It's hard to argue with the convenience of a box mix cake, especially when you're short on time and/or cake-baking expertise. But if you want it to taste like you really made it from scratch, try one or more of the following easy upgrades. Just hide the box when you're done. We won't tell.
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How to Make Box Cake Mix Better
While making a cake from-scratch can be an enjoyable, and even relaxing, pursuit for anyone who loves being in the kitchen, time isn't always on our side. The boxed cake mix is a convenient companion for all level of bakers and there are a number of effortless ways to improve the flavor and texture of your final product.
1. Add More Eggs
To get an extra rich and moist cake, stir in two extra egg yolks along with the eggs the recipe calls for (save the egg whites to make these delicious meringues). For a lighter and more airy cake, use only egg whites (and save the egg yolks for crème brûlée). Remember, taking out the yolks decreases the amount fat in the cake, so make sure to replace it with 1 tablespoon melted butter for every yolk removed.
2. Walk Away from Water
Water tastes like, well, water! Swap it out for another liquid, preferably something with flavor and fat. Substitute whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk (almond and coconut milk work especially well). The milk adds fat, which results in better flavor and density in your cake. Want to make your cake extra rich? Swap out the milk for buttermilk, and now you've really got something special! Because buttermilk is extra thick, use a few more tablespoons than the recipe calls for. Think "out of the box" and use other non-dairy liquids: Try swapping out the water for soda (colas are the best), juice (orange is great with vanilla and yellow cake), or even a stout beer (for chocolate cake).
3. More Fat, More Flavor
Most box cake recipes call for vegetable or canola oil. The only trouble is, these oils have almost no flavor. Replace the oil with an equal amount of melted butter (and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter), to boost richness. For an extra decadent cake, add two tablespoons of mayonnaise. Think that's crazy? Remember, mayonnaise is just eggs and oil – two things already in your cake! For a tangy twist, add up to ¼ cup sour cream or full fat yogurt.
4. Amp Up the Chocolate
Boost the flavor of a boxed chocolate cake mix by adding hot water instead of tap. The hot water helps to "bloom" the cocoa (just like adding hot water to coffee grounds). Speaking of coffee, instead of making your cake mix with hot water, try replacing it with strong brewed coffee. Coffee and chocolate is a match made in heaven, and will really pop the chocolate flavor.
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5. Top Up the Tasty Bits
The vanilla powder added to your boxed cake mix might be past its prime. Bump up the flavor by adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Making a spice cake? Add a little rum, almond, or orange extract as well. If you're making a white or yellow cake, add a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or lime zest, or a bit of juice. And don't forget all of those goodies in your cupboard that you would use in cookies, brownies or other cakes. Throw in a handful of chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit to make your cake extra special.
6. Love Up the Layers
After baking and cooling your cake, slice it in half or thirds, and add something special to those layers. For extra moisture and flavor, you can brush each layer with simple syrup, jam or marmalade, or even a bit of your favorite booze (like coffee-flavored liqueur for tiramisu cake or a bit of rum for a spiced orange cake). Of course, those extra layers are perfect for more frosting and icing (which results in a better frosting-per-bite ratio). But don't forget about other delicious layering ingredients like chocolate ganche, buttercream, fresh seasonal fruit, flavored whipped cream, or lemon curd.
7. Poke Around
Another way to soak your cake in flavor is to poke holes in the cake, pour a flavored mixture over the top, and let it soak into the holes. This video for Coconut Poke Cake shows you how it's done:
More About Baking Cakes
- Here are 12 little ways to take your cakes from good to great.
- Can't figure out what pan size you should use? We've got answers.
- Learn the right way to measure ingredients so your recipes turn out the way they're supposed to.
FAQs
8 Ways To Make Boxed Cake Mix Taste Homemade
- Swap Oil for Melted Butter.
- Exchange Water for Dairy.
- Enhance With Extracts.
- Incorporate Sour Cream or Mayo.
- Add Nuts.
- Make Homemade Frosting.
- Layer With Fillings.
- Turn it into a Poke Cake.
Boxed cakes often call for water, but swapping it out for equal amounts of milk, coffee, or even soda will give you a moister, more tender, and flavorful cake. For white cake mix, you can use whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.
Why add sour cream to boxed cake mix? ›
Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.
How many extra eggs to add to cake mix? ›
Use an extra egg: Most boxed mixes will call for three eggs. Use four for a cake that's richer-tasting and moister. This tip is one I use practically every time I make a boxed cake mix. Substitute dairy: Replace the water called for on the package with dairy.
How do you make a box cake taste like Paula Deen? ›
So, I always start with a box mix, but I doctor it up.
- Add one extra egg. Usually, box mixes call for 3 large eggs. I use 4.
- Substitute melted (but not hot) unsalted butter for the required oil.
- Add one box of appropriately flavored pudding.
- Substitute a flavored liquid for the water, if appropriate.
Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.
How to doctor up a box cake mix? ›
Try adding a few of these tips to your box cake mix taste better!
- Use milk instead of water. ...
- Add extra eggs. ...
- Add sugar and flour to the dry mix. ...
- Use coffee instead of water for chocolate cakes. ...
- Sour Cream is perfect for adding moisture and rich flavor. ...
- Pudding adds moisture and flavor.
"You can use cake mix with an additional ingredient to make it taste moist and homemade: pudding. Adding an instant-pudding mix to your cake mix and altering the other ingredient amounts and bake time will produce a delicious cake--and no one will detect that it started with a mix.
What makes a box cake fluffier? ›
Buttermilk: Instead of water, use the same amount of buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk interacts with the leavening agents in the mix for a better rise. "Swapping out the water for buttermilk creates a fluffier cake and a moister one, too," says Waterson.
Why add mayo to cake mix? ›
In a 2001 piece for the Los Angeles Times, food writer Marion Cunningham noted, “The use of mayonnaise, which seems puzzling in a cake, does two things: It gives the cake a luscious richness, and it keeps it moist and fresh tasting for much longer than a conventional cake.”
Baking with Sour Cream: The creamy texture of sour cream makes baked goods more moist than if you used milk. This makes sour cream an excellent choice for recipes that are known to have drier results, like sponge cakes.
Can I use sour cream instead of oil in cake mix? ›
Mayonnaise, the least likely of the bunch, actually gives the closest result to having used oil, and it retains the flavors of your cake or whatever baked good you are creating very well! Yogurt and sour cream also work in a pinch, but do change the flavor profile a tad.
Is it better to beat eggs before adding to cake mix? ›
For chemically-leavened cakes — that is, cakes calling for baking powder or baking soda — it's OK if you don't remember to add the eggs until the end. Martina says, “Late in the mixing stage, eggs will incorporate better if you lightly beat them before adding to the batter.
How to make a boxed cake taste homemade? ›
8 Simple Tips and Tricks to Make Box Cake Better
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients. ...
- Replace Water with Milk or Buttermilk. ...
- Substitute Sour Cream in the Mix. ...
- Substitute Oil for Butter. ...
- Use More Eggs. ...
- Add Vanilla Extract. ...
- Make It a Chocolate Lovers' Cake. ...
- Decorate Your Cake Like A Pro.
“It is extremely important to use room temperature eggs because the eggs whip better, especially when whisking by hand, and it allows the cake to rise better, be fluffier, and be less dense,” she says. If you don't mind a denser cake and opt for cold eggs, expect a longer baking time.
Can I replace oil with melted butter in cake mix? ›
Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.
How to make box cake dense and moist? ›
How To Make Boxed Cake Denser
- Add 2 extra egg yolks. ...
- Swap out oil for melted butter. ...
- Add 2 mashed ripe bananas, fold in just before baking. ...
- Add 1 cup pumpkin purée, fold in just before baking. ...
- Swap out water for coconut milk. ...
- Swap out oil for ricotta cheese. ...
- Add 4 ounces of chocolate, melted. ...
- Swap out water for heavy cream.
The exact amount you need to use will depend on the recipe, but most boxed mixes will do well with an extra half-teaspoon or a teaspoon of baking powder. Even if the baking powder in your mix is fresh, an extra sprinkle will make for more fluffiness and rise, so it doesn't hurt to try it.
