6 Ways to Make Boxed Cake Mix Taste Like Homemade

overhead view of a cake with powdered sugar — Credit:
Ines Fraile / Getty Images

Some things should always be made from scratch—we’re looking at you, vinaigrette. But also, there is no shame in taking a shortcut in the kitchen now and then. Cake mix is one such thing, and we’re here to tell you exactly how to make box cake mix better, in terms of flavor, texture, and presentation.

Consider a boxed cake mix a blank slate. With a little creativity, you can create something far more delicious than you’d expect. Small adjustments can make a huge difference, turning a rather basic layer cake into one that is as rich and decadent or light and fluffy as you desire. With these six tricks, it’s easy to take an already foolproof mix and make it even better.

Swap Out the Water

Most box mixes call for three ingredients in addition to the powdered mix: oil, eggs, and water. Most recipes for homemade cake include a different liquid, usually a dairy-based ingredient like milk rather than water. While the cake needs moisture, there are many more flavorful things you can use instead of water. Here are seven you can turn to on the regular:

Whole milk
Buttermilk
Sour cream or mascarpone
Plain whole-milk yogurt
Non-dairy milks such as almond, coconut, oat, or soy
Half water + half heavy cream
Half water + half evaporated milk

Buttermilk adds a lovely tang to baked goods like cake, but if you don’t already have some in your refrigerator, it’s easy to make yourself. Swap in dairy milk or a plant-based alternative for the buttermilk, then mix it with some fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and it will start to thicken. Use 2 tablespoons of acid for every 1 cup of milk.

Add an Egg

Box cake mixes tend to produce quite delicate cakes, and that can be lovely for certain applications. Adding an extra egg will accomplish three things: it will make the cake sturdier by giving it more structure, give it a more moist and dense texture, and contribute a rich flavor to the batter.

When baking cakes, use room-temperature ingredients, especially the eggs. When the eggs aren’t cold straight from the refrigerator, they incorporate much more easily into the cake batter.

Embrace Butter

Oil-based cakes are undeniably moist, but they aren’t usually as flavorful as butter-based ones (especially when starting with a box mix). Along with water and eggs, cake mixes usually call for vegetable oil. Consider swapping the oil for good old-fashioned unsalted butter. For a light and fluffy cake, use the reverse creaming method, treating the box cake mix like the flour and sugar mixture.

Alternatively, melted butter can be whisked in just like the oil in the instructions. Since air wasn’t incorporated into the butter through creaming, the resulting crumb will be more dense and moist–not necessarily a bad thing, just something to be aware of!

Experiment with Other Flavoring Agents

When you start with a basic box cake mix, you can flavor it any which way you please. In small amounts, the following ingredients won’t affect the overall texture of the cake, but they will add another layer of flavor.

Toasted desiccated coconut
Almond paste: This works well with the reverse creaming method—break it down into very small, crumbly pieces when mixing the dry ingredients together.
Freeze-dried fruits: Pulse them into a finely ground texture before stirring into the batter.
Melted chocolate
Chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
Freshly brewed espresso: Use it in place of some of the milk or water.
Citrus zest: Anything from lemon and lime to orange and grapefruit can work.
Liqueurs and liquors: Try ones that are already rather sweet, such as Kahlua, dark spiced rum, or Chambord, swapping them for up to one quarter of the liquid.

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Enhance the Existing Flavors

Perhaps the simplest thing you can do is play up the flavors that are already built into the cake mix. Starting with a vanilla cake? Add some fresh vanilla bean seeds, vanilla paste, or a generous glug of pure vanilla extract. Add another dimension to a chocolate cake by adding espresso powder to the dry mix—you won’t necessarily taste it, but it will make the chocolate richer and better.

Add a Topping

Something as simple as a sprinkle of sliced almonds on top can turn an ordinary cake into something more visually appealing. If you want to take it a step further, consider whipping up a quick streusel to sprinkle over the batter before it goes in the oven.