How to Make Boxed Cake Mix taste like Bakery cake. Step by step directions on How to Make Boxed Cake Mix taste like Bakery cake are easy to follow and will give you one amazing moist cake! If you want a homemade cake flavor using a box of cake mix this is the post for you!
How to a Make Boxed Cake Mix taste like Bakery cake
As much as I love a fully homemade from scratch cake, there are times when that is just not possible. My backup is making a box of store bought cake mix taste like a homemade cake.
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.
I am a baker and after a lot of testing in my kitchen I came up with this easy recipe to make your boxed cake mix taste like you bought it from a bakery. 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.
I have worked in quite a few bakeries and the majority of them use a cake mix when making their cakes. 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.
How to Make your Cake Taste homemade
Aside from the easy step by step directions below there are a few other things you can do that will help you doctor up a box of cake mix and have it be the most amazing boxed cake mix that tastes homemade ever!
Add ins. Get creative and add things like crushed up cookies, sprinkles, chocolate candies, swirls of jelly and more. You can let your imagination run wild and get totally creative with the things that you add in!
Homemade Frosting. Seriously skip all of that store bough frosting. It is SO easy to make frosting at home, and any flavor you want too! A homemade frosting can totally take a cake from bland to over the top! So even if you are not fancying up your boxed cake mix (even though I think it is a must), adding a homemade frosting will make a world of a difference!
Fillings. There are many different fillings that you can use when you are making a homemade cake, my personal favorites are Chocolate Ganache, marshmallow fluff, and Bavarian cream. You can also fill cakes with different frosting flavors, or the same frosting you are using to frost the whole cake.
Looking for Frosting recipes ? Check these out!
- Raspberry buttercream
- Mint Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- vanilla buttercream
- marshmallow buttercream
- Caramel Buttercream
- Chocolate Raspberry buttercream
- Peanut butter buttercream
What Flavor Boxed Cake Mix can I use?
Any flavor cake mix will work with this recipe.
If you are stuck coming up with flavor combinations fo cake and frosting here are a few of my favorites.
- Red Velvet cake – Cream Cheese Frosting or Vanilla Buttercream.
- Chocolate Cake – Chocolate frosting, raspberry frosting, mint frosting or Almond buttercream.
- Vanilla Cake – Lemon buttercream, chocolate raspberry buttercream, strawberry buttercream.
- Lemon Cake – Lemon buttercream, raspberry buttercream or vanilla buttercream.
- Strawberry cake – Lemon buttercream, chocolate buttercream, or vanilla buttercream.
How much cake does this recipe make?
This makes the amount of batter you have equal to 1 and 1/2 boxed cake mixes. Follow this guide for making different sized cakes:
- Using a 6 inch round cake pan – 3 cakes.
- Using a 10 inch round pan – 1 cake
- Using a 9 inch by 13 inch cake pan – 1.5 cakes
- Cupcakes – 36
Cake Baking Supplies
You will need a few supplies to make this recipe.
- Spatula
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
If you are going to be baking a cake, I highly suggest getting spring pans. Using spring pans makes it so much easier to remove the cake after it has baked.
If you are making cupcakes I highly suggest using cupcake liners. They are much easier then baking cupcakes in a baking pan alone.
Make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Homemade Ingredients
- boxed cake mix (Any Flavor)
- salt
- flour
- granulated sugar
- sour cream
- water
- eggs
- vanilla extract
How to Make Boxed Cake Mix taste homemade
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease your cake pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
In your stand mixer bowl or another bowl add the wet ingredients.
Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix completely.
Mix everything on medium speed for 2 minutes if you are using a stand mixer, if using a hand mixer or doing it my hand mix for 2 minutes as well.
Pour the cake batter in to cake pans or cupcake pans. Be sure to only fill the pans half way if making a cake and 2/3 the way if making cupcakes.
Bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes then turn the oven up to 325 for an additional 25 minutes.
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.
Allow to cool, remove from pans and let cool completely before frosting or decorating.
Looking for more uses for Boxed cake mix? Check these out!
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Funfetti Cake mix cookie sandwiches
- Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
- Rainbow Cake Recipe
Looking for more cake ideas? Check these out!
Baking Supplies
Love to bake? Here are some of our favorite tools to make it easier!
How To Make A Box Mix Taste Like A Bakery Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix Any Flavor
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- salt just a dash
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup water
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease your pans
- Whisk together the dry ingredients
- In mixer bowl place the wet ingredients
- Add about 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix together
- Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and blend
- Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed
- Pour the batter half way up prepared pans or 2/3 of the cupcake pan
- Bake at 300 degrees for about 20-30 minutes (depending on size of cake) then turn oven up to 325 for about an equal time.
Video
More Dessert Recipes you will love!
Comments & Reviews
Diana says
Trying for the first time today kind of excited to see how this recipe works !! I will write again afterwards !!
Stephanie says
Let us know how it came out 🙂
Elise says
My chocolate cake is in the oven, almost finished baking (doing toothpick test but its still liquidy in center. It looks awesome. It’s a light chocolate color (I didn’t use any cocoa powder when i added the 1 cup flour).but i can just tell this is going to be a winner. I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie says
I’m so glad you liked it! Make sure to share how it turned out with us 🙂
Shannon Ainsworth says
How long do you cook cupcakes?
MidgetMomma says
what ever the time on the box says for cupcakes 🙂
Cindy says
I want to make Guinness beer chocolate cake. Can I substitute the beer for the water
Stephanie says
I have never does this but I believe it would work. If you end up making it make sure you share a picture on how it turned out 🙂
Karen says
I would like to make this as a sheet cake and when I made one from a recipe I had but misplaced, I think I used a jelly roll pan. Would this work with this cake?
Stephanie says
yes
Cara says
Can I use full fat plain yogurt instead of sour cream?
Stephanie says
I am not sure i have never tried, if you try let me know how it turns out.
Sharon says
Epic fail for me. Recipe did not say to flour the pans so I didn’t. My cake became a trifle, which was very tasty, but not the cake I was hoping for.
Stephanie says
I don’t flour my pans with this recipe I just grease them with butter.
Betty says
I have a 11 x 15in sheet pan. Can I put all the cake mix in it? Do I need to change the oven temp?
Stephanie says
Yes, you dont need to change the temp just add more time to the cooking time.
Mayme says
I try this tonight i haven’t cut it yet BUT IT TURN OUT NICE. i used a pound cake pan needed a little more cooking time. Have to let you k ow tomorrow how it taste
Stephanie says
Oh yummy let me know how it turned out.
Glenda says
I failed.. miserable fail lol I have no idea ( maybe an idea..) what I did wrong.
I doubled this recipe because I wanted to make 2 3inch deep cakes.
Mixed in cake flour (possible culprit???) and the remainder of the ingredients.
It smells AMAZING…
It’s been in the oven for over an hour… epic fail… its pulling away on the edges… but its completely liquid in the middle and totally sunk…
Could it be the cake vs all purpose flour that caused this??
MidgetMomma says
Hi Glenda! Yes you want to use all purpose flour 🙂
Di says
Has anyone tried out this recipe in a jumbo cupcake tin? Do i use one box for one half of the tin?
Liz Thornbloom says
My cupcakes turned out sponging and tough .. Why?
Stephanie says
Im not sure what happened, it could be from over mixing or and ingredients measured incorrectly.
Kim says
Made this cake today to test out for granddaughters bday next weekend. I want to freeze the layers I make on Monday – assuming I can? Also, mine sank in the middle after I turned up the temp. Any suggestions?
Stephanie says
i would just wrap the whole cake up very well with plastic wrap then freeze it. I am not sure why it sank.
Kelly says
I have a 15by 11 inch pan do I need to use two boxes of cake mix and double the ingredients?
Stephanie says
just one batch will work
Grammy B says
Can you show a picture of your cake versus a boxed cake? (the finished product)..I’ve tried other peoples recipes for doing this and they were nothing like a bakery cake. A bakery cake is more dense ,where the boxed cakes are more light and airy. Thank You so much!
Stephanie says
I dont have a picture of the two compared but this is the recipe I used at the last bakery I worked at.
KIM says
I AM MAKING A UNICORN CAKE I NEED 3 LAYERS WILL THIS BE ENOUGH OR DO I NEED TO MAKE 3 BATCHES
Stephanie says
two batches
Rhonda says
Thanks a million, Stephanie!
I just made this recipe using a white cake mix for my granddaughter’s 4th birthday today. It turned out AMAZING!
I’m on the fence as to whether to tell everyone about my good fortune in finding you, or to just let them think I’m fabulous!
Stephanie says
Im so glad you love it! I would share it so you can eat it at your friends events!
Stacy says
Timing for cupcakes using this recipe , would it be same time as on the box?
Stephanie says
yes just make sure you check the doneness with a tooth pick.
Kira says
This recipe definitely works. Reading is fundamental. I love reading the comments they are hilarious. Thank you for sharing.
Stephanie says
I’m so glad this worked out for you.
Jill says
Can I use this recipe to make a 4 layer 6 in round tall cake? Should I double it and what time adjustments do you think I should make in baking?
Stephanie says
It depends how thick you want the layers. I have used one batch of this for two 6″ pans then cut the cakes in half for a 4 layer cake. For time just use the same times as the box says.