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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To despise shop bought cakes

70 replies

LadyRenoir · 22/12/2018 16:59

First world problem alert- not to be treated (too) seriously :)

Ok, so I must admit that I don't mind shop bought cakes in general as such, although prefer to bake at home (especially easy stuff like cheesecakes, which you don't actually need to make most of the time). Just find it hard to find stuff that is actually tasty. I am no Master Baker myself, but I have a repertoire of really nice treats I can actually bake, and at home we never had shop bought stuff, Mum would always bake cakes and torts for birthdays.

PILs never bake anything. Not for the lack of skill, as they both cook well, but for every single occasion a cake or dessert is needed, they buy it. I have not tasted a nice pudding in their house ever- it's either some some of frozen strudle, or an affair involving a very dry sponge and tasteless jam. For bigger occasions, a few times a year they make a trip to Pat Val for a bigger cake.

I offered to bring something for Christmas, MIL politely declined that it is no needed, so we will have another dry thing with crumbling sugary coating. Yay.
I was about to bake one anyways as dont want to go empty handed (and I want to eat a nice dessert for Christmas).

If anyone knows of places selling decent cakes of sorts, maybe I can point MIL in that direction :)

OP posts:

KeysHairbandNotepad · 22/12/2018 17:01

You sound a little ungrateful op. It sounds like they want to host and provide all food , that's very kind of them.

RaininSummer · 22/12/2018 17:04

Shop cakes are usually horrible as way too much sugar gets used on the whole.

Gina2012 · 22/12/2018 17:04

so we will have another dry thing with crumbling sugary coating. Yay.

Well you're a delight to read.

Regnamechanger · 22/12/2018 17:05

Definition of despise is to feel contempt or a deep repugnance. What have shop cakes ever done to you?

mcmooberry · 22/12/2018 17:05

I agree with you entirely. I would rather not have a cake than eat a non home-baked one. Just not worth getting fat on most of the time.If someone asks if they can bring pudding I would always refuse if there was a risk of a shop bought one.

Huntawaymama · 22/12/2018 17:05

I hear you Op! Fiona cairns are the only shop bought ones I like

LaurieFairyCake · 22/12/2018 17:07

In my extensive cake testing there are a few I like: Gail's chocolate loaf cake, Meg Rivers cakes bought online, fresh cream cakes from a patisserie I love.

The trick is to only buy what you love. I hate shit cake.

Bowchicawowow · 22/12/2018 17:07

Where I live there are still independent bakeries and generally speaking their cakes are fantastic. They are quite old fashioned in the sense of how they are baked and the ingredients they use.

FascinatingCarrot · 22/12/2018 17:07

You dont have to eat it

Bluelady · 22/12/2018 17:08

So you'd risk upsetting your MiL over a slice of cake? Nice.

WhatwouldCJdo · 22/12/2018 17:08

I do love a shop bought battenburg and a mini choc roll.

They need to buy nice cakes.

WhatwouldCJdo · 22/12/2018 17:09

Christmas is really getting to some folks ain't it?

DurhamDurham · 22/12/2018 17:09

I'm rather partial to a French Fancy. Only if it's made by Mr Kipling

Pinkyyy · 22/12/2018 17:09

Ever heard the term 'like it or lump it'?

LivininaBox · 22/12/2018 17:11

I think a fresh cake from a bakery can be lovely, it's the long life stuff in supermarkets which is yucky.

The texture is nothing like a proper sponge cake and neither is the flavour.

Shop bought fruit cakes can be nice though, I guess they keep better withoyt the need to add weird preservatives.

ChristmasCuddles · 22/12/2018 17:13

They probably don’t like your baking. Don’t take them one anyway.

missyB1 · 22/12/2018 17:14

Marks and Spencer usually do reliable cakes. Waitrose are also usually good.
I must admit I’m pretty crap at baking so tend to buy cake.But this afternoon I have bravely made a Nigella clementine cake - and it seems to have turned out pretty good!

scaryteacher · 22/12/2018 17:16

It depends on the shop surely? I live in Belgium where the patisserie is very good and far better than I could produce at home. If I lived in Vienna, I would go to Demel for strudel, or Cafe Central for cake to take away, as both places are masters of the art.

There are fantastic bakeries in London I understand such as Konditor and Cook and the Hummingbird bakery, and the Primrose bakery as well. If someone can produce something professionally, then why despise it?

StroppyWoman · 22/12/2018 17:16

YANBU to dislike it - I hate mass produced stuff too and would rather go without than eat it. It's a waste of calories.

However, if you let them know you dislike something they are offering YABU. It's not a guest's place to make the hosts feel inadequate or awkward. Stick to the cheese or don't have dessert

NaughtyNoraTheNamechanger · 22/12/2018 17:18

I think people are being needlessly horrible on this thread. I'm sure OP appreciates the offer, but we all have different preferences. It's almost like some people are saying they'd be happy if they went to someone's house for dinner and were presented with a cheap ready meal.

I like some shop bought cakes, but some have chemical-like tastes which are gross. I'm also not a fan of shop bought mince pies - my mum bakes them every year so I never get shop bought ones as much prefer home made. However, shop bought is sometimes better than badly baked home made cakes. But either way I'm always grateful for an offer.

CatnissEverdene · 22/12/2018 17:19

I'm with you OP. I can't abide shop bought cakes.... they are too dry, too sweet and often made with cheap ingredients like margarine. My DDs and I once went into Patisserie Valerie and could have all cried when tasting them.... just awful. I enjoy baking and we nearly always have something like a sponge or madeira cake on the go.... takes less than half an hour to do, and is far nicer tasting. And I always bake puddings from scratch.... no bake cheesecakes can be whipped up in no time or something like pannacotta.

exLtEveDallas · 22/12/2018 17:19

There's a bakery near us that always has delicious looking cakes on display. Every time I've been tempted the disappointment is HUGE. No matter what I've tried it's always dry, crumbly and pretty tasteless (and covered in too much chemical tasting buttercream) Much rather have my own cake.

I've never made a tasteless or dry cake in my life. I really don't understand how this bakery can get it so wrong so often.

OP, I'm afraid you might have to suck it up, unless you can call her and say you really, really want to make one a thank you for all her hard work?

missyB1 · 22/12/2018 17:22

I must say Patisserie Valerie cakes are particularly abysmal, I actually felt sick last time I tried one. I think they are just far too sweet and sickly

CatLadyToddlerMother · 22/12/2018 17:24

Could you offer to buy one that's been made as a compromise?

There's a farm shop near me that the owner makes and sells her own cakes, they're absolutely beautiful. I've just had a treacle tart off her and it's almost as good as the one my late grandmother used to make.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 22/12/2018 17:24

You are assuming they like what you bake. Prehaps you aren't as good at it as you think you are

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