Do you use cake mixes? You need to know.....

[binkyhoo]

I have seen this with my coffee too. A 12 oz bag is now 11 oz at the same price.

 

[AbbysMom]

A box of pasta isn't always a pound anymore either. :nod:

 

[violet]

The package of noodles I used to buy (they came in a cellophane bag) just went from 16 oz to 12 oz.       

 

[Winchester]

Yep. This has been happening for months. If you have a recipe calling for the 18.25oz mix, add 6 tablespoons of flour to the 15.25oz box to make up the dif. I've tried it and it works. However, if I'm going to start hauling out the measuring spoons and flour; I may as well make the cake from scratch. I've called all 3 of the companies that make the mixes and they acted surprised by my call. I've purchased my last cake mix. I'll be making them from scratch from now on.

I have one devil's food cake mix in the pantry......planning on using that for a turtle cake for a birthday for one of my GFs' husband later on this month. After that, I'm done. You're right....if you have to start getting out a ton of stuff anyway, then why use the mix? It's counter-productive, IMO.

There are a few recipes that I specifically use cake mixes: turtle cake, honeybun cake, lemonade party cake, and a pineapple upside-down layer cake. Time to start figuring out how to use regular cake recipes for these cakes.....I know it can be done.

We were talking about the Jello puddings. Well, on MOnday, our Giant had them on sale 2 for $4. A few months ago, they were on sale 2 for $4 and for that price, I got 12 cups. Now, for that price, I get 8 cups. Where's the savings? I didn't buy it. Years and years ago, Tupperware had these 1/2-cup little cups with lids You could use them to mold individual gelatins or use them for puddings. I still have mine....8 of them. When we feel like pudding, I make up a recipe and pour the pudding into the Tupperware cups. They fit perfectly into a lunch bag for both of us. *sticking my tongue out at Jell-O*

 

[cindilouwho88]

I am so mad about this! I use to make the best cakes with a mix. They would raise up nice and fluffy and had the best texture. Now they are flat cardboard.  It makes me so angry!  Looking at my Duncan Hines mix it says 16.5 oz. It is not fair and these companies are doing this with everything.  Reeses Peanut butter chips that I use in my fudge went from 12 oz down to 11 oz and now this year are down to 10 oz.   Pretty soon my fudge is going to just take like sugar and butter with no peanut butter flavor!  But of course they are charging MORE than they use to!  I would rather them raise the price and keep the ounces the same. At least our recipes wouldn't be ruined.  I noticed this with my laundry detergent a few years back, ice cream is now 1.5 pints instead of a half gallon, it's everything and they think we are too stupid to notice or something!  It's just getting ridiculous! Sorry, just had to rant after I read your post because I knew this was the reason but it was good to see someone else confirm my suspicions.

 

[natalie_ca]

Since this thread was started I have taken a cake decorating course so have baked several cakes and cupcakes since my last response.

I always bake from boxed mixes because I find scratch cakes to be dry and I don't like the coarse texture of them. I much prefer the softer, moist texture of a boxed cake.  Plus I live in an apartment and don't have the room to store a whole bunch of raw ingredients, plus, by the time I would get around to using up said raw ingredients, they would be stale.

I doctor up the boxed mixes to give it my own flair so it doesn't taste like the standard boxed cake mix.

I mostly like to bake cupcakes because I can decorate them all differently.  I've noticed that while the box states you can make 24 cupcakes, this is not true.  If you make 24, you get very small cupcakes that don't even rise to the top of the standard size paper muffin cup.  If you want them to rise to the top of the paper cup, you get only 18 cupcakes.  I found this to be true for both Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker boxed cake mixes.  When you bake cupcakes the ratio of batter to cup size is 2/3 full. If you fill the cups 2/3 you won't get 24 cupcakes.

Marketplace did a segment on the incredible shrinking products:

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2014-2015/shrinking-products-grocery-games

It was quite informative.

 

 

[Winchester]

Did you notice the baking chocolate? Now sold in 4-ounce bars instead of 8 ounces. But it's the same price, of course. Pretty much the exact same price....for half the amount. I've read that chocolate is going to become very expensive in the next few years. 

 

[kittens mom]

 
Did you notice the baking chocolate? Now sold in 4-ounce bars instead of 8 ounces. But it's the same price, of course. Pretty much the exact same price....for half the amount. I've read that chocolate is going to become very expensive in the next few years. 

I was mad. Grabbed the baking chocolate and couldn't figure out what was wrong. I expect to see a curled shaving in the bottom of the next box I buy.  One of our favorite quickies has been the one bowl brownies. The recipe is taped inside our pantry door.