There is so much to love about boxed cake mix. They are easy to bake, guaranteed to be delicious, and for many of us, full of nostalgia. Even as a professionally trained pastry chef, my pantry is always stocked with a few boxes for special after school treats and everyday celebrations.They are so convenient, but never quite as tasty as homemade cakes. But don’t worry! With ingredients you already have on hand in your kitchen, you can make a cake from a box that tastes more flavorful, moist, and like it was made from scratch. Here are six easy ways to upgrade a basic cake mix.
If you only use one tip from this story, this one should be it. Most cake mixes call for two to three eggs. Just one more egg will add extra moisture, fat, and a little protein, which means the cake will be softer and less likely to overbake and dry out in the oven.
2. Add Milk, Coffee, or Soda
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. Take things one step further and pair your cake mix with a flavored liquid. For example, buttermilk sings in a yellow and red velvet cake and brewed coffee makes chocolate cake taste bolder. Also, pop open a can of soda—Sprite, 7 Up, or ginger beer—for lemon and strawberry cake mixes.
3. Use Butter Instead of Oil
My favorite swap and also the easiest: add melted butter instead of canola or vegetable oil, which most boxed cake mixes call for. Butter adds moisture and fat just like any oil, but it also has that unmistakable butter flavor that we all know and love.
Whisk one small (3.4-ounce) package of instant pudding into the dry cake mix. You’ll want a similar pudding flavor. For example, use chocolate pudding for a chocolate cake mix.Then, add the wet ingredients and bake the cake as directed. It’ll be so moist and the pudding will give it a big flavor boost.
5. Up the Flavor with an Extract or Citrus Zest
Boxed cake mixes can take on a lot of extra flavor and a little more liquid, so don’t be afraid to add a splash of vanilla or almond extract to a white cake or a little coffee extract to a chocolate cake. Fresh lemon or orange zest is wonderful in a lemon cake and also divine in a yellow or white cake.
6. Top the Cake with Homemade Frosting
May I suggest a simple homemade frosting to decorate your boxed cake? Your friends and family don’t have to know your pastry chef-approved secret—that the cake underneath the frosting comes from a box.
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.
As a professional baker, I don't often use boxed mixes, but I appreciate how easily they bring a cake together. I think premade mixes are great for beginners gaining confidence around the kitchen and also for last-minute cake "emergencies."
Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. Step 4: Instead of water, use whole milk.
The added ingredients give the cake a better texture, more flavor, and more stability for stacking. Doctoring a box mix is a great way to make your cake taste better if you're not a confident baker yet or you just need a shortcut.
Instead of using water, substitute whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk (almond, oat, and coconut milk work especially well). The milk adds fat, which results in a better flavor and density in your cake. If you want to make your cake extra rich, swap out the milk for buttermilk.
Swap out each cup of water called for with milk. 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.
Melted, unsalted butter is the perfect substitute for oil, and can even add a richer flavor to baked recipes. Swap in butter for oil in a 1:1 ratio, melting butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Vegan butter or ghee can also work in this instance.
It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)
Yes, it's true!Extra virgin olive oil is a great substitute for butter or other fats when baking cakes. It gives cakes a wonderfully moist texture and a light, subtle flavor that pairs perfectly with other ingredients like fresh fruit and nuts. Plus, it's healthy and packed with antioxidants and healthy fats.
Add one to two teaspoons of a pure extract to make it taste like a from-scratch cake. Pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract are great options, but you could also try lemon extract or orange extract paired with fresh citrus zest.
Use melted butter in the place of vegetable oil for a richer taste. For an extra decadent cake, add two tablespoons of mayonnaise. Mix-Ins to personalize and level up the flavor. Add a handful of chocolate chips, fruit, or nuts to personalize your cake.
Cake flour is bleached and more finely milled than unbleached all-purpose flour, which has too much protein for baking cakes with the best results. Cakes made with higher-protein flours will be chewy and tough.
The average cake mix calls for the most boring of liquids: water. Instead of using water, substitute whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk (almond, oat, and coconut milk work especially well). The milk adds fat, which results in a better flavor and density in your cake.
There are countless ways you can flavor a cake, depending on what mood you're in. When you've mixed your cake batter, you can add an extract like vanilla, almond, maple, or butterscotch. You can also mix in fresh ingredients like nuts, dried fruit, orange zest, and chocolate pieces.
This will work for both unfrosted and fully frosted cakes. If your cake is in a bakery box, simply wrap the box in two layers of plastic wrap and store it in the freezer just like that. You can also freeze a cake, frosting and all, in one of the snap-tight storage containers we just mentioned.
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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