake ect or am I to bake from scratch? Any help in this area would help me a lot! I know other places buy mixes by the bag but then again where would I find that? I know DH sells them by the cases for 40 odd bucks for 12 boxes! Plz help!
Jen,
You can still use the Duncan Hines cake mix but you need to make some changes. First, follow the instructions on the old boxes. Then instead of using just one box of cake mix, you need to add another 1/3 cup of dry Duncan Hines mix to make it equivalent to the old Duncan Hines cake mix. Hope this helps. Liz..
Wow $40 bucks is a lot for only 12 boxes of DH mix. I am able to purchase them for around $21 per 12.
I was also very upset with the decrease in size of the DH cake mixes. I called Duncan Hines to complain which of course really accomplished nothing except getting me a coupon for one free product. I checked with BakeMark about the 50# bags, this doesn’t really help me as I prefer the Dark Chocolate Fudge for my chocolate cakes. The 50# bags are only available in White, yellow, and Devil’s Food. Also BakeMark wanted me to have a $700 minimum order. So this is my solution, using a digital scale I measured out cake mix from a second box to make up the 1.75 oz. difference in the “new” size, which is a scant 1/3 cup of dry cake mix. Then I used the directions from the original 18,25 oz. mix. It is a hassle to measure out the extra mix, but my recipes and sizes are all based on the original size. As far as white cake, I would suggest you all try Ginger Evans White Cake mix from Save-A-Lot. I think it is a tastier cake than the Duncan Hines white…and it remains (so far) the right size.
Lottie,
I am now doing the same thing. It is annoying that I have to buy more than one box, but this is the only way my recipes will work. And the prices of the cake mix just keep going up! I don’t know if I can buy Ginger Evans White Cake mix in my area but I will check it out. I hate having half used cake mix boxes in my pantry. Thanks for the info!
I am not happy with the Classic Duncan Hines Mix. I have ruined several cakes because of the change in size. I will no longer buy or endorese this product. We need to camapaign that Duncan Hines gives us back the Moist Deluxe and the 18.25 size.
I agree!! So aggravating!
I am extremely upset! This will send me seardching for a new cake mix. The stores charge more for less. How can they claim that this makes one 8″ cake? It does not! It looks terrible after it is baked. Flat and lifeless.
I halfway expected this to happen. But what took me by surprise after using ducan hines for years is that with smaller packaging there was also a cgange in the ingrediants you have to add. The ingrediants in the smaller packaging calls for you to leave the egg yolks in..That is very strange to me in a white cake mix.
I am disappointed in the reduction of the cake mix size. Because I know the recipe for the cake mix by heart I messed up a cake last night. I would rather pay more.