Did you know that box cake mix can also make deliciously chewy cookies? Below are the tips to improve your boxed cake mix.
1. Add more eggs
To get an extra rich and moist cake, stir in two extra egg yolks along with the eggs the recipe calls for (save the egg whites to make these delicious meringues). For a lighter and more airy cake, use only egg whites (and save the egg yolks for crème brûlée). 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.
2. Walk away from water
Water tastes like, well, water! Swap it out for another liquid, preferably something with flavor and fat. Substitute whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk (almond and coconut milk work especially well). The milk adds fat, which results in better flavor and density in your cake. Want to make your cake extra rich? Swap out the milk for buttermilk, and now you’ve really got something special! Because buttermilk is extra thick, use a few more tablespoons than the recipe calls for. Think “out of the box” and use other non-dairy liquids: Try swapping out the water for soda (colas are the best), juice (orange is great with vanilla and yellow cake), or even a stout beer (for chocolate cake).
3. Swap water with coffee in chocolate cake
Coffee and chocolate tend to go hand-in-hand—especially when it comes to cake. By adding in instant coffee or swapping water with a brewed cup of joe in your boxed cake mix recipe, you’ll end up with a richer tasting cake that seems too good to be true.
4. Amp up the chocolate
Boost the flavor of a boxed chocolate cake mix by adding hot water instead of tap. The hot water helps to “bloom” the cocoa (just like adding hot water to coffee grounds). Speaking of coffee, instead of making your cake mix with hot water, try replacing it with strong brewed coffee. Coffee and chocolate is a match made in heaven, and will really pop the chocolate flavor.
5. For other cakes, swap water with milk
For other boxed cake mixes—like white, yellow, funfetti, and more—skip the water again and sub in the same amount of milk instead. The milk adds some fat to the cake, helping it to create that moist cake texture that we all desire in a thick slice of cake.
6. Add sour cream or yogurt for a rich, moist cake
Another tip for creating an even denser cake slice is adding in sour cream or yogurt to the mix. This doesn’t sub in for any of the called for ingredients on the boxed cake mix, just simply add in a cup of sour cream or yogurt to the mixture and mix together.
7. Add a pudding mix into the batter
For intensely delicious flavor, sprinkle in a box of your favorite pudding mix for a cake that is unbelievably decadent. No need to prepare it, keep the mix dry! The pudding mix helps with giving the cake that dense, moist texture we always seem to be going for when baking a cake at home.
Chocolate pudding will work well with chocolate or red velvet box cake mix. White chocolate pudding and even cheesecake pudding are a little more versatile, working well with boxed cake mix flavors such as white, yellow, orange, strawberry, and carrot cake.
8. Turn the box mix into cake cookies
Not really in the mood for baking an entire cake? Then bake some cookies instead! Using your favorite box cake mix, mix in an egg and an 8 oz. container of Cool Whip to create fluffy cookies. To make a dense cookie, mix in two eggs with 1/3 cup of oil (like vegetable or canola). Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes, then devour!
9. Top up the tasty bits
The vanilla powder added to your boxed cake mix might be past its prime. Bump up the flavor by adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Making a spice cake? Add a little rum, almond, or orange extract as well. If you’re making a white or yellow cake, add a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or lime zest, or a bit of juice. And don’t forget all of those goodies in your cupboard that you would use in cookies, brownies or other cakes. Throw in a handful of chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit to make your cake extra special.