Taste Test

An affordable mix takes the cake

Judges find sweet satisfaction in a Wal-Mart box.

By Kathy Saunders, Times Correspondent
Published June 20, 2007

I have a summer solstice birthday, and I live for cake - so this was the ideal time for panelists to put some cake mixes to the test.

No need for anything expensive; judges raved about yellow cake mix from Wal-Mart. They gave the Great Value mix 83 cents for an 18.25-ounce box 85 of 100 possible points.

The Wal-Mart mix was one of seven we prepared. Most of the mixes were labeled "golden, " "classic" or "moist." And most of them required adding eggs, oil and water. We followed the directions precisely and baked each in a square pan.

The Great Value mix baked up fluffy and thick. Judges described the texture as "fine" and the yellow color, "soothing."

Four of the five judges said they would make a trip to Wal-Mart to buy the cake mix.

"This tastes like it has real butter, " said one.

"I think it's very spongy and would make a great birthday cake for decorating, " said another.

Besides the Wal-Mart brand, known name brands were the next two picks.

The Moist Supreme Classic Yellow mix from Pillsbury (88 cents at Wal-Mart) received 83 points. And, judges awarded 64 points to Betty Crocker for her Super Moist Yellow cake mix (93 cents at Wal-Mart).

In each case, four of the five judges said they would continue to buy both brands.

"This is yummy. It has a sweet, rich flavor and melts in your mouth, " said one panelist of the Pillsbury cake.

Another said the Pillsbury cake had the best vanilla flavor. He described it as "homemade cornbread looking."

"Comfort cake, " is what one judge called it. "It has a nice, baked-on glaze and a sunny color, " he said.

The Betty Crocker cake was a bit lighter in texture and color than the others.

One judge said it had a "Twinkie-like" appeal.

"Perfecto!" said another panelist.

One judge joked about the cheap boxes of cake mix that he regularly passes up at the grocery store - until he realized that it was his favorite of all the brands.

"All it needs is strawberries, " he said about the Jiffy brand mix (59 cents for a 9-ounce box from Publix). Judges gave the Jiffy cake 60 points.

Also sampled were yellow cake mixes from Hannaford ($1.10 for an 18.5-ounce mix from Sweetbay); Gluten-Free Pantry ($5.19 for a 15-ounce mix from Sweetbay) and Simple Organics ($3.79 for a 16-ounce box from Albertsons).

Panelists were Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Cooperative Extension; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 Jim Yockey, aesthetician at Indulgence Medical Day Spa; Kim Thomson, fifth-grade teacher at Pasadena Fundamental School and consumer Julie Overton, mother of four. All foods were tasted blind.

Judge's cake-mix rankings

1. Great Value, Wal-Mart

2. Pillsbury

3. Betty Crocker

[Last modified June 19, 2007, 12:07:54]