In a viral video, Tiktoker and avid baker Malina Lee (@sweetgrace.sa) exposes Betty Crocker for reducing the amount of dry mix in its Super Moist Cake Mix.
Malina Lee alleges that the original cake mix was “16.25 ounces or 460 grams,” but the new mix is “14.25 ounces or 403 grams,” a 60-gram difference.
“If you are a baker, you know this is absolutely huge,” she says. Baking is a science that requires accurate measurements and close attention to detail. Any recipe change can alter the final product’s taste, texture, and quality.
Malina Lee argues the reduction of dry mix is not even the most alarming part of this change. She alleges that Betty Crocker also neglected to adjust the measurements of the wet ingredients to match the new amount of dry mix.
“They did not reduce the liquid, the fat, or the egg amount,” she explains. “They just reduced the dry ingredients, which is insane, and is absolutely, 100 percent gonna change the texture of these box cake mixes.”
She suspects that Betty Crocker “slowly reduced the amount of dry ingredients … without having to have to change the wet ingredients and the egg amount because they didn’t really want people to pick up on the fact that they changed the amount of cake mix in the box.” She calls this change “unacceptable” and “unethical.”
@sweetgrace.sa #greenscreen anyone else noticed this about their cake mixes? 🤯🤯🤯 #sweetgracesa #fyp #viral #cakemix #bettycrocker ♬ original sound – Malina Lee || Sweet Grace
This video has 3.3 million views and over 11,000 comments. Many viewers also noticed the change and shared Malina Lee’s feelings. “I used to be able to make 24 cupcakes out of one box now I’m lucky if I get 18,” one viewer commented. Another shared, “I made a cake this weekend and it felt like it was way oiler than usual I always follow the instructions and the cake came out wrong.”
Others suggested the change is a result of “shrinkflation,” which one viewer explains as “during inflationary times companies reduce their product a little so they don’t have to change their price as much.” Another viewer agreed, sharing, “Every company is doing this now — shrinkflation is what people are calling it.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Malina Lee and Betty Crocker for comment via email.
