Cake baking - brand name ingredients or supermarkets own?

[MrsBrendanCole]

Do you use a named flour, marg (Bero, homepride, stork) or just use the supermarkets own equivalent?

Homepride - £1.22 for 1kg, ASDAs own - 64p for 1.5kg

How important is it to the outcome of the cake?

Also ready to roll icing? Brand name or s/m own?

Thanks

I always use own brand flour - the value range in fact - and marg/butter - always get complimented on my cakes so must be OK!

i always use supermarket own brand value range for flour/butter etc
icing is another matter and i always buy the best quality whether from the supermarket,cake dec shop or online
recently had to buy some from morrisons(emergency) and the quality was shocking, the buttercream literally oozed thru the icing and it went v.watery and sticky
fortunately it was only for a cake i was experimenting with

I always use value brand flour and own brand butter, never marg.

All seems fine to me.

I buy a brand named strong flour for bread etc as tried a cheaper shop version and it was pants. For my regular flours shop ones seem to work as good - not spotted a difference.

Like another poster - I use quality icing products if it's a special cake and I have fiddly things like Tomliboos to make.

I buy value stuff normally, always complimented on cakes but I don't do that fondant icing thing. They look lovely, but I've never met fondant that tasted nice

I've seen a recipe for marshmallow fondant that you make yourself, but have only got as far as buying the marshmallows.....

always free range eggs though

I think the value one was about 43p, compared to £1.22?!?!

Will do that i think, but definitely brand icing.

thanks

I always use own brand flour and not had a probelm with cakes.

Eggs I normally buy local eggs as they tend to be cheaper then the others.

yes - own brand unsalted butter and plain flour.

I buy small bags of own brand self raising as it loses its rise quite quickly once open

PCF - you make tombliboos? I am very impressed at the level of your skills, will you adopt me?!

I make them - whether they look like a tomliboo is an entirely different discussion but my OH has say they do or I'll cry.

My kids are desperate for a mass produced chemical filled ready made birthday cake from the supermarket just so I'll stop infliting my 'creativity' onto them.

I use own brand ingredients unless for a special occasion. I'll put nice dried fruit in my Christmas cake for instance.

I'm an own brand baker too. Buy free range eggs off a farmer I work with though.

I buy value flour, use Stork margarine, value dried fruit (except christmas cakes), I always use free range eggs.

My baking always turns out lovely.

I find value flour doesn't make any difference to cake results.

I don't even sift it anymore.

I think using butter, whatever brand tastes nicer than marg, though.

I don't sift either Lynette.

My granny would never buy own brand flour and she was one of the best bakers that I have ever known. She sad that whilst cakes still came out ok with own brand, she could tell the difference.

I must confess that I buy supermarket own make but never value. I always buy good, organic strong bread flour. Cheap stuff is def not as good for that.

Icing- normally branded. Sifting- depends on recipe and whether I can be bothered. Most of the time no.

Value flour all the way, never bother to sift and I even just use plain value flour when I make the odd loaf of bread in the breadmaker and it seems to come out fine.