4 hours ago
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If you’re wondering how to make box cake mix taste homemade, give this box cake mix hack a whirl!
Grab a boxed cake mix and let’s bake! With a few simple tips, you can turn a cheap mix into a bakery-worthy cake—no one will even guess it started as a $1 boxed mix that came from your pantry! I love baking from scratch, but store-bought mixes are a quick, convenient option I always keep on hand for easy dessert recipes!
I tested out these 3 common tips that are supposed to enhance a box of cake mix to make it taste more like a high-end bakery. Plus, to really give these tips a fair test, I decided to also make one cake using the exact ingredients and directions from the box without doing anything additional.
Let’s just say my results were AMAZING using these simple box cake hacks!
Moving forward, this is definitely how I’ll be baking a boxed cake! I was so excited about this that I even created a short video for ya.
Can’t see the video above? Check it out on YouTube!
Must-Try Box Cake Hacks:
- Instead of using water, use milk.
- Instead of using 3 eggs like the box calls for, use 5 eggs.
- Instead of using vegetable oil, use melted butter and double the amount suggested on the box.
Hip Tip: If you want it even moister, try adding a tablespoon of mayo!
On the cake with the enhancements, I noticed these differences:
The cake’s batter was thicker in texture before baking, and after baking, the cake was taller and fluffier. It had a noticeably softer and moister texture that was not crumbly at all in comparison. The taste was richer and honestly overall much BETTER and tastier!
Bakery-Style Cake From Boxed Cake Mix
yield: 10 SERVINGS
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 28 MINUTES
total time: 43 MINUTES
Simple recipe swaps that will make your store-bought cake mix taste like it was made-from-scratch at a fancy bakery.
Ingredients
- 1 box of cake mix, around 15 oz., any brand & flavor
- 5 eggs
- 2/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish.
2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, butter, and milk.
3
Use a mixer and beat the mixture on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
4
Pour the batter into a 9"x13" greased cake pan, and spread it evenly.
5
Bake for 23-28 minutes, or according to box directions. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6
Let the cake cool and frost the cake as desired. Try this homemade buttercream recipe - it's delicious!
Extra tips to consider when trying these box cake hacks:
- You can always use store-bought frosting to save time, but if you’re looking for a super-easy and delicious recipe, check out this buttercream frosting recipe. I doubled it here and used it to frost both cakes. SO good.
- I love a yummy box of yellow cake mix, and that’s what I used for my testing, but you can try this on any flavor or brand you have on hand.
- Want to bake round cakes or cupcakes? I used the same suggested bake times on the box, so just reference it for other bake times.
These small changes make a big impact on boxed cake results!
I was honestly kind of surprised that these little tweaks would result in such a great-tasting cake and one that would be noticeably better than the basic cake!
I did a taste test using my family by providing them with a bite of each cake to tell me which one tasted better. Everyone picked the one using these cake hacks!
My team member and taste-tester extraordinaire Jenna had this to say:
“The differences you listed are all true! This had a nice, thick batter, and it was tall & fluffy, it was super soft and moist too, and not at all crumbly. And the best part? It was so rich and delicious! What an easy and fun hack! I used a yellow cake mix, and I made two kinds of frosting. Half Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Frosting and half Vanilla Buttercream – YUM!”
Try this yummy strawberry cake next – it actually uses a box of cake mix, too!
