14 Easy Ways to Make Boxed Cake Mix Taste Homemade

Simple swaps to elevate a basic boxed cake recipe

Co-authored by Lisa Britten and Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: January 3, 2024 Fact Checked

With limited time, ingredients, or baking prowess, how do you transform a simple box cake mix into a fake-it-till-you-make-it bakery cake? We interviewed professional baker Lisa Britten for the best tips to upgrade your box cake to taste like something you made from scratch. Follow this list of sweet suggestions for an easy, better-than-box-mix cake. Ready, set, bake!

1

Add 1-2 extra eggs.

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An extra egg yolk will enrich your cake’s flavor, while the egg white fluffs up your cake and gives it more moisture. If you want more fluff without more eggy flavor, add an extra egg white separated from the yolk.^{[1]
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2

Replace oil with an equal amount of melted butter.

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The texture of your cake will be denser and have a more intense flavor. Use butter as an alternative to oil with any flavor or brand of boxed cake.^{[2]
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3

Replace eggs and oil with flavored soda.

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Try root beer or cola to add a subtle taste to chocolate cake.^{[3]
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4

Replace water with an equal amount of milk.

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Milk adds flavor, richness, and moisture. Use whole milk or your preferred non-dairy milk with a white or vanilla cake mix. Use buttermilk for a tangier flavor, which pairs especially well with red velvet cakes.
- As another substitute for water, pro baker Lisa Britten recommends using “coffee creamers to give [your cake] a different taste.”^{[5]
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5

Replace water with an equal amount of coffee.

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Use these caffeinated substitutions in a chocolate cake to bring out the richness of the cocoa-y flavors. For an extra kick, try Kahlua instead for a boozy combo of espresso and chocolate.^{[6]
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6

Add ¼ cup (35g) of flour.

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A denser and tighter structure is ideal for something like a Bundt cake pan, where you’re trying to achieve a specific shape. Combine this tip by swapping out water for milk or adding an egg to maintain fluffiness and moisture.^{[7]
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7

Add sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise.

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The extra dairy adds creaminess without adjusting the rest of the recipe. Professional baker Lisa Britten sometimes adds “flavored yogurts…to give an offset to the sweetness [and] allow it to have some extra moisture.”^{[8]
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Expert Interview}

8

Add a small box of dry instant pudding.

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Add dry pudding mix to any boxed cake for a texture boost. Use it in a chocolate cake with fudge frosting to increase the fudge factor.^{[9]
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9

Add 1 cup (120g) of flavorful mix-ins.

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Stir in anything that suits your desired flavor and look; sprinkles, candy bar pieces, berries, candied cherries, butterscotch chips, coconut flakes, nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or white chocolate chips. Add the same mix-ins to your frosting, or sprinkle them on the cake for decoration.^{[10]
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10

Add 1 teaspoon (15g) of spice, zest, or extract.

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Add in a splash of your favorite flavor extract, like vanilla, almond, orange, maple, peppermint, or red velvet emulsion. Alternatively, add in cinnamon, nutmeg, or lemon zest. Vanilla, almond, and citrus zest pair well with white or yellow cake, while coffee extract and warm spices do wonders for a chocolate mix.^{[11]
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11

Mix your batter until no dry streaks remain.

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If you’re going for a light and fluffy texture, expert baker Lisa Britten advises to mix “just until the liquid is absorbed into the flour and then…stop mixing.”^{[12]
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Lisa Britten
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Expert Interview} Your finished batter should be satiny and slightly glossy.^{[13]
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12

Use room temperature ingredients.

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Using “super room temperature ingredients,”^{[14]
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13

Make your frosting from scratch.

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For a simple vanilla buttercream, use 1 cup (225g) of butter, 3 cups (360g) of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of heavy cream. Mix these ingredients together until combined and fluffy. Customize your buttercream flavor by adding melted chocolate, maple syrup, or fresh fruit.^{[16]
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14

Use simple decorations that hint at your flavor.

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Add a drizzle of melted chocolate to a chocolate cake, or thinly-sliced strawberries for a yellow or strawberry cake mix. Baking expert Lisa Britten gives the example of a lime cake: "You could do some crushed butter graham crackers on top and lime zest. Anything just to match that flavor to identify the flavor of [cake] from the topping.”^{[17]
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Tips

Use a professional cake pan for a more even bake and more ease removing your cake from the pan.^{[18]
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Cover a frosted cake in plastic wrap or airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to five days. An unfrosted cake can typically stay at room temperature for up to three days.^{[19]
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To freeze your cake, place it in the freezer for one hour or until the frosting solidifies, then cover it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to two months.

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