Are Homemade Cakes Healthier Than Store-Bought Cakes


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There are a lot of debates when it comes to cakes. One of the most common debates is whether a homemade cake is better and healthier than a store-bought cake. In this article, I will be looking at the debate of homemade cakes vs. store-bought cakes. Are homemade cakes healthier?

As a general rule, homemade cakes are healthier than store-bought cakes because they do not contain additional chemicals, stabilizers, and preservatives. Also, when you bake a cake at home, you can choose to reduce the amount of sugar you use and add healthier ingredients.

Need more convincing? Here I’ll tell you why you might want to start baking your cakes yourself instead of buying them at the store. However, this outcome depends on the way you choose to make your cakes and the place you choose to buy your cakes. Read on as I take a deeper look into this topic.

Are Homemade Cakes Better For You?

In general, homemade cakes are better for you than box cakes you will buy from a store because they are usually made fresh to consume the same day. Homemade cakes are healthier since you don’t need to add preservatives and other chemicals they use to make cakes last longer on the shelves.

There are many other reasons why homemade cakes are better for you than boxed cakes. They include:

  • You know what ingredients are going into your cake
  • You can choose to reduce the sugar in a recipe or add healthier ingredients like fruits and nuts
  • Homemade cakes often have a denser texture than boxed cakes, which means they will fill you up more quickly and for longer
  • Boxed cake mixes usually contain high levels of sodium, while homemade cakes typically don’t
  • Boxed cake mixes often have Trans fats, which are unhealthy and can contribute to heart disease
  • Homemade cakes are cheaper to make than boxed cake mixes

*Side Note: I recently wrote an article that talks about What’s Better and Healthier, Homemade Muffins or Store-Bought Muffins. This article compares the two side by side and determines which muffins are worth it! You can check out this article here!

Why Do Homemade Cakes Taste Better?

As a general rule, homemade cakes taste better because you make them with fresh natural ingredients. Unlike store-bought cakes, homemade cakes do not contain chemicals such as preservatives, stabilizers, or artificial sweeteners.

Homemade cakes also have a different flavor than boxed cake mixes because they use real butter instead of vegetable oil or margarine in the batter.

They are denser and moister with a better texture than store-bought ones.

My Favorite Homemade Cake!

*By the way, I always wanted to be able to store my cakes the right way but I never found a good container that could fit my large cakes. However, I recently came across an Extra Large Cake Carrier/Storage Container That Holds up to 12 inch 3-layer Cakes. This carrier was perfect for storing my large cakes. You can check out this Cake Storage Container on Amazon here!

You know your homemade cakes will be delicious when you make them with love and care. Plus, you can choose to add any other ingredients you want to give them the exact taste and flavor you are looking for.

When I bake my cakes, I can add less or more sugar, replace the butter with a healthier choice like coconut oil or avocado oil, use whole wheat flour instead of white all-purpose flour. The list goes on. This makes them healthier and better than boxed cakes.

Is It Worth Making A Homemade Cake Rather Than Buying One?

In general, it is worth making a homemade cake more than buying a cake in a store because you can save money when choosing ingredients while making the cake from scratch. Homemade cakes typically cost a fraction of the price of store-bought ones.

I bake cakes often, and sometimes, I don’t spend a cent since all of the ingredients I need are often lying around in the kitchen. You will notice that most of the things you need to bake a healthy cake at home are not expensive. And often, you will have them in your kitchen.

They are also typically healthier than the ones you buy from stores because they don’t contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or colors.

They have less sugar and fewer calories than boxed cake mix too.

However, there is always a trade-off to everything in life – homemade cakes take time to prepare and bake. However, that’s not a bad thing, because it makes them more special than those you buy from stores.

When you make your cake at home, you can choose the ingredients to add and how much of each ingredient goes into your batter. You also get to spend quality time with family members while making something delicious together!

*Side Note: If you want to learn How To Bake A Cake Without Vanilla Extract, I recently wrote an article talking about the Substitutes that you can use for Vanilla Extract, which you can check out here!

Why Do Cakes From The Store Taste So Different From Homemade Cakes?

Store-bought cakes taste different from homemade ones because they have added chemicals in them. They add stabilizers, preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavors to boxed cake mixes in order to make them last longer on the shelves and look better over time.

These chemicals also change the flavor of store-bought cakes, so they do not taste as good as homemade ones. The texture is often different too since most boxed cake mixes use vegetable oil or margarine instead of butter.

This makes store-bought cakes more dense and dry.

Store-Bought Cakes are Not as Good as They Look!

Also, since they make them in large quantities, they always don’t have the same freshness as a cake that you make at home. When you bake a cake from scratch, it will always taste better than one from a box mix.

Are Homemade Cakes Considered Processed Food?

In general, homemade cakes are considered a processed food because they usually contain sugar, salt, and other ingredients that have been added during baking. Since homemade cakes and store-bought cakes are made with the same basic ingredients, they are both considered processed foods.

However, I personally do not consider homemade cakes to be considered processed food since I usually make all my cakes with natural ingredients without any preservatives!

The only difference between homemade cakes and store-bought ones is the preparation method – at home or in a factory setting using machines like mixers to blend all of the ingredients together quickly before baking them into baked goods.

*Side Note: You might also want to know why your cakes can sometimes come out Crumbly or Moist. I dug into the root of the problem and I wrote an article about Preventing and Fixing Crumbly and Moist Cakes, which you can check out here!

Are Store-Bought Cakes Considered Processed Food?

In general, store-bought cakes are heavily considered to be processed food since they undergo a lot of chemical changes before being put on the market. They are mixed with preservatives and artificial flavors to make them last longer and taste better.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Home Baking?

The biggest disadvantage of home baking is that it takes a lot of time. You need to gather your ingredients, sometimes go to the store to buy more ingredients if you don’t have them at home, mix everything together, put it in the oven, and then wait for it to be done.

It can take an hour or more to make a cake from scratch, which is significantly longer than the time it takes to bake a boxed cake mix.

However, if you are looking for something special this could be worthwhile because it will taste better than store-bought.

The Disadvantages of Home Baking!

The other drawback of making your cake at home is that there may not always be enough time to make a homemade one when the craving strikes, so buying boxed cake mixes can help satisfy those cravings without having to wait hours until they are ready.

That being said, there’s really nothing quite like the taste and smell of fresh baked goods made from scratch while the fresh aroma fills up your home!

*Side Note: I recently wrote an article talking about If Homemade Cookies Healthier than Store-Bought Cookies. This article discusses the similarities and differences of how both of these are made and which is better. You can check out this article here!

Final Thoughts

Homemade cakes are always healthier and therefore better than store-bought ones. They don’t contain any artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors and they usually have less sugar and calories than boxed cake mixes.

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Fainna

My name is Fainna! I've been baking desserts ever since I was 10 years old with my grandma passing her baking wisdom down to me with every passing day. I hope you find these tips and tricks helpful here at my little Baking Nook!

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