Grab a cup of coffee and join me! Everyone always asks me why my cakes taste so amazing, so today I am sharing my easy hack with you! I havent tried it myself, but I would evenly divide the batter among the pans you plan to use and then look at Wiltons baking guide to see what time they suggest for 8-9 inch pans! Go crazy with some yummy fillings! I am Lauren, a short mom (4 foot 10 to be exact!) 3. The Frosting. Plus, it was just as delicious days later because of the added moisture. Coffee and chocolate is a match made in heaven, and will really pop the chocolate flavor. Im concerned if they stuck a toothpick in the center and it came out clean is there any other way I can check it so this doesnt happen to my cake? Begin to add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing by hand. Next time I'll remember not to frost the cake before it's cooled, though. Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Check these out! Home Baking Tips How to Make a Cake Mix Taste Like a Cake from the Bakery, Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole. Insignia Pressure Cooker Only $59.99 Shipped on BestBuy.com (Reg. I am very skilled in kitchen, so I was surprised when after also following recipe exactly, mine also collapsed and was so dense it was inedible. Would you recommend any differences in recipe instructions, ingredients, or measurements, for high altitude baking? Please refer to the Wilton cake baking guide: https://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html! $149) + More. How to Make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Better Than Bakery In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and vanilla extract, beat using an electric mixer until fluffy. Throw in a handful of chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit to make your cake extra special. With a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in baking and pastry arts, a love for tasty food and amazing photography skills Stephanie brings the amazing recipe ideas we come up with to life. Bakery Style Cupcakes - The Easy Way | FoodLove.com You'll want to bake your cake in 8- or 9-inch round pans for this. I look forward to making it. I have a white cake mix that calls for 3 egg whites. They turned out beautifully! (My mother-in-law, however, swears that she was awake all night after eating a slice.). 4 Pastry Chef-Approved Tips for Making the Best Pound Cake. This recipe looks great! They can be time consuming. Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Grab a cup of coffee and join me! If you want a homemade cake flavor using a box of cake mix this is the post for you! Sure can! In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl using a handheld electric mixer), add the butter, oil, granulated sugar and powdered sugar. I did this for my son's actual birthday cake, which turned out to be perhaps the moistest cake I've ever eaten. Thank you for sharing. To really give these tips a fair test, I decided to also make one cake using the exact ingredients and directions from the box without doing anything additional. Will have to try that the next time I bake these up. It looks really white. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Stir with a fork until blended. Vanilla cake is typically made with whole eggs (the white and the yolk) and contain regular vanilla extract. This recipe makes enough batter for three 6"x2" cakes or two 8"x2" cakes (round). Voila, perfect easy buttercream frosting. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Thank you for the great recipe. oh thats so great! Of course, those extra layers are perfect for more frosting and icing (which results in a better frosting-per-bite ratio). You can let your imagination run wild and get totally creative with the things that you add in! This cake mix recipe is perfect for all of us who like the ease of a box mix, but maybe want to doctor up the cake mix for more of a homemade taste. I love the, can I omit the salt? Thanks for posting the recipe? Required fields are marked *. Very weird texture & it had no flavor. Hi Rebecca, I want to make this recipe into a layered cake. Pour the box cake mix into a large bowl. Im looking at wedding cake sized cakes, and just wondered if someone had an idea. Read our full disclosure policy here. Remember, taking out the yolks decreases the amount fat in the cake, so make sure to replace it with 1 tablespoon melted butter for every yolk removed. I am a huge fan of the Fat Daddios cake pans. Follow this guide for making different sized cakes: You will need a few supplies to make this recipe. I tried this so I could get a few extra cupcakes out of 1 mix. Sherry February 27, 2016 at 7:32 am It makes the best cakes. I made it again and cooked it longer thats what it needed to maintain its height and keep it fluffy.. on the flip side, we still ate the dense cake.. it was like brownies to us. It has way too much sugar. Overmixing the batter is one, humidity and location is another, and opening the oven door during baking. The cake is super most and it freeze/ refrigerates well until I can decorate it. Use melted butter in the place of vegetable oil for a richer taste. This cake turned out awesome!!! Boost the flavor of a boxed chocolate cake mix by adding hot water instead of tap. Hi! How to make WASC Start with one box of white Duncan Hines mix Add in one cup of AP flour 1 cup of granulated sugar teaspoon salt 1 cup sour cream cup melted butter 1 cup of water or milk 4 egg whites 1 teaspoon almond extract Start with a cold oven. Unfortunately the center of a cake can fall for a lot of reasons. I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream cakes turned out fabulous! HELP Want to make it now But I dont have buttermilk. This makes the amount of batter you have equal to 1 and 1/2 boxed cake mixes. Allow to cool, remove from pans and let cool completely before frosting or decorating. The flavor of white cake and vanilla cake are nearly identical. Grab a store-bought cake mix, and lets get baking! Out of mayo? Continue adding powdered sugar until the frosting no longer looks wet and tastes good to you. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease your pans, Add about 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix together, Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and blend, Pour the batter half way up prepared pans or 2/3 of the cupcake pan. Water tastes like, well, water! Can I use rainbow sprinkles in this to make it funfetti? Love the slow / low temps and then the slight increase. For this recipe youll want to use a 15.25 oz box of Duncan Hines white or vanilla cake mix. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2011 - 2023 All rights reserved. 1. Box cake mixes are great and very handy, plus they can be transformed into bakery style cakes with a few extra ingredients. Eggs, water and oil. Instead of using vegetable oil, use melted butter and double the amount suggested on the box. You get consistent results and it's an easy mixing method. 1 box cake mix. Super yummy cake. This doctored up white cake mix definitely makes more cake batter than if you were to just follow the back of the box instructions, so thats my only caution you might have leftover cake batter because you dont want to fill the pan too high! If so, maybe just remove 2.25oz. I have a question. Line several half sheet pans with parchment paper. I usually sub whole eggs for egg whites and use all buttermilk. Try a platform where you can hire a tutor todo your assignmentonline. Can I leave it out without too much of an impact on the recipe? Well let me put your mind at ease. These are all recipes that take a ton of time to make from scratch and are the most requested flavors from my clients. Fold in your 1 cup of mix-ins (optional). Let the cake cool and frost the cake as desired. This Hack Makes Boxed Cake Mix Taste Like It's From a Bakery Of vanilla to all my mixs makes a lot of difference to the final product. A 9 inch pans is 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Curious if you used the same mix? I need a recipe for a wedding cake, not too airy and not too dense. The milk adds fat, which results in better flavor and density in your cake. Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. All your ingredients were fresh? You Rock! How to Make Any Boxed Cake Mix Taste Like the Cake Came from a Bakery Step One Look at the directions on the back of the cake box. Hi Brooke! Hi Judy! Break Out the Instant Pudding Grease and flour two 8" cake rounds (I use Homemade Cake Release ), line with parchment. Sounds lovely. I just made this and it is wonderful. Your email address will not be published. Boxed Cake Mix Hack swaps a few ingredients to make a dense and buttery, rich, bakery style cake that tastes like you paid $6 a slice! Threw both cakes out. ???????????? WOWthe batter is smooth and silky, rich-looking. . I am Lauren, a short mom (4 foot 10 to be exact!) I plan on using a 123 hexagon pan. You can add a dollop of sour cream to your cake mix to up the moisture factor. I did wrap the pans with moistened magi-cake strips which made the cakes raise evenly and raise better. This will give the cake a richer flavor. Im a fan of box cake mix recipes probably just as much as you are! 1 box of cake mix, around 15 oz., any brand & flavor, Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker Only $119.99 Shipped on Costco.com, Up to 40% Off Home Depot Grills | Nexgrill Cart-Style Just $89 Shipped (Reg. THANKS SO MUCH!!! The vanilla powder added to your boxed cake mix might be past its prime. If you have been around here for a long time, then you know I LOVE making cakes for people. I wanted to share this recipe because I know many of us dont have lots of free time to be spending in the kitchen, but when you make something, you want it to taste good, right? Can I substitute whole milk rather than skim?? The basics of the cake mix is what you find in traditional store box mix, but then there are different added ingredients which make the cake the traditional bakery cake you are used to. Im having a hard time making one from scratch *cries*, Hi Nina I'll have a doctored red velvet box mix cake coming out later this week! The difference wasn't all that noticeable, but I'd still say it was worthwhile. I used a yellow cake mix and I made two kinds of frosting. I am very excited about this method. Hi! What size cake mix box did you use? I only use Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist boxes. Our recipe doesnt call for pudding. It is a simple way to make the boxed cake taste just like the cakes you get at the bakery, and it only takes a few added ingredients to do so. My favorite Duncan Hines box mix flavors are Red Velvet, Triple Chocolate, White Cake (for making WASC) and strawberry. Do you have some tips on how to make your box mix taste homemade? Baked 350 degrees for 33 mins. Hi! Thank you for the delicious hack. Try this yummy strawberry cake next it actually uses a box of cake mix, too! You can find the pan sizes and recommended baking time on the back of the cake box you will be using. My team member and taste-tester extraordinaire Jenna had this to say: The differences you listed are all true! This gives the mixture more fat and flavor, which means a more delicious cake. But I still want that delicious flavor! Frosting looked old and the taste of cake and frosting was stale. Excellent recipe! This looks and sounds delicious thank you for sharing! Allow the cake to cool completely before adding frosting. Everyone always thinks I bake them from scratch and I dont. Place all of your ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer (or you can mix by hand) and stir on low to combine until just moistened. I highly recommend that if you make it into a layered cake, that you use 8 inch pans (a perfect fit) and line the bottom with parchment paper. It made a very tall cake but we were able to remove the dowels (bamboo skewers) and finish icing the cake. I am not sure. Add ins. Step three Instead of using oil, use melted butter and double the amount. The are pretty interchangeable. Check these out! Simple recipe swaps that will make your store-bought cake mix taste like it was made-from-scratch at a fancy bakery. How did you make this into tres leches without the egg whites?? I will always make my white cake like this from now on. Yes, I will definitely try it out, but just wondered if anyone knew for sure. can someone help me out here? Hope that helps! https://thefirstyearblog.com/doctored-up-chocolate-cake-mix/, https://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html, https://thefirstyearblog.com/doctored-up-caramel-cake/, https://thefirstyearblog.com/doctored-up-pumpkin-cake/, https://thefirstyearblog.com/peanut-butter-sheet-cake/. However this year with 3 time the trials it alway seems to come out dense, rubber ish. That happens a LOT. If you are stuck coming up with flavor combinations fo cake and frosting here are a few of my favorites. Sorry to hear that Jen. Mad I wasted all of those eggs, milk and butter! Butter is better. I tried this, and in practice, it made the batter smell really good, although I couldn't really tell the difference once the cake was baked. This is how to make box mix taste homemade. Add extra flavorings. Use a 1-1/2 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to scoop the dough, and place them about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Great tasting cake, but it takes about twice as long to bake as the recipe states, as other people have mentioned. Then I used cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted coconut. I added a couple generous spoonfuls to a yellow cake recipe and it turned out great. Boxed Cake Mix - Tastes like bakery cakes Add Some Sour Cream Adding cup sour cream to your cake mix will give it a richer taste and add moistness to the cake in one easy step. Can this be baked in round 8-9 inch cake pans? Hi! Hope thats helpful., Using a GF yellow cake mix (18oz) for cake mix recipe (16.25) banana cake, how do I adjust 18 down, Hi there! Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean. I will definitely be using the tips you shared with us. Would this recipe be good for cupcakes, too? I love this recipe. Pour batter into two prepared 8" pans and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Perfect for layered cakes and holds up lots of buttercream decoration with no problems! You can also fill cakes with different frosting flavors, or the same frosting you are using to frost the whole cake. So moist and flavorful. The last few sample cakes I made were from scratch and much too heavy and dense. Bakery-Style Cake From Boxed Cake Mix yield: 10 SERVINGS prep time: 15 MINUTES cook time: 28 MINUTES total time: 43 MINUTES Simple recipe swaps that will make your store-bought cake mix taste like it was made-from-scratch at a fancy bakery. Copyright 2023 Sugar Geek Show on the Cookd Pro Theme, A doctored cake mix that is well-used by bakers all over the world that produces a delicious white cake that tastes almost like scratch. My very favorite type of cake is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and this one wont disappoint! I used chocolate pudding and devil's food cake, but feel free to experiment with flavors you like (butterscotch pudding and vanilla cake sound pretty good to me!). After baking and cooling your cake, slice it in half or thirds, and add something special to those layers. How to Make Boxed Cake Mix taste like Bakery cake I made it for cupcakes for a birthday party and everyone was raving about how great the cake tasted. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, sour cream, & warm water. Thanks. Bake time? Made this tonight as directed with a Pilsbury white cake mix for a tres leches cake and it was phenomenal! Today Im sharing a few easy tips on how to enhance a cheap box of cake mix to have it taste as if it came from a bakery. Spray a 913 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Would I need to make adjustments, If so, what do you suggest? I even baked it an extra 5 minutes so it definitely wasnt underbaked. Swap out the milk for buttermilk, and now you've really got something special! This is our favorite brand of cake mix. I think I need to make another cake and only use one or two changes this time. 1 cup sour cream. I need to make a white wedding cake this week and trying to find the easiest route . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi, I'm Liz! Could I use this recipe in a sheet cake pan? If you only do a couple of changes, leave the oil but change out the water for milk and add the extra egg. Highly recommend The Cake Mix Doctor book. To make a box cake taste like anything but, you need to punch up the required ingredients. It wasn't the most beautiful cake in the end, but it definitely tasted delicious. Yay! https://thefirstyearblog.com/doctored-up-chocolate-cake-mix/ I have been using this recipe for years, and I shared it years ago with you guys and I thought it was time to update the pics and answer some of the questions that are always asked about making a boxed cake taste homemade. How to make box mix taste homemade (5 tips) | Sugar Geek Show Thanks. 4 eggs. It's definitely a short-cut and sometimes the best option. I made this recipe using a yellow cake mix. So glad you made it your own and that it turned out well! I would like to add crushed pineapple to a Duncan hines spice cake, how much should I add and should I drain the liquid? Then I use my electric mixer one last time to make sure the powdered sugar is really incorporated and ready to go. That makes me so happy to hear! It was HORRIBLE! More butter = more better. Add Some Special Layers. It was so moist, and just airy all of my guests were shocked I made it from a box. 6 Easy Hacks To Make Boxed Cake Taste Like Bakery Cake It really does taste like a bakery cake! Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool . Hi! Wonder what happened? Bo mayo though. It is a keeper! problems with the original recipe? Very soft and moist, and so easy to throw together. Can I substitute chocolate cake mix using this recipe? The vanilla cake turns out so moist and flavorful, gets tons of compliments each time I make it, plus no one knows its a box cake mix recipe! Thanks for a keeper! Hi Cathy! Try out these tasty fillings for your cake. The white one fell in the center but, seems to be done otherwise. Thanks! Told us we should go into the cake-baking business. Easy Bakery Style Cake From Box Cake Mix - On Ty's Plate Use a convenient & inexpensive boxed cake mix along with a few staple pantry ingredients to "doctor up" the cake mix. Add a little rum, almond, or orange extract as well. All the boxed cakes I've made in the past have been really light and fluffy (not a bad thing), but this was completely different. Can you use whole or 2% milk instead of skim ? If I could leave pictures I would. Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. How to Make Boxed Cake Taste Like Bakery Cake Its really not a big deal if the center falls a little because it will be covered up with frosting! BEST CAKE IVE EVER EATEN!!! It made exactly 30 PERFECT cupcakes! Clients will actually email me to confirm that I bake from scratch. However you do it, it's pretty easy to make a boxed cake taste better and the best part is that most of these tips are foolproof. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. And the best part? We had to put some dowels in the cake when it wanted to fall over and put it in the freezer until it set up. Can I use this recipe for red velvet? It looked like it was in a freezer with the Happy Birthday looking discolored. 1 tsp Vanilla 2 tsp butter flavor extract if it is a vanilla, white, chocolate or cherry cake, also add 1/2 t Almond Extract Instructions Mix well and pour into a 9 x 13 cake pan that has been greased and floured. Butter instead of oil. I only add one extra egg, sometimes two. This was the best cake I have EVER had. Something went wrong:( Waste of ingredients ! Add the remaining ingredients and beat the batter on medium speed with a hand mixer until smooth. I'd say a few days at most. No butter or oil? I also added an extra egg white because I thought my eggs were small. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Ingredients Cake 1 box white cake mix, 15.25 oz (I prefer Duncan Hines) 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup all purpose flour tsp salt 4 larg egg whites 1 tsp vanilla extract, clear or regular 1 cup skim milk cup buttermilk 1 cup sour cream Hi Feli! Using the ingredients listed in the postdo i still add in the ingredients on the back of the box as well? Because buttermilk is extra thick, use a few more tablespoons than the recipe calls for. Step 5: Mix well and bake for the time recommended on the box. Be sure to share your review in the comments below and follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok for even more food + family fun! Make sure to follow MM on Instagram and Pinterest for more creative ideas! 40% Off Myprotein Promo Code + Free Shipping | Lemonade, Mike & Ike, & More Fun Whey Flavors! Another way to soak your cake in flavor is to poke holes in the cake, pour a flavored mixture over the top, and let it soak into the holes. Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. I was wondering if its okay for a layered cake, or will the layers not hold up? The cake looked good when cooking, but fell to. They taste great too! Thanks for sharing this recipe! For the chocolate version of this recipe check out my Chocolate WASC Recipe. I will be using vanilla extract, due to daughters allergy, & an electric convection oven. Hi I dont have skim milkI would think 2% would be ok? I am definitely a fan of keeping them on hand for quick cakes and easy dessert recipes! After baking, the cake was taller and fluffier. I frosted it with your chocolate buttercream. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 degrees F for convection bake). I havent tried it myself. Did yours turn out well? {Copycat} How to Make Swig Sugar Cookies - A Feast For The Eyes Do you have greek yogurt? Easy White Cake from Box (doctoring up a cake mix!) I have pinned this recipe. Combine all dry ingredients and whisk together. But don't forget about other delicious layering ingredients like chocolate ganche, buttercream, fresh seasonal fruit, flavored whipped cream, or lemon curd. If you love to bake cakes like I do, here are a few of my favorite cake baking supplies. Start with the best box mix possible. I have even made wedding cakes and birthday cakes for people. Now, I am making the chocolate version for my friend. This is the best homemade Cake recipe ever. Hip2Save is a registered trademark of Hip Happenings, LLC. The only trouble is, these oils have almost no flavor. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hip2Save may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you via trusted partners and affiliate links in this post. My easy buttercream recipe is so simple, it may as well be cheating. How to Make a Box Cake Mix Taste Homemade I have to make a huge batch of cupcakes and didn't want to put the work in making from "scratch" batter. Just want to be sure before giving this a test go ;) It looks great! Here's what you need to do! . Hi Kelli! In an attempt to make the cake pretty, I bought small round pans and cake wraps, to prevent the layers from doming. Hi Beth Id like to bake this cake for my granddaughter Ilyanas 8th birthday. I prefer Duncan Hines cake mixes, as do a lot of food bloggers, plus Wilton recommends Duncan Hines brand and Wilton is a cake powerhouse, so I trust their opinion. I have a blog post for high altitude hacks that might help you. If you are making cupcakes then you will want to have the cook time be 20 minutes at 300 and an additional 20 minutes at 325. The more eggs the moister 4. Bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes, until they're set at the edges and lightly browned on top. Want to bake round cakes or cupcakes? Substitute milk for water (the higher fat content the better) Bake your cupcakes according to the directions (they're done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean), and I promise they'll be the best cupcakes-from-a-box you've ever had. It's no wonder its the recipe of choice when you need a perfect white cake for so many bakers. I'm an artist and cake decorator from Portland, Oregon. Vanilla & Salt give the cake a more homemade taste. And way, way, WAY better than that frosting from a can. How frustrating. For more information read my disclosure pagehere. I have used your recipe twice, once for a chocolate cake and the other was a yellow cake. Each girl will be able to decorate a face for each pillow. top 10 essential dessert recipes free! With all the additions, the cake is more moist and required a longer cook time. Usually for red velvet cake or chocolate cake when I want a nice flavor but don't have time bake from scratch. Replace the water with an equal amount of milk. I tested out these 3 common tips that are supposed to enhance a box of cake mix to make it taste more like a high-end bakery, inspired by this article from Insider.com (Food Network also has a great article). Cant see the video above? 11 Best Hacks to Making Boxed Cakes Taste Homemade | Can Food - YouTube originally published July 24, 2017 last updated December 8, 2021 Yes, you can use 4 whole eggs. For more info on decorating your first cake, check out my free training on how to make your first cake. This recipe for easy white cake could also be called vanilla sheet cake. I used the same suggested bake times on the box, so just reference it for other bake times. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I havent tried the box cake method yet but very tempted . Hi Lenna! It is very dense and heavy, yet so delicious. Vu says that there is indeed truth to the claim that baking pound cake by starting it in a cold oven makes for a better pound cake. The only thing I would suggest is you be upfront with your customers. These small changes make a big impact on boxed cake results! https://thefirstyearblog.com/doctored-up-pumpkin-cake/ I wonder what happened. Your recipe sounds delicious and I want to try it. One of a kind-This white cake has more to it than meets the eye! It's hard to argue with the convenience of a box mix cake, especially when you're short on time and/or cake-baking expertise. Yum! Im so glad it turned out well for you! But in my area (Portland) people are extremely concerned about what they put into their body (Portlandia is real ya'll). Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). (Use butter and flour, line with parchment paper, or spread GOOP.) What are ya waiting for?! Just a couple of ingredient swaps is all you will need to make a cake mix taste like a cake from the bakery! Hi Mary Helen! But this makes a lot of batter so I think 3 would be good! Hi guys! How to Make a Box Cake Mix Taste Like Bakery Cupcakes Add Extra Egg Yolks When making any cake, other than white cakes, add the number of eggs that the mix calls for plus two extra yolks. I know some boxes out there are 18.25 oz, so be sure youre getting the right size. Melting and cooling the butter. Tonya, Used box egg whites instead of separating whole eggs . All you need to do is: Replace water 1:1 with milk ( ideally whole milk, but you can use any kind you want) Replace oil with melted butter and double the amount (1/2 cup becomes 1 cup, etc.) I used the stars and stripes funfetti cake mix. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish. When I read stuff like that, sarcasm immediately takes over and Im thinking .. Maybe a little. No Carol, absolutely not. I really like this recipe but I want to combine this with another recipe to make it a lemon cake instead!