You are trusting me with a moment that matters. I bake from scratch for flavour, texture and transparency. No packet cake mixes and no artificial preservatives.

What I use at Cakey Cakes (from scratch)

Flour, sugar, eggs, salt, vinegar, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla bean, milk, cream cheese, butter.
I do use fondant for decoration. It contains colouring and internal support wire for modelling, so those decorative elements are for appearance, not for eating.

Why some kitchens use mixes

Packet mixes are fast, consistent and inexpensive to run. Many wholesale operations can charge less because an add-water style mix reduces separate purchases of eggs, milk, butter, oil and sugar, and is formulated for long shelf life and easy transport [1][2][3]. I choose scratch baking because the trade-offs of mixes often show up in flavour, texture and how satisfied you feel after a slice.

Side-by-side ingredients: Vanilla Cake

Cakey Cakes (from scratch)
Flour, Sugar, Eggs, Salt, Vinegar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Vanilla Bean, Milk, Cream Cheese, Butter.

Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake Mix and frosting
Cake mix: wheat flour, sugar, raising agents, modified corn starch 1422, emulsifiers (propylene glycol esters, mono and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate), salt, vegetable oil, vanilla flavour, thickeners (xanthan gum, sodium CMC).
Frosting: sugar, vegetable oil, water, invert syrup, emulsifiers (mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 60, sodium stearoyl lactylate), salt, preservative potassium sorbate, mineral salt, flavour, colour, food acid. [4][5][6]

Green’s Cake Mix
Sugar, wheat flour, vegetable fat with emulsifiers 471 and 477 and antioxidant 307, raising agents 450 and sodium bicarbonate, tapioca starch, salt, natural flavour, colour annatto. [7][8]

Bakels add-water commercial mix
Wheat flour, sugar, milk solids, maltodextrin, modified starches 1412, 1440, 1442, whipping agent with rice starch and emulsifiers 471, 472b, 475, 477, glucose, raising agents 450 and 500, vegetable oil with antioxidant 307, natural flavour, xanthan gum 415, natural colour gardenia extract. These mixes are marketed as requiring only water or water plus oil/egg, which is why they are so fast in commercial settings [2][3].

What these additives do

• Preservatives such as potassium sorbate help inhibit mould in frostings and fillings [9][10].
• Emulsifiers such as 471, 472b, 475, 477, polysorbate 60 and sodium stearoyl lactylate stabilise batter, soften crumb and make premade frostings smoother [11][12][13].
• Modified starches and gums such as 1422, 1412, 1440, 1442, xanthan 415 and sodium CMC bind water to improve stability, transport and shelf life [14].
• Raising systems with sodium aluminum phosphate and phosphates 450 and 500 provide reliable lift and longer working time; some people perceive metallic or chemical notes [4][5].
• Antioxidant 307 slows rancidity in fats and oils [7].

Food additives are permitted at regulated levels and must be declared on labels in Australia and New Zealand [15][16].

How it feels in the slice

Mix cakes are built to last and to be ultra consistent. That convenience often costs depth. The flavour can feel thin, the texture a little hollow and you may feel unsatisfied even after another slice.

Cakes made from scratch taste better. They must be served fresh, you have better depth of flavour and using good quality ingredients are the main factors to making sure you get what you paid for. I get tenderness from butter, dairy or dairy-free alternatives, real vanilla and chocolate, and proper technique. 

Why it matters

On your day, you want confidence, not doubt. Confidence that the cake will taste fresh, photograph beautifully, travel safely, and be clear enough in its ingredients that more guests can say yes. You also want to feel proud of the choice you made—not worried you settled for something that was easy to make but light on flavour.

I’m grateful for the chance to be part of your celebration, so I focus on what serves you best: real ingredients, baked to order, and a design that holds up for the moment it matters. My work is about maximising flavour and keeping integrity because we only get one shot—your shot—to make it memorable. I make it count for you.

References

[1] Bakels All-In Sponge Mix: “Requires only the addition of water.” BAKERpedia
[2] Bakels Choc Mud Cake Mix: “Just add oil and water.” Food Standards Australia New Zealand
[3] Bakels product method cards showing mix + eggs + water workflow. Woolworths
[4] Betty Crocker AU: Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix ingredients. Betty Crocker - Australia
[5] Woolworths AU: Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake Mix ingredients. Woolworths+1
[6] Betty Crocker LATAM: Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix ingredient pattern (global reference). Betty Crocker - Latin America
[7] Green’s Cake Mix: ingredient examples including emulsifiers 471, 477 and antioxidant 307. Drakes Online Rochedale+1
[8] Woolworths AU: Green’s ingredient listings corroborating emulsifiers and colours. Woolworths
[9] FDA (CFSAN) database: Potassium sorbate technical effects include antimicrobial preservative. HFP App External
[10] FSANZ: Additives overview and functions. Food Standards Australia New Zealand+1
[11] BAKERpedia paper: Emulsifiers improve mixing tolerance and cake texture. BAKERpedia
[12] BAKERpedia article: Role of emulsifiers in baking systems. BAKERpedia
[13] BAKERpedia overview: Common emulsifiers used in bakery (mono- and diglycerides, SSL/CSL, DATEM). BAKERpedia
[14] FSANZ: What food additives do, including emulsifiers and stabilisers. Food Standards Australia New Zealand
[15] FSANZ: Food additive labelling rules. Food Standards Australia New Zealand
[16] NSW Food Authority: Additives must be approved by FSANZ and used at the lowest effective level. NSW Food Authority