My 4 year old is having a birthday party in 2 weeks, and I want to bake a cake at home. How do I make one of those bakery quality cakes with the frosting. My problem with making cakes at home is that the texture is not as fine and soft (mine get crumbly), and color is not as white as the commercial ones, and I can't get a frosting as white either. (I don't like those Pillsbury frostings - too sweet)

By W.DeBord on Monday, December 18, 2000 - 09:56 am: Edit

If its got a fine soft crumb and is very white, it's a cake mix their using. The majority of American bakeries do use mixes (although most of the people at this site are not in that majority). Buttercream made with real butter is a soft yellow hue, buttercream made with shortening is very white.

I personally think Duncan Heines brand of cake mixes are far moister than Pillsbury. You can also find some differences in purchased frostings. Open any cookbook and you'll find a frosting recipe.

By Dough Boy on Tuesday, December 19, 2000 - 01:20 pm: Edit

Thanks for the info, W.Debord!

I was quite surprised to know that most bakeries don't start cakes from scratch. Not that I buy that stuff anyway - I always make my own. I've tasted some of that frosting a few times, and no wonder its so greasy and sugary - with all the shortening.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, December 20, 2000 - 09:35 am: Edit

Try this Dough boy. It's a good recipe using a cake mix, very moist for a white cake.

White Cake:
1 box ducan heines white cake mix
1 packet of dream whip (located near the puddings in the store)
4 egg whites
1/2 c. oil
1 c. cold h2o

Most classic frosting recipes are heavy in taste also, their mainly butter with egg whites to lighten. But you wrote it was for your 4 year old and kids love sweetened fat (heck, at that age it isn't even bad for them according to some studies). If you want you could use a cream cheese frosting instead. That's 1/2 butter 1/2 cream cheese, powdered sugar to sweeten, dash vanilla, dash milk.

By Dough Boy on Wednesday, December 20, 2000 - 12:15 pm: Edit

Thanks, W.DeBord. I will try this one. I am really glad to have found this web site. I think you pastry chefs are really cool, considering how much you know. And its nice that you share that knowledge with novices like myself, in spite of the fact that you don't stand to gain anything from it. I love all these neat tips that you guys know.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, December 20, 2000 - 08:07 pm: Edit

There's so much to learn about baking... if your a pastry chef part of your job is the constant learning or keeping-up with all the new products and equpiment. We have trends and styles to keep up with too. It's actually a rather fast paced field with rules (the science of baking) and people out there breaking them.

I do have something to gain from helping you...along the way at this site I've learned alot, and some of the help I've recieved from others has really saved me tons of work. Usually someone else will chime in with their thoughts and answers and I might pick-up a new technique or just clarify my thoughts on that item. I've come along way (as a pastry chef) from when I first started visiting this site and the things I learn here from other pastry chefs I can't learn in a book.