Stuff is shrinking. I’m sure you noticed. If you are like me, you have a special recipe or two that begins with a cake mix. Since baking ratios are important, I have a few solutions to these smaller mixes including an easy recipe for a cake mix upsize so you can continue with your old-time favorite desserts.
Smaller packaging
Smaller packaging is for real and it has a name. Shrinkflation. It is the downsizing of a product while keeping its sticker price the same. As if we don’t notice.
How small have packages become over the years? Quite a bit.
- Remember purchasing a 1/2 gallon of Breyer’s Ice cream? Now it is down from 64-ounces to 48-ounces.
- Sugar comes in a 4-pound bag instead of 5.
- Tuna cans are down to 5 ounces.
Other items such a jar of pasta sauce, boxes of Mac and Cheese, toilet paper, peanut butter, and egg noodles. The list goes on and on. Though annoying, we can easily adjust to most of these items.
Shrinking cake mixes
It is a problem, though, for getting successful baking results.
Cakes mixes went from 18.25 ounces to 15.25 ounces. That is not really a problem if you are following the instructions on the box. But, if you are using the mix as an ingredient in a recipe, it really is important.
Easy Cake Mix Extender for Older Recipes
Luckily, it is super easy to solve the problem and continue on with your recipe knowing it will turn out successfully. And it uses just four ingredients that are pantry staples.
How to measure flour
Before I show you how to make the easy cake mix upsize, I want to show you how to properly measure flour. You might not have realized just how important it is and how different the amount of flour results from differing techniques used.
Flour is crucial to the structure of baked goods and if you add too much flour your product will be tough and dry. If you use too little flour, your product will collapse when it comes out of the oven and have wet spots and dense layers.
Measuring flour by weight
The most accurate way to measure flour is to use a digital scale. Weighing flour is better than measuring it by volume, because when you weigh it, you avoid all the problems associated with its density. But, most recipes in America do not give the weight but rather use cups instead. I frequently use a kitchen scale but mainly for weighing food for portion control or weighing fruit or veggies.
Why Not Scoop?
Do NOT scoop the flour directly from the container or bag! This flour is often densely packed. Dipping the measuring cup into the bag or jar will yield too much flour and can result in up to 25% more flour than the recipe calls for. It is the fastest way to a disappointing result.
Too much flour will create cookies that are hard and dry, cakes that are tough, and sauces that are too thick and pasty.
The correct way to measure flour
Begin by “fluffing” up the flour in the bag or canister with a spoon or fork. Flour settles easily, becoming tightly packed inside a bag or jar.
To be sure you’re not scooping up packed flour, fluff it up with a spoon or fork before you measure it.
Then, lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Gently pile it in until it forms a heap above the rim of the measuring cup. Don’t pack the flour down. Just spoon the flour into the cup until the cup is overflowing.
Using the straight edge of a knife, scrape across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour. This way, you’ll get rid of excess flour on top of the cup without packing down the flour inside. This method keeps your flour light and accurate.
Sifted flour before or after?
Maybe you have wondered about when to measure if you have a recipe that mentions sifted flour.
The answer depends on where the word “sifted” is placed in the ingredient list. Here’s how to know:
- “1 cup sifted flour” instructs you to sift the flour before measuring it, as the word “sifted” is before the word “flour.”
- “1 cup flour, sifted” indicates you should measure the flour first and then sift it, because the word “sifted” comes after the word “flour.”
How to Make Cake-Mix Upsize Mix
It only takes 4 ingredients to make the cake mix extender and you probably have these basic baking ingredients already in your pantry.
Add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until all of the ingredients are well blended.
Spoon the mixture into a glass jar or container with a tight-fitting lid.
How to Upsize Cake Mixes (White, Yellow, or Chocolate)
Older recipes often call for an 18.25-oz box of cake mix. Today’s mixes are only 15.25 oz, so this upsizer fills the gap.
To use: Add 3 oz (6 Tbsp) of upsizer to one 15.25-oz boxed cake mix. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then follow your recipe for liquids, mixing, and baking.
Important: Use the upsizer only with older recipes. If you’re baking the cake by the package directions, don’t add it—it isn’t needed and may change the texture.
Tips:
The combined weight should be about 18.25 oz (≈ 517 g) before adding liquids.
Store the upsizer in an airtight jar at room temperature. Stir before measuring.
Works with white, yellow, and chocolate cake mixes.
Cake Mix Upsize
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Combine all four ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Whisk until thoroughly blended.
- Transfer to a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Store at room temperature in the pantry. Stir before each use.
Notes
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My daughter purchased a Betty Crocker yellow mix so I could add 3 oz to a 15.25 ounce boxed mix I already had. The Betty Crocker mix is 13.25 ounces!!! What the heck??