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Saturday, May 25, 2013

How to Make a Box Cake Even Better

Cake is delicious, whether it's made from scratch or from a mix. Personally, I'm a fan of boxed cake mix mainly for convenience and there's so many things you can do with it. I think they taste perfectly fine, but I'm not really a fan of how crumbly they can be sometimes. It's really annoying - especially when a 3 year old wants cake and HAS to hold it. Hello, crumbs everywhere.

With a little research, I found some great tips to take your boxed cake mix to the next level. These simple tips & tricks will work for pretty much any flavor cake mix, any brand (though some brands are better than others), and should work fine for a gluten-free mix as well. You can also make these into cupcakes. (Cupcakes are just cake in a cuter, mini form!)

How to Make a Box Cake Even Better

Follow the directions on the cake mix, but make these substitutions for better cake:
  • Replace the oil with melted butter (salted or unsalted, just not margarine).
  • Use apple sauce, fat-free yogurt, or fat-free sour cream instead of oil to make your cake low fat!
  • Add an extra egg. Use the amount of eggs in the box recipe, but then add in one more.
  • Replace the water in the recipe for milk or buttermilk.
    *To make your own buttermilk (makes 1 cup): mix 1 cup milk and 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Perfect Chocolate Cake - from a cake mix!

Perfect Chocolate Cake (from cake mix)
*Every box cake recipe is similar, but check your mix for specific measurements!

1 Devil's Food cake mix (Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, and Pillsbury are my favorites)
4 eggs (use the amount of eggs in the box recipe, but then add in one more)
1/2 cup melted butter (substitute oil in the box recipe)
1 1/3 cup milk (substitute water in the box recipe)

Mix and bake according to box directions. Baking time and temperatures should be listed for cakes, cupcakes & bundt cakes.

Here's a few tips to help your cake come out beautifully (I'm not a cake professional, but these tricks work for me):
  1. Don't overmix. This will get too much air in the batter and can cause the cake to collapse.
  2. Test your cake for doneness by inserting a tooth pick in the center. If it does not come out clean, then bake the cake for a little longer.
  3. Get an oven thermometer (they are under $10) to check the accuracy of your oven temperature. If the temperature of the oven is too high, your cake could rise too rapidly, then sink in the middle. Too low and you'll have an undercooked cake. Yuck.
  4. I know it's fun to watch a cake bake, but resist opening the door. Checking on the cake before the batter is set can cause the cake to sink.

Would you like to comment?

  1. Replies
    1. I AM GOING TO TRY XTRA EGG AND SKIM MILK AND BUTTER. P.S. LOVE YOUR NAME

      LINDA A JAN 3,2014

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    2. Also, are you aware IF you put your cake in the pan/glass or metal, in the freezer immediately after taking it our of the oven and let it get real cold it will be even better and moist no matter what ingredients you use????? I am serious. I got this idea from a sister in law. Everyone always raves over her cakes so I asked her the secret. I tried it - WORKS!!!!!

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    3. Be careful putting hot glass straight from the oven into the freezer - the rapid temperature shift can cause it to shatter.

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    4. Need to make a champagne cake, Can I replace the water(milk/ with Champange? Will this work as well? Thanks

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    5. I do the freezer trick as well. Make sure you are using a Pyrex glass pan. It won't shatter.

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  2. Good ideas - I have also replaced the water with sour cream instead of milk.

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  3. That looks delicious! What great tips!

    (I love homemade cake, but it's always a crapshoot. Boxed mixes are always a sure thing!)

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  4. Nice! Thanks for the great tips!

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  5. YUM! Trying this next time I make a cake for sure :)

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  6. I love the ideas for making the cake lowfat. Thanks for the tips.

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  7. These are great tips! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Ohhh yummmm - thanks!!

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  9. Wow... that sure doesn't look like a box cake mix. Will have to try it!

    Take care,

    Trish

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  10. Lindsay, good tips for people using cake mixes. Thanks for joining the cake extravaganza. Cheers

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  11. Could you use these the same way as regular directions when stacking caked? Such as wedding cakes, I was afraid they would be too heavy.

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    Replies
    1. Yes I made a 3 seven tier wedding cakes and it came out perfectly.

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    2. you could also use supports every couple tiers- straws inserted thru 2 tiers and cut so they are even with the top layer- place a support on the straws- plastic disk- then another few layers on top of the disk- more straws cut to be even with the new top layer- another disk- the straws help keep the cake layers from shifting and work as 'legs' to hold the disk up and wt off the bottom layers.

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  12. Thank you for these tips, they are much appreciated. I am definitely going to try adding an extra egg next time I bake some cake.

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  13. Thanks for these tips, they sound perfect!

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  14. Going to use these tips to make an extra-tasty Easter Bunny cake using a mix this weekend. Thank you!

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  15. Thanks for all the tips, will try some tonight. As for a three year old and crumbly cake, pour some batter to make little pancakes with frosting. :-)

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  16. Can you use almond milk instead of regular?

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  17. Chocolate cake continues to cook after you take it out of the oven. So, I usually pull mine out a few minutes early. I also then cover it with either plastic wrap or parchment paper to hold in the moisture.

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  18. I do this all the time when I make cakes for people as I excel in cake decorating but not so much in homemade baking.Question?? Any idea how to do this and keep the cake white?? I haven't tried yet but I need to make a white cake for a wedding and am not sure how I can adjust the recipe and still have it come out yummy. Help??!

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    Replies
    1. Use a Duncan Heins white cake mix. Mix 1 1/3 cups water, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup powdered jello pudding (vanilla or cheesecake flavor) and 2 large eggs. Mix all together and bake 315* for 45 minutes to 1 hr 10 minutes depending on cake size. Makes an amazing cake! I bet you could use milk instead of the water too but I have never tried that.

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    2. I add white food coloring to improve the whiteness - the whole eggs tend to yellow the white cake mix

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    3. USE EGGS WHITES ONLY FOR REALLY WHITE CAKE , ( I hate caps lock) Any cake mix I have ever seem call for whites. Save the yokes for scrambled eggs the next morning !

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  19. I replace the water with leftover coffee from the morning...since doing that trick people go crazy over my chocolate cake! I'll try the other tips along with mine..thanks

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  20. Thanks for sharing the recipe, it looks moist and delicious!

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  21. Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but it does NOT work with gluten free box cake mix :/ The consistency is very weird, gelatinous almost and very thick. But I know it DOES work, very well, with box cake mix!!

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  22. I am making a cake for a very special friend this weekend and can'take wait to try these tips.

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  23. when making a chocolate cake I add a couple ounces of melted bakers chocolate and butter as a replacement for the oil

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  24. Does the freezer trick really work I'm making my daughter a chocolate cake for her birthday

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  25. I will trying baking a cake tomorrow.

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  26. I have made box cakes every which way the most perfect cake was instaed of water i used milk, i use an extra egg for which the box cakks for i use melted salted butter in place of oil and i add a snall package of jello brand pudding for chocolate cake i use chocolate pudding for vanilla i use vanilla pudding. I also buy the regular frosting and i put it in a bowl and use the hand mixer and beat for 2 minutes or so, it makes it easier to spread and it slightly increases in volume.

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  27. You can also add a few drops of vanilla extract to it, for added flavor

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