You Need A Different Type Of Water For The Fluffiest Box Mix Cake

Boxed cake mixes are something of a modern marvel in how they make baking a cake a quick and simple task. Compared to the precise measuring, creaming, and general mess of making a cake from scratch, boxed cake mixes make it a cinch to throw together an impressive layer cake any day of the week. Whether it is for a celebration or just to tame a wild sweet tooth, we here at The Takeout are no strangers to the variety of different substitutes and secret ingredients that will upgrade your boxed cake mix.

One of the simplest ways to change up a box mix is to substitute the water for another liquid. In this case, we're suggesting swapping the water for ... water, fizzy water, that is. Using carbonated water instead of plain water will give you the lightest and fluffiest cake imaginable. Whether you call it club soda, seltzer, or soda water, sparkling water is the secret to giving you a moist crumb and extra airiness.

It makes total sense when you break it down. Sparkling water will add the moisture needed to turn the dry ingredients into a batter, and the carbon dioxide will also add air bubbles into the mix. The water's fizz, paired with the leavening ingredients already in the cake mix, will do double duty to give your cake the ultimate rise and make for a fluffy sponge even Paul Hollywood would kvell over.

You can follow the recipe on the box and substitute the water for soda water in a 1-to-1 ratio. However, there is another secret hack that can make your next cake a two-ingredient wonder by only using soda water in the cake mix. This comes from the period around the Great Depression and World War II when eggs, butter, baking soda, and baking powder were hard to come by. A cook could use seltzer as a substitute for all the other liquid ingredients as well as the leavening agent. Without the oil and eggs typically called for in a box mix, the texture is even airier and lighter, falling somewhere between an angel food cake and your typical layer cake. This is also a great way to use boxed mix to make a vegan cake.

Use a plain seltzer or sparkling water, or go for one with a flavor that pairs well with whatever you are baking, like cherry with red velvet cake or grapefruit with vanilla cake. You can even use a regular soda for more flavor and sweetness — I love a good old Coke mixed into chocolate cake myself. Whatever you use, all you need to remember is to use a single 12-ounce can of seltzer or soda with one box of cake mix.