Use these tips and tricks to learn how to make box cake better and how to make box cake taste homemade These simple ingredients yield the best moist cake!
In the last few months, I have gotten a few requests for a recipe on how to make box cake better and how to make box cake taste homemade.
Seriously, after 28 attempts, involving various brands, flavors, addition and replacement of ingredients, I am finally delighted to share the BEST doctored yellow cake mix recipe!
You must be thinking why anyone would want to make a cake from box when they can make it from scratch.
I UNDERSTAND your concerns but honestly, making cakes from scratch is NOT possible all the time!
Maybe you are out of flour, sugar e.t.c OR you are just too tired to make a cake from scratch.
For those days, c this EASY cake from a box cake mix is PERFECT!
TIPS on how to make box cake better and taste like homemade cake
- Use chocolate pudding if you are making a chocolate cake.
- Use butterscotch pudding if you are making a vanilla cake.
- Use the BEST quality extract you can find because your cake is only as good as the ingredients you use.
- I prefer emulsion oils over extracts. They are are pricey but they work better because they DON'T evaporate while baking and the flavor and fragrance is stronger.
- Stick to the Pillsbury brand! I tried many brands and Pillsbury works the best. Also, DON'T use cake mixes which already have pudding. Get the most BASIC Pillsbury cake mix you can find.
- Instead of oil, use UNSALTED butter. It adds more flavor and fat content into your cake and that's always a good thing.
- Most cake mixes require 2 or 3 eggs. Ignore that and add 4 LARGE eggs.
- Make sure your eggs are FRESH. The older eggs sometimes make your cakes smell odd.
- Most cake mixes require water. Ignore that because it brings NOTHING to your cake. Instead, add WHOLE milk. Don't use fat-free, soy milk or almond milk. It has to be WHOLE MILK!
- Add pudding (1 container of the pre-made snack pack puddings) to your cake batter. It adds so much flavor, fat content and MOISTURE to your cake.
- DON'T use homemade pudding because it does not yield good results.
- To make the cake SUPER MOIST, I highly recommend this: Allow the cake to cool down and come to room temperature.
- Remove cake from the pan. Then, wrap it up in saran wrap multiple times and place it in the freezer overnight. This seals in all the moisture. The next day, let your cake come to room temperature and then frost it!
- DON'T over-mix the cake batter because that will make your cake tough.
- DON'T over-bake the cake or bake at a higher temperature because that will make your cake dry.
FLAVOR variations
- Vanilla Spice cake: Use a vanilla or yellow cake mix and follow the recipe below. However, also add 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon allspice powder in the cake batter.
- Lemon cake: Use a vanilla or yellow cake mix and follow the recipe below. Also, add lemon pudding, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon extract or lemon flavored emulsion oil.
- Orange cake: Use a vanilla or yellow cake mix and follow the recipe below. Also, add 1 tablespoon orange zest, 2 tablespoon orange marmalade and 1 tablespoon orange extract or orange flavored emulsion oil.
- Chocolate orange cake: Use a chocolate cake mix and follow the recipe below. Also add 1 tablespoon orange zest, 1 tablespoon orange extract or orange flavored emulsion oil.
- Spicy chocolate cake: Use a chocolate cake mix and follow the recipe below. Also add 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ tablespoon paprika. Use more or less according to your preference.
- Better box red velvet cake: Use a red velvet cake mix and follow the recipe below but replace whole milk with buttermilk. Also, add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 3 tablespoon sour cream to the cake batter.
- You can always stir in some chopped nuts or dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, dried apricots, dried pineapples, dried mangoes) or even chocolate chips into your cake. Fold ½ cup of add-ins of your choice in the cake batter at the very end. Read my tips in this post on how to stop chocolate chips sinking. This handy tip applies to nuts, dried fruits and chocolate chips.
Some FROSTING recipes you can try with this cake
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Cooked Flour Buttercream (Ermine Frosting)
- Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Best Cream Cheese Frosting
- White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- American Buttercream Frosting
- Seven Minute Frosting
Check out some other Frosting & Filling recipes from my blog archives for more ideas.
How to make a box cake taste homemade? How to make box cake taste like made from scratch?
Start off by mixing together eggs and butter. Then, add cake mix, pudding, milk, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Pour this batter into 2 greased/floured round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let it cool and then ice it with frosting. Enjoy!
How to make box cake mix better for cupcakes?
Instead of a cake, you can use this recipe below to make 24 cupcakes. Mix all the ingredients (eggs, butter, cake mix, pudding, milk, vanilla extract) and bake for about 17-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
How to make a moist cake? How to make a box cake moist and fluffy?
The best way to make a box cake mix moist is by:
- Replacing oil with butter
- Replacing water with milk
- Adding 1 extra egg
- Adding pre-made pudding in the batter
How do you add pudding to cake mix?
Don't use the instant powder. Use the pre-made puddings and just mix it into the cake mix batter.
Can you add sour cream to cake mix?
Yes, you can replace the pudding with ¼ cup sour cream in this recipe.
How to make a box cake taste like a wedding cake?
Most people want their wedding cakes from scratch but I have heard of some successful cake makers who use doctored cake mixes and their brides prefer this flavor over the "cake from scratch recipe." Follow the recipe below for a perfectly moist and fluffy cake. It's great for cake decorating too.
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Today's doctored up chocolate cake that like homemade cake or bakery cake is covered in homemade chocolate frosting and crushed candy canes and topped off with a CUTE candy cane heart.
Perfect romantic cake for Valentine's day...Right?
I think it would also be great to serve during the holiday season, especially at Christmas parties.
Well, that's all for today!
I hope you you liked these box cake mix hacks and tips on "how to make make box cake better and taste homemade."
Other box cake mix recipes
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Cake Mix Cookie Bars
- Cake Mix Chocolate M&M Cookies
- Easy Cake Mix Gingerbread Cookies
- Easy Galaxy Cake
- Easy Apple Cake Recipe with Cake Mix
- Cake Mix Brownies
Recipe
How to Make Box Cake Better (Taste Homemade)
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Ingredients
- 1 box Chocolate cake mix or Vanilla/Yellow cake mix Pillsbury brand, Get the box without pudding
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 4 Eggs Large
- ½ cup Butter Unsalted, Melted
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Container Snack Pack Pudding 3.25 oz
Instructions
- In a deep bowl, mix together butter and eggs.
- Add the cake mix powder, pudding, milk, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Don't over-mix!
- Pour this batter into 2 greased/floured 8x2 round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- This step is optional but it makes the cake SUPER MOIST! I highly recommend it. Let this cake cool down and come to room temperature. Remove the cake from your pan. Then, wrap it up in saran wrap multiple times and place it in the freezer overnight. This seals in all the moisture. The next day, let your cake come to room temperature and then cover it in chocolate frosting! Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my notes and tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Becky
Abeer,
Thank you for the tips. Sometimes, you just don't have time to bake from scratch, and your revamped recipe sounds great. Thanks for sharing. Does this work for cupcakes. too?
yummychunklet
Thanks for the tips!
cakewhiz
@ Becky... i hope you try out this recipe...it's very very good! I have used it for cupcakes before and they turned out very soft. But, I haven't tried freezing them yet...not sure how that would work out
Allison
hey! thanks for this! i have a question. i don't have pudding. i am all ready to go and don't have pudding? ugh. can i do without it this time? and if yes does it change the cooking time?
sharon
keep instant pudding in cupboard and add a box per cake mix. Super moist cakes. yum
Abeer Rizvi
Sounds like a neat idea! I am going to try it next time
Allison
oh and i am NOT a baker. actually really bad. so i am on a mission to change that. so i am totally a beginner
Cakewhiz
Hey Allison... You can give it a shot without pudding. I haven't triedi t. But, i highly recommend it since it adds moisture and flavor to the cake. If you omit that, the baking time should not be affected drastically. But, check on your cake after 35-40 minutes just to see if it's done or not. If you take it out too soon, the cake will sink and if you over-bake it, your cake will end up a little dry.
And don't worry....practice makes perfect. I am sure you will become a great baker with a little patience and lots of practice
Allison
It is delicious! It may be a little dryer than with the pudding but it is so good! Since I am not a baker, I need to use mix. maybe down the line I will try from scratch and will def check out your recipes for that. but thank you so much for posting this recipe. I think it saved my daughters birthday cake! I always get from a baker but I learned how to do the rose swirls and have so much fun doing it. So I am giving it a shot. But the mixes are always dry and crumbly. My hubby doesn't like that. so i promised to find a way to make it better. SO YOU SAVED THE DAY! Much thanks! Ps. I split the cake batter into two 8 inch and they were done in 28 mins. (I made two sets) I watched them like a hawk so I didn't over cook. 28 was perfect.
Allison
So my sweet babies 2nd birthday party was today! Cake Whiz, you rock! The cake was RAVED about! I mean they all were shocked how great it was. (I did tell my mommy friends where to get this recipe!) I really appreciate your post and your help. I know you may do this website for fun or maybe a job, but it really helped me. So know you are appreciated. It was the first time in I made a cake for my children instead of getting it at a bakery so I was really nervous. But it was a HIT and scrumptious! Thank you!
cakewhiz
@ Allison... I am soooo happy to hear that! Yayyyy. It's always so much fun to make cakes for our little kiddos. I am sure your little one is going to enjoy looking at her birthday pictures a few years from now. And I bet she is going to appreciate the beautiful cake you made for her, out of love.
My website is just for fun and sharing my passion for baking and cake decorating with others. It makes me very happy to hear that people like you like the recipes I share and it motivates me to continue sharing. Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
Renee
Hi and thank you for sharing your knowledge! I am looking to try your recipe but have to make a 12" cake. How to I adapt the recipe?
Renee
Oh my, just saw your recipe for the meringue frosting. If I use as filling should I use something else to frost cake with? Wanted to pipe one layer and cover other layer in fondant. Is it temp sensitiv? Does it dry like a crusting buttercream frosting?
M Barrett
I love the recipe for making boxed cake taste better, I am always trying new things and this sounds great. I do have one question. You said not to use soy or almond milk. I typically make my twins' birthday cakes and they are lactose intolerant. Would the soy or almond milk effect the texture of the cake, or is it just not as tasty? Straight milk seems to upset their stomachs, and I don't know how it would do for them in a cake...Thanks!
Kate O'Conner
Fantastic! Say, can I substitute buttermilk for whole milk? Also, can I substitute plain Crisco for the butter?
Abeer Rizvi
Hey Kate,
I haven't tried buttermilk myself but someone emailed me saying they tried it and it worked great.
As for Crisco, I would avoid using that and stick with butter coz I think crisco might make the cake too dense. Also, I am a butter-loving gal and I think butter adds a wonderful flavor to all baked goods
Leslie Ramey
could you use a peppermint extract to make a chocolate peppermint cake? I love all these ideas for different flavors!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Abeer Rizvi
Yes, you can but I would suggest using a peppermint emulsion oil rather than extract. It doesn't evaporate in baking. So, the flavor and taste of the cake would be minty and refreshing
avalon
thanks for this great recipe . How do you make the candy cane hearts???
Abeer Rizvi
I did a small tutorial for those hearts here: https://www.cakewhiz.com/edible-flower-puzzle
They are so easy to make!
Kasey
What would the baking time be for cupcakes?
Abeer Rizvi
I usually bake them for 18- 20 minutes. The timing can vary a little from oven to oven.