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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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For the devils food cake, would I use coffee instead of milk or both. 1/4-1c of sugar and flour ??? That’s a big span. Would you add equal parts of the two. Would the cook time or temp need to be adjusted after adding all these tricks?
Rae, I recently used the Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil’s Food cake mix and incorporated some hacks. Replaced the oil with melted butter, added two extra egg yolks, used I cup of strong brewed coffee, and topped off the remainder of the liquid measurement with whole milk. Didn’t want a coffee taste, so I capped it at 1 cup. Added another dash (maybe 1/2 teaspoon?) vanilla extract. I wanted to make chocolate cherry cupcakes, so I diced some frozen cherries (you could use marischinos, but I used frozen). Tossed them in flour so they would suspend better in the batter, and baked as cupcakes. I frosted them with another hack, Cool Whip frosting, topped with half a cherry. They were a real hit and looked great. Nice moist cake texture.
What options do you think are the best. If I add more sugar and flour, do I need to add more liquids?
I do have a question is this going to be the same amount of ingredients for the yellow cake mix and the chocolate cake mix. Or is the chocolate different. Or is it going to be the same amount of ingredient.
I’m making 2 11×15 yellow Duncan Hines cakes. and and 1 8inch round dark chocolate cake.
2 for April 3rd and one for April 4th
Great tips for cake mixes. I always add butter to my mixes and now I can’t wait to try the other tips.
These are such great ideas for dressing up a cake mix!
Thank you so much for the helpful tips! Sometime you just want to use boxed mix and I’m excited to use this recipe to help make it taste more like from scratch!
I used butter in place of oil. I used everything else you suggested and the cake was ever so moist and delicious. Tastes like it was made from scratch.
Terrific ways to dress up a box cake, Kasey!
Hi just to clarify I can add to the box cake mis 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 of flour? Also can I used can milk?
Everyone is so impressed with my cakes when I follow your tips! My go-to is yellow cake box mix with:
Butter instead of oil
Milk instead of water
2 extra yolks
1/2 C sour cream
Vanilla and salt
1/2 C each AP flour and sugar
2 T Mayo
As long as you don’t over-bake, it’s so dense and perfectly moist! Cream cheese frosting is my favorite way to top it
Thanks for sharing!
YAY~ That’s what I love to hear!!
Excited to try one of these tricks, but can I use butter, sour cream and pudding all at the same time or are the tricks separated by color because they should only be tried one at a time?
I try not to use them all at once because the fat in the cake will make it sink. I would try 1-2. Maybe the sour cream and butter.
You are absolutely correct! It happened to me twice! One or two ingredient changes per cake, ladies!
Awesome tips!! Thank you for sharing..
So glad you found it helpful!
AMAZING TIPS!! thank you, thank you!
This is the ideal recipe for busy bakers! I love all the tips and tricks for making a cake box mix taste like it’s homemade. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love cake mix! I use it all the times for poke cakes and birthday cakes!
Love the free printable!!
I used Duncan Hines cake mixes (3 batches 2 yellow, 1 devils food) to each I added an extra egg (4 total), 1 C whole milk, 2/3 C melted butter. All seemed to bake fine however upon cooling all 72 cupcakes carved into the center (looking like collapsed calderas). I am filling with icing but they do not look great & I am wondering “what did I do wrong”?
I don’t know. My first thought is maybe they didn’t cook all the way? It sounds like they should have been ok. I’m not sure!! SORRY!!
If I add milk to a box cake mix, do I still need to add oil? I don’t want to try substituting butter instead of oil just yet. Thanks
Yes! The milk is to substitute the water, and the butter is to substitute the oil. So if you would rather still use the oil, you still need to add it even with the milk. Thank you!!
-From the All Things Mamma Team
Thanks for sharing this information it’s very useful for me. You have clearly explained thank you.
We are so glad this post was helpful!
-From the All Things Mamma Team