Boxed Cake Hacks

Desserts are my weakness and baking is a stress-reliever for me. One day- a couple of weeks into the shutdown due to COVID-19- I was baking yet another batch of cookies. My son walked in and asked, “Cookies again??” My husband, who had been enjoying my efforts, looked at me and said, “Ignore the haters. Keep baking cookies.” But, sometimes, I’m not in the mood to bake everything from scratch. Sometimes I’m asked to create a last-minute dessert. When these things happen, I turn to my favorite Boxed Cake Hacks.

Time-saving, simple, and easy to do. That’s what I call these simple tips to make a boxed cake mix taste homemade. I feel kind of bad when someone tells me how delicious one of these cakes are and asks for the recipe. “It’s a boxed mix I kind of fixed up a little,” I tell them, “but I’m happy to share how I did it.” This either gets me a look of disbelief and disgust as if they think I’m not willing to share a prized recipe or a look of “that’s totally awesome. I can make this too.”

Here’s 5 of my favorite ways to make a boxed cake mix taste homemade. All of these work with gluten-free cake mixes too!

Pumpkin Muffins

For fall, I like to make pumpkin muffins with this 2-ingredient recipe. All you need is a box of yellow cake mix and a 15-ounce can of pumpkin. It has to be plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling to work. Just mix the ingredients together until blended, pour into muffin cups, and bake as directed.

Make Cake Mix into Cookie Dough

This works with any flavor of cake mix! Use a boxed mix in the flavor of your choice, add 2 eggs and ½ cup vegetable oil. Mix together until blended. Roll out and use as cookie dough.

2-ingredient Orange Cake

Mix a box of yellow cake mix and one (12-ounce) can of your favorite orange soda until blended. Bake as directed on the package. I like to use Fanta orange just because I think it tastes better, but any kind will do.

Make Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix Taste Homemade

Make-Boxed-Cake-Mix-Taste-Homemade — Make Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix Taste Homemade.

Start with a box of chocolate cake mix and prepare as directed EXCEPT instead of using the water called for in the mix, SUBSTITUTE an equal amount of black coffee OR hot water. You can also stir in two tablespoons mayonnaise. I know, I know. That sounds disgusting. I thought so too until someone served me a piece of cake they made using these tips.

Make Brownies From Chocolate Cake Mix

Mix together a box of chocolate cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 cup chocolate chips, and 1 cup pecans until blended. Bake as directed on the package. Yum!

Have you tried boxed cake mix hacks before? Which one would you like to try first?

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