Boxed Cake Mix Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

Making cakes from scratch isn't for everybody. The process involves many variables that can affect the final result. From measuring ingredients and using the right mixing techniques to ensuring the right oven temperature, each step is crucial in achieving the perfect dessert. Boxed cake mixes take the guesswork out of the cake-making process. With pre-measured ingredients and detailed instructions, commercial cake mixes reduce the risk of baking mishaps.

While it's hard to make a mistake with a store-purchased cake mix — after all the exact recipe is right there on the box — there are many ways to elevate the flavor, texture, and presentation of your dessert. For instance, small recipe tweaks, such as swapping water for milk or oil for butter, can give a boxed cake a homemade quality. There are also plenty of ways to use dry cake mix to simplify a range of recipes, turning it into waffles, cookies, or even banana bread.

Boxed cake mixes offer many possibilities — all you need is a little creativity. Ready to think outside the box? Take a look at this roundup of boxed cake mix hacks to get the most out of this versatile product!

If your boxed cake mix calls for water, you can replace it with dairy to take your dessert to another level. While water can add moisture to the dry ingredients in the packet, dairy goes one step further by enhancing the cake's flavor and richness. This is because unlike water, which simply hydrates the mix and activates the leavening agents, dairy infuses it with fat. To swap water for milk, use a 1:1 ratio. This means that if the recipe calls for 1 cup of water, you can simply use 1 cup of whole milk instead. For even richer and denser results, replace the water in the recipe with half-and-half or heavy cream.

To imbue your commercial cake mix with a hint of flavor, opt for plant-based milk. This is also a great option for vegans, provided that the original cake mix doesn't contain any animal products. Coconut milk, for example, can give the cake a little tropical richness — you can even throw shredded coconut into the mix. Meanwhile, for subtle nuttiness, try replacing water with almond or cashew milk.

Many of us are familiar with the dry cake mix story. The product is said to have flopped when it was first introduced in the 1950s. The reason? It was too easy to prepare. Since the original cake mix already contained powdered eggs and only required water, the housewives who were responsible for most of the kitchen duties, didn't feel that they were truly baking. Realizing their mistake, companies tweaked the recipe, removing the powdered eggs from the instant mix. Apparently, this strategy worked, which is why most boxed cake recipes still require fresh eggs.

While this varies depending on the brand and type of cake, most store-bought cake mixes call for three eggs. As a rule of thumb, the richer the cake, the more eggs it requires. This is because egg yolks have a high-fat content and help bind fats and liquids together, creating a velvety and smooth consistency.

Home chefs can add an extra egg to a store-bought cake mix to make the dessert richer and more decadent. Alternatively, blending two extra egg yolks into the batter will result in a denser, crumblier cake. Extra eggs also help to give the dessert a firmer consistency, which can be helpful if you are making a layer cake rather than a sheet cake with a single layer.

When it comes to commercial cake mixes, vegetable oil and butter are interchangeable. This means that you can easily swap one for the other. Unsalted butter will give your baked treat a richer flavor and creamier texture, while vegetable oil will result in a lighter and softer quality.

Most cake mixes call for vegetable oil, rather than butter — perhaps because it has a neutral flavor and blends more easily into the batter. However, if you prefer the richer texture and flavor of butter, feel free to replace the oil with the same amount of melted — or softened — butter (check out these instructions for the fastest way to soften butter). 

For a more nuanced, nuttier flavor, you can replace the oil with brown butter that has been melted and cooked until the milk solids caramelize. Since the browning process removes moisture from the butter, add an extra tablespoon or two of butter to the pan before you start browning it.

For many of us, unwinding with a cup of expertly brewed coffee or tea is the ultimate indulgence. The simple pleasure of the rich flavor and aroma of a quality brew can be either soothing or invigorating, depending on the moment and the blend of ingredients. While most of us enjoy a good cuppa, some don't realize that adding freshly brewed coffee or strong black tea to a dry cake mix can both hydrate it and upgrade its flavor profile.

Just like you can replace the water in a commercial cake mix recipe with milk, you can also swap it for coffee or enhance your mix with tea. To maintain the right balance of flavors, substitute only half of the water in a cake recipe with coffee — this can do wonders for chocolate cakes. For instant cake recipes that require milk, add a little milk or half-and-half to the brewed coffee before pouring it into the cake mix.

Since tea isn't as overpowering in flavor as coffee, feel free to pour it into the mix more liberally. And don't feel like you need to stick with black tea — different types of tea can infuse your baked goods with unique flavors. Earl Grey, for instance, can give your cake a semi-bitter and semi-sweet flavor, while chai can infuse it with hints of spices like cinnamon and ginger.

The fact that cake mixes usually offer predictable textures and tastes doesn't mean you can't turn them into showstoppers with extra ingredients. Why not treat pre-packaged cake mixes as springboards for creativity? One of the easiest ways to customize your instant cake is with simple add-ons.

When it comes to delicious cake mix-ins, the options are limited only by your imagination. Some of the most popular dessert additions are chocolate chips, which melt into gooey pockets of richness throughout the cake. Alternatively, give your boxed cake a gourmet twist with ingredients like nuts, dried fruit, coconut shavings, or crumbled cookies. Whatever mix-ins you opt for, it's probably a good idea to keep them under a cup per cake so as not to overpower its flavor.

Another way of upgrading your store-bought cake mix game is by infusing it with flavorful extracts or syrups. For instance, a vanilla cake mix can be enhanced with a few drops of vanilla extract. If you are making a spice cake, consider elevating it with a splash of almond or orange extract or a dash of rum. Those who like their desserts extra sweet can enrich their cake mix with maple syrup, which can give it both additional sweetness and moisture.

An ideal way to utilize overripe bananas, banana bread isn't just a delicious snack but also a great way to reduce food waste in your home. While the classic banana bread recipe calls for a range of ingredients, including flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar, using an instant cake mix can simplify this process. More specifically, incorporating cake mix into a banana bread recipe reduces the number of ingredients required to make the sweet treat and lets you skip the often messy measuring process.

Fancy making banana bread with just three ingredients? All you need is overripe bananas, a box of cake mix, and a few eggs. While you can stir a little milk or add a splash of vegetable oil into the mix, the bananas should take care of the required moisture. You can choose any pre-made cake mix for this recipe, but yellow cake mix has a neutral flavor base that will to highlight the natural sweetness of bananas. You can also enhance this sweet snack with add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit.

Instant pudding mixes are surprisingly versatile. Made with sugar, flavoring agents, and modified cornstarch, pudding mixes come in a variety of flavors. Best of all, aside from their original purpose — making pudding — dry pudding mixes can be used to enhance other desserts, including baked goods. Not convinced? Did you know that vanilla pudding mixes can revolutionize your French toast?

An instant pudding mix can help transform your boxed cake mix into a culinary masterpiece. For best results, combine a box of dry cake mix with an instant pudding mix before adding the wet ingredients listed in the cake recipe. Since pudding mixes come in a range of tastes, try picking a pudding flavor that complements the cake type you are making. And if you want to get creative, consider mixing and matching flavors for a unique twist. For example, why not pair a banana pudding mix with a chocolate cake mix for a new take on this classic flavor duo?

Adding sour cream to a dry cake mix may seem counterintuitive — after all, the stuff is tangy. Nevertheless, this simple step can achieve three things. It hydrates the cake, enhances its crumbly texture, and infuses it with a tangy flavor. Sour cream is relatively thick, meaning that it adds moisture to the batter without thinning it. This, in turn, results in a soft, delicate crumb. The dairy also has a very high-fat content, which imbues baked goods with a rich and velvety texture. For comparison, 8 ounces of whole milk has just over 8 grams of fat while the same amount of full-fat sour cream delivers almost 44 grams of fat.

Although full-fat Greek yogurt doesn't have as much fat as sour cream — its fat level is closer to that of whole milk — it can still enhance the moisture and add slight tartness to boxed cakes. One difference between sour cream and Greek yogurt is that the latter is higher in casein proteins, which can give the cake a fluffier texture.

Both sour cream and Greek yogurt contain lactic acid, which helps to activate the leavening agents in the cake mix (usually baking soda). In addition, lactic acid can break down the gluten structures in the powdered mix, resulting in a more tender and softer cake. Whether you decide to blend your cake mix with Greek yogurt or sour cream, add one-quarter to one-third of a cup to the mix when mixing it with other wet ingredients like milk and eggs.

While traditional cakes require long baking times in the oven, there is an easier — and much faster way — to turn an instant mix into a tasty dessert. There is only one additional piece of equipment you'll need — a waffle maker. Aside from convenience, preparing a boxed cake mix in a waffle maker is also a great idea for parties, as the mini cakes can be easily customized with different toppings to suit everyone's taste.

To make waffle cakes from a pre-packaged cake mix, simply follow the instructions on the box. Preheat the waffle iron and grease it to prevent any sticking. Next, instead of pouring the batter into a cake tin, place it in the center of the waffle maker, ensuring that it doesn't overflow. The best part is that instead of having to wait around an hour for your dessert, your waffle cakes will turn golden brown in just a few short minutes — the same amount of time it takes to make regular waffles.

Despite its name, instant cake mix is versatile enough to play a central role in the preparation of other sweet treats. Cookies are a case in point. That's right — those round, personal-sized nuggets of goodness that are so perfect for snacking can be made with boxed cake mix. While cookie recipes vary depending on the desired flavor and texture, using store-bought cake mix can significantly simplify their preparation process by eliminating the need for certain ingredients like flour and baking soda.

Cookies can be made using just three components: commercial cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. Start by selecting an instant cake mix — chocolate, vanilla, or lemon cake mixes are some of the more suitable options for cookies. Next, mix it with two eggs and half a cup of vegetable oil to make the cookie dough. Finally, shape your cookies and bake them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for between six and 10 minutes. If you prefer your biscuits gooey, take them out of the oven after 6 minutes. While the recipe will never deliver crunchy cookies, for a more cake-like texture, leave them in the oven for the full 10 minutes.

There are very few dessert enthusiasts who can resist the appeal of brownies and ice cream. After all, the warm, chewy texture of brownies provides the perfect contrast to cold and creamy ice cream scoops. And while you could also top boxed cake with ice cream, there are other ways that the two ingredients can be paired together.

Firstly, you can incorporate ice cream into store-bought cake mix. Simply melt 2 cups worth of ice cream and blend it with a box of instant cake and three eggs to make the cake batter. While the ice cream flavor is optional, try to select an ice cream without any mix-ins as these can affect the texture of the cake. In addition, it's important to remember that cheaper ice cream is likely to yield less liquid when melted than its more expensive counterpart because cheaper ice cream tends to have more air whipped into it during the production process.

Another way of pairing boxed cake mix and ice cream is to combine them into soft serve. Start by blending the cake mix with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Simmer the mixture until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Once thoroughly blended, chill the base in the refrigerator or freezer. Next, process the mixture in an ice cream maker until it resembles a soft serve in consistency. Finally, let it set in the freezer for a minimum of two hours.

Moist, rich, and flavorful, a well-made cake doesn't need frosting to hit the right spot. However, for an extra layer of decadence, you can't go wrong with a little icing on the cake — particularly if you have a sweet tooth. While canned frosting can sometimes do the trick, some of the products found at the supermarket can be overly sweet and laced with mystery ingredients. If you do have to use it, aerate canned frosting by whipping it in an electric mixer.

Topping your boxed cake with homemade frosting doesn't just give the dessert a personal touch but can significantly elevate its flavor. Some of the easiest frostings require just a few ingredients and minimal effort. One of these is buttercream frosting, which consists simply of butter, cream or milk, and powdered sugar. Alternatively, you can replace butter with cream cheese to give the topping a slightly savory twist. If you have more time, why not try your hand at making a more advanced cake icing like French buttercream, which can be finicky due to the addition of hot sugar syrup?