These tips will help you make your box cake look and taste better. Even cake experts will want to try more.
A boxed mix of cake mixes is great for busy parents or inexperienced bakers.
Although serious bakers may not appreciate it, there is nothing wrong with a boxed cake mix.
It makes some of the best cakes you’ve ever tasted, and they are easy to make. However, box mixes do have their problems.
The one-size-fits-all approach can result in uneven cake layers or dry baked goods, but don’t be discouraged.
With just a few simple tips and tricks, you can improve your boxed cake mix’s flavor, texture, and presentation.
This article is for you whether you are in a hurry to make a tasty dessert or you can’t wait to bake.
These tips can be used to improve texture and flavor, as well as frosting ideas.
Always Choose a Good Boxed Cake Mix & Top 5 Brands
If the source of your cake is poor, you can’t expect great cakes. To get high-quality cakes, choose a quality brand.
The most important factor to look for in a boxed cake mix is taste.
Please make sure you choose one that offers delicious cakes every time because it will probably be the only thing people talk about.
It’s also important to consider the quality and freshness of ingredients.
Some brands add preservatives or artificial flavors to their mixes, which can lead to an unpleasant aftertaste.
Once you find a good brand, stick with it until you find another one that is just as good.
Don’t change brands every time your local store runs out of your favorite cake mix or when a new flavor is released.
There are many brands and varieties available, but these are my top picks.
1 – Gold Medal White Cake.
This General Mills cake mix has the most versatility.
This white cake mix can be used to make everything, from sheet cakes to cupcakes.
You will also find instructions for six cookies and five cakes. It receives a 10/10 rating for moisture.
Because it is plain in appearance and flavor, it can be used as a blank canvas for any flavor you might want.
It’s worth the $24 price tag.
2 – Duncan Hines Chocolate Cake.
My favorite cake is chocolate cake, so that I will have some chocolate cake mix on hand.
Duncan Hines offers a wide variety of cake mixes, but I have tried fudge chocolate.
The Duncan Hines cake mix makes a delicious, moist, fudgy, and rich chocolate cake.
Bonus points are awarded for the instructions to make cake waffles and low-fat recipes at the back of this box.
3 – Jiffy Yellow Cake.
Jiffy is best known for its cornbread mix. But the yellowcake is just as good.
It’s my favorite out of all the options. This recipe makes a delicious, moist, and tender yellow cake.
The Jiffy yellow cake can be made in many ways, just like the Gold Medal white cakes.
This cake mix is capable of making angel food cakes, trifles, and cobblers.
The best thing about this recipe is that you only need water and eggs to make it.
4 – Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake.
Red velvet cake is a complex dessert due to its unique texture, color, and flavor. This is why I love Betty Crocker’s Betty Crocker mix.
It creates that perfect chocolate-vanilla flavor and crumbly texture.
This cake mix is also gluten-free, so you don’t have to add any food coloring or beet juice to get that perfect red color.
This cake mix does all the work for you.
5 – Krusteaz Meyer Lemon Pound Cake.
This cake mix is for lemon lovers. This cake has an unmistakable lemon burst.
However, it’s not overly tart. The perfect balance is achieved between sweet and tart.
This is a pound cake so that you can expect a dense texture and a moist texture.
It tastes delicious when drizzled with butter, sugar, and lemon juice.
For variety, you will also find instructions to make jam tea cake in the box.
How To Make Box Cake Better
There are a variety of ways you can make your cakes better.
You will find that many recipes in cookbooks and magazines have a “secret ingredient”.
This ingredient is about enhancing the flavor or texture of a cake.
Below are the ten secrets I use when making my cakes:
Replace Water With Milk
Most cake recipe instructions will say to add water. But, where’s all the fun?
To bind the ingredients of a cake mix and make it into a batter, you will need liquid.
Water is the most obvious liquid choice, but it’s not the best.
While water-based cakes can be cheaper than other options, they are dry. Instead of using water, you can use milk.
Full cream milk is my favorite because it has the best flavor and moisturizing properties.
But, you can also use 2% or skim milk. I have never tried dairy-free milk, so please let me know if you do.
Buttermilk can also be used as this is a great way to add moisture to your cake.
You can make buttermilk from scratch if you don’t have any buttermilk.
Combine one tablespoon of vinegar with one cup of milk. Mix the mixture well with a spoon.
Let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Your buttermilk will be ready when it begins to curdle.
Add Additional Eggs
Eggs don’t just hold the dry and wet ingredients together.
They are also responsible for lifting the batter and adding richness to the cake.
However, you can add more egg whites to your batter if you desire your cake to be lighter and airier.
You can go the extra mile and beat the whites until they form stiff peaks before adding them to the batter.
Mixes of cake ingredients are usually plain-tasting. Egg yolks, however, can add richness and flavor.
A single yolk can make a big difference in a cake mix.
Add More Fat
Don’t settle for water. You can add more fat to your batter by adding buttermilk, milk, oil, and butter.
These ingredients will not only give the cake richness and flavor but also add moisture.
You can say goodbye to dull and dry cakes. Butter is the best ingredient for adding richness and flavor.
Try replacing half of your water with butter.
This will make a moist cake with a smooth and creamy texture, which is perfect when paired with some berries or fruit filling.
Try Some Sour Cream
Sour cream is just like buttermilk and milk, and it transforms basic cake mixes into amazing cakes.
Sour cream makes a delicious, moist cake. You can kill two birds with one stone, right?
This is a secret trick that professionals use to make their cake mixes look homemade.
You wouldn’t believe that professionals use a cake mix, either.
Substitute Melted Butter with Oil
Sometimes cake mixes call for oil. I recommend using melted butter instead.
The flavor of butter is unparalleled by any oil. Butter’s richness masks artificial flavors in cake mixes.
Butter also gives the cake a fluffy and soft texture.
Avoid using butter substitutes such as margarine and butter blends.
For maximum cake flavor, stick to high-quality butter.
If you have the time, you can also brown the butter before adding it to the batter.
Brown butter is a delicious, toasty, and nutty flavor that’s unlike any other.
You can brown butter by heating it on medium heat and frequently stirring it until it turns golden brown. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
Substitute Water with Coffee
This is my favorite method for making chocolate cake. It won’t taste anything like coffee if you don’t like the coffee flavor.
The flavor of chocolate is amplified by coffee, which gives your cake a richer chocolatey taste.
A fudgy cake can also be made by adding hot coffee.
The heat also helps to dissolve lumps, creating a well-combined batter.
Add a pudding mix
Jell-O pudding is always included in my box of cake mixes. They create a dense and rich cake that tastes just like homemade.
Any pudding will work. It is possible to use the same pudding flavor as the cake mix.
However, you can also mix and match the flavors to create more complex combinations.
For example, I love banana pudding in my white-cake mix. They go together so well.
Add More Flavors
If you want your cake to taste like more than just sugar and vanilla, add additional flavors.
As already mentioned in my first tip, using extracts is a great way to infuse the butter with flavor without any other ingredients.
For example, if you are making chocolate cake, why not add cinnamon or nutmeg? You can use extracts that match your cake flavor or just go crazy and add any extract you like.
Flavors from extracts can take a plain-tasting cake mix to the next level.
To give it a fruity twist, garnish the cake with fresh fruit or jam.
You can make a chocolate cake by adding chocolate chips to your batter.
Use extracts like vanilla, banana, or almond to infuse the batter.
Use vanilla glaze to drizzle the cake. It is a simple mixture of powdered sugar and water.
It’s simple.
Use Simple Syrup
The simple syrup makes cakes richer and moister. It is the perfect remedy if your cake, homemade or from a box, turns out dry.
It is made from equal amounts of sugar and water. Boil for approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
You have two options: you can continue the recipe as is or add spices, citrus peels, or liqueur.
Use the syrup to drizzle over your cake.
The syrup will coat the cake well, giving it moisture and flavor.
Use Good Frosting for Your Box Cake
I kept the best for the final. Without frosting, a cupcake isn’t cake.
If you use the right frosting, even the most basic cakes can still taste great.
Here are some of mine:
Buttercream – Buttercream is creamy, smooth, sweet, and buttery. It’s stable and perfect for decorating cakes. It’s simple to make. Combine softened butter and powdered sweetener with a little milk.
Chocolate Ganache – It sounds complicated and expensive, but it’s just a mix between melted chocolate, cream, and other ingredients. Pour it all on top of your chocolate cake to make a decadent treat.
Glaze – This one is ideal for dense cakes like pound cakes. Because it’s just water and powdered sugar, it can be flavor easily. Any extract works.
I also love to add lemon juice to my lemon pound cakes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cake boxes are great and easy to use, but there’s still room for improvement.
It is possible to make these very easy and convenient cakes taste better by using simple ingredients like browned butter, coffee, extracts, frostings, simple syrup, and glaze.
Keep these tips in mind next time you’re baking a cake.
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