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Here’s a secret: even a lot of bakeries use boxed cake mix! These simple tips for how to make a box cake mix taste homemade will take all your cupcakes and birthday cakes to the next level!
I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have time to make a recipe from scratch. There’s no shame in the boxed cake mix game, but of course, we want it to taste as good as homemade. And that’s where these tips for doctoring up box cake mix come in! (These doctored up cake mix recipes will come through in a pinch too.)
How To Make a Box Cake Mix Taste Better
While I love my homemade cake mix, I’m assuming you’re here because Betty Crocker is your sous chef today. And that’s okay! Because like I mentioned before, a lot of professional bakers use boxed cake mixes.
I had no idea until I saw one of our town’s biggest wedding cake bakers checking out at the store with powdered sugar, butter, eggs, and several boxes of Duncan Hines White Cake Mix! What a scandal, right?!
I could have sworn her cakes were homemade! Nope. Instead, professionals start with the boxed stuff and add the right ingredients to make it taste like it was made from scratch.
First Step: Start With a GOOD Cake Mix
A trusted friend who is known for her amazing cakes let me in on a secret: they teach bakers in classes that you really can’t beat Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker. These two options are considered the best boxed cake mixes, with the right mix of ingredients for a perfectly finished cake, every time!
While you can definitely try other brands and I think you’d likely have good results, I can’t vouch for them personally. I only tested these hacks with Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker cake mixes.
Tried-and-True Hacks for Making Boxed Cake Mix Taste Better
I tested these hacks with boxed cake mix and my homemade buttercream frosting. Then, I had my family try the doctored up cake mix cakes and rate them against cakes made by following the package directions. The results?
The doctored up cake mix cakes tasted more like homemade and we all thought they had better flavor and texture.
Here are the tricks to improving the taste of box cake mix:
- Use milk instead of water.
Using whole milk or buttermilk gives the cake a richer texture like homemade, with an improved taste. - Add extra eggs.
To get an extra rich and moist cake, stir in two extra egg yolks along with the eggs the recipe calls for. - Add sugar and flour to the dry mix.
Add 1/4 to 1 cup sugar and flour to your cake mix. - Use coffee instead of water for chocolate cakes.
For chocolate cakes, use strong brewed coffee instead of water to deepen the flavor. - Add sour cream for an extra moist cake.
Add in 1/2 cup of sour cream for more moisture and richness. - Jazz it up with pudding mix.
Add a small box of instant pudding to the cake mix for extra moisture and flavor. - Give it a boost with vanilla and salt.
Add in a teaspoon of vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the mix. - Swap butter for the oil.
Use melted butter in the place of vegetable oil for a richer taste. For an extra decadent cake, add two tablespoons of mayonnaise, like this Copycat Portillo’s Chocolate Cake. - Level up the flavor with mix-ins.
Add a handful of chocolate chips, fruit, or nuts. - Upgrade your cake mix with homemade frosting.
Make homemade buttercream frosting! This cream cheese frosting is also excellent!
More Baking Tips and Hacks
- This free printable shows you How Many Cups in a Quart, Pint or Gallon so you don’t have to guess or Google it every time. Just hang it on your fridge!
- You’ll love this list of the The Best Easy Cake Recipes, which can be whipped up super fast!
- If you’re completely new to baking and need to know How to Bake a Cake, I have you covered, too!
- Out of eggs? Try this Baker’s Guide to Egg Substitutes and find the perfect replacement!
- Do you really need cake flour for that recipe? And what is cake flour, anyway? Learn more: Cake Flour vs. All Purpose Flour.
- It’s also important to know When to Use Salted vs. Unsalted Butter in all your baking recipes.
How to Make A Box Cake Mix Taste Homemade
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. ounce box box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 3.4 oz box instant chocolate pudding (dry)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan.
- Place all cake mix ingredients in a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined and fluffy for about 3 minutes.
- Pour into baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Video
Nutrition
Click Below for My FREE Printable Cheat Sheet 
10 Tricks For Making A Box Cake Taste Homemade – Printable
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This cake looks so yum
Thank you!
Has anyone ever added milk and pudding mix as extras??? I’ve done pudding powder but I have not done milk to the cake mix when using the pudding.
I’m making a red velvet cake boxed cake mix. Can I still add the flour and sugar to it? Will it affect the color of the cake?
YES! I think that would be fine and not change the color. You could always add in a little red food coloring, too!
Thanks for the tips! I used the extra eggs, butter, and whole milk when I made my husbands birthday cake. He didn’t believe me when I told him it was from a box!! Between him and our daughter I barely got one slice of it, I’m so pleased!!
WOW! That’s awesome!!
I have a couple of questions. When making a vanilla box cake what kind of frosting would go best with it a buttercreme or a whipped frosting which i haven’t tried to make either of these frostings? Also would a cream cheese Almond frosting hold up better if your making flowers on the cake? I make a DR. Pepper Chocolate cake with a powdered sugar frosting just lightly drizzled over it that everyone loves, but im trying to come up with an idea for my sister’s wedding because she doesn’t like chocolate cake. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. Thank you 🙂
Thanks for the advice on how to make a box cake taste homemade. I remember that my mom used to always make funfeti cake for me when I was a boy and so I want to make them for my kids when they get a little older. I had never thought to add pudding into the cake — interesting! Thanks again!
For the pudding do you add just the powder packet?…or do you make the pudding and then add it as pudding to the cake?
The packet
QQhow much butter do u substitute for the one third cup of oil
For eggs, use 2 eggs and one egg yolk, it will add moisture.
Great idea!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I used some of your tips today to make a chocolate cake with boxed mix (Duncan Hines). It WAS remarkably better!!! I added extra eggs, butter in place of oil, and whole milk instead of water.
But question: please explain what you meant about the sugar and flour. Is that 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of sugar or the opposite? Or something else entirely?
Thanks.
GREAT!!! I am so happy to hear that, Cecelia!!
I think you can do what you want with the sugar and flour. I usually use the same amount of both. I tend to use 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup sugar each time. Experiment and see what you think! 🙂 Let me know!
self rising or all purpose flour?
All purpose. 🙂
So you’ve added all of the eggs, milk and butter… plus the sugar and flour?
Hi there, I’m going to try some of these tips today! But before I do so may I just clarify, so you usually add 1/2cup of sugar and 1/2cup flour to one box of cake mix? No added baking powder or anything would be needed? Sorry for all the questions. And I didn’t get Duncan Hines but I got another (Betty Crocker) so I’m hoping it works just as well.
Maybe be a dumb question but….
What if i want the cake to have a wedding cake taste. Do I add almond extract or substitute the vanilla for the almond?
Thanks!
That’s a good idea!! How about adding a little almond extract. A little goes a long way though, so be careful! I’d add it to a white cake. Good luck! 🙂
I’ve make Wedding Cakes and I always add Champagne extract to my cake mix. It turns out wonderful.
Hello
Do I have to change the temp of the oven if adding 2-3 items or bake for longer?
I always leave it the same when I’m making two layers. I don’t try to bake other items at the same time as my cake. I am afraid it won’t turn out.
You mean other items as in the “10 tips”?
Simmer on Orange peal one about 45- min. then mash peal and all, add a couple drops of lime or lemon and mix as normal. Just like you would add apple sauce. , and bake as normal-and oh so good.
Thanks for sharing your tips, but I usually make home made cake. My kids love my home made cake. Have a terrific afternoon!
I took a cake decorating class years ago and I remember using box cake mixes but we added something to them. This stuff came in a box and had powder packs (2 or 3) that we added to the crack mix before we mix cake. I think it made the cakes higher. Does anyone know what I am talking about? I think it had the word whip in it. This ole brain can’t remember what it was. I am tired of using a cake mix for two layer cake and the layers are so thin. Thank you.
Hmm…I really don’t know!
There use to be a whip cream powder mix that had a couple of packs in it. I haven’t seen them in years though.
Dream whip! 🙂
the name was dream whip
Dream Whip and you can still get it. But we used it in the icing recipes to keep it from cracking.
do you remember what the recipe is that you used for the icing?
Its called cream whip & they still sell it
CHICKEN
You’re thinking of the product called “Dream Whip”. It’s actually a powdered whipped cream substitute but it can be added to boxed cake mixes to make the layers rise higher and to make them more moist.
Google it for more information.
:o)
Dream Whip
Good tip!
Dream whip, not sure if it’s still made, I haven’t looked for it in years.
It is!
Yes they still sell them at Walmart
Could it have been Dreams Whip? That was something that you mixed up (from years ago) it was a precursor to Cool Whip. I think it had two packages to a box.
The only other thing I can think of that came packaged like that way was Knox Gelatin.
Oh yes! They still sell it around here in the stores. Worth a try!
Dream whip, you can buy it by the cake mixes.
It might have been “Dream Whip” my Aunt use to put it in her cakes.
Was it Dream Whip?
Dream Whip. Its powered whip cream.
Dream whip
Dream Whip?
YES! Good call.
Dream Whip?
Can you make a cake with a freezer with only mix and water?
Dream whip, i get it at grocery store, walmart, its usually near jello products. I use it with cream cheese on pies , so good.
Powdered Dream Whip, makes great texture.
It’s Meringue Powder. Yes, it works too!
It might have been Ready Whip that came in a box n it made whip cream
Dream whip, I Remember using that in cake mixes. It comes two packs in a box
YES! Good idea!
I think they might of used Whip it, a stabilizer for whipping cream! It’s made by Dr. Oetker,you can find it on Amazon! I especially love it when I make a Whipped Cream frosting, it really gives the whipped cream so much body!! I love it!!
Oooo! That’s a good idea!
I think I know what your talking about, is Dream Whip . And they still make it.
Yes It is dream whip.
Dream whop….my mom used that for jello desserts too !
1 cake mix
1 cup water
4 eggs
1 package Dream Whip
Dream whip
I believe that would be Dream Whip. I still use it.
Probably Dream Whip!
That was called Dream Whip and yes you can still get it. There are two white pouched of powder in each box. My Aunt always added it to her cake mix .
I’ve heard it’s wonderful!
A packet of Dream Whip. Added to cake mix will make cakes fluffier and moister also add enhanced flavor.
I have to try this!
Dream Whip
It’s called Dream Whip and Walmart still sells it. It’s on the isle with the Jello pudding.
YUMMY! Good tip!
Dream whip
Perfect!
Was it called Dream Whip?
Lila
These all sound great but for 20 years I have used boxed mixes for all my cakes and i have done atleast 50 wedding cakes and my secret is to freeze them after baking the ice them while they are frozen – it cuts down on all those crumbs and is super moist!!
That is a great tip!
Do you let them cool on the counter after baking but before freezing, or do you wrap and freeze straight from the oven?
I let it cool first.
I also wrap mine anf freeze them but I do it while they are warm and they are super moist and light..
I started doing that a couple years ago immidiatly put it in the freezer covered or wrapped for 45 minutes locks the moisture in:) and baking it at 325 for 35/40 minutes…baking at 350 for 15/20 minutes also instead of direction time 25/30…i also put instead of boxed pudding i put 2 pudding cups in use milk butter AND sweet indenced milk about a half cup:) and who doesnt LIVE 3 milk cake?? Mix one can of evaperated milk 1qt half and half one small half quart heavy whipping cream after cakes cooled completely poke holes and pour in! Add whip cream and any topping fruit or cinnamin!:)
Yes, I have done this too. The freezing adds in moisture via ice crystals, I sometimes ice them, then freeze; or sometimes I just freeze and then ice, then refreeze- have never noticed a difference and neither have my clients! (I also use Duncan Hines mixes -they stopped carrying Decadence- which were the BEST : ( – but I ADD AN EXTRA EGG, use HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM instead of water, and melted butter instead of oil…everyone raves and thinks they are from a bakery!)
What do you mean by freeze and then ice?
Thank you! We actually like are cake cold so we usually put it in the refrigerator. Especially since we recently also found icing hacks and we actually get a bright colored canned icing and add a whole 8oz tub of whipped topping to it, and It is super good cold. But now I think tonight we are going to freeze it and ice it like you but keep it frozen. We love Baskin & Robbins frozen cakes so much. Now all I need I s to learn how they make their whipped topping we love so much!
Oooo! Good tip!! Let me know if you figure out their whipped topping, too! haha!
Are these either ors add ins, or do I add all of these to the boxed cake mix
You can any of these to make it more “homemade” tasting. I would’t do them all – just pick a few and experiment!
I take a white cake mix and substitute the amount of water called for with flavored soda (pop). Orange and strawberry are my favorite! Not only does it flavor the mix, it makes it so much moister.
We like chocolate cakes. So we’ll probably try sprite but how much do we use and is it in place of any other liquids?
Thank you!
I substitute the amount of water that your box mix calls for with the other liquid – like in this 7UP Bundt Cake Recipe – https://allthingsmammacom.bigscoots-staging.com/7up-cake-recipe/
Crap! I just used them all! I hope I didn’t just ruin my cake! 😂
Yep! It tasted just like it was made from scratch!
GREAT to hear!
Hello , enjoying this ….Jenny from Georgia