Updated on November 11th, 2022
Using a cake mix from a box is a great option whenever you don’t have a lot of time to bake a cake from scratch or don’t feel confident in your baking abilities. There are, however, a few tweaks you can make to your boxed cake that will make it taste more like a baked good. The following are some easy pointers that will assist you in achieving a better result. With these helpful hints, you’ll be able to make a cake from a box that tastes just as delicious as one purchased from a bakery.
The majority of recipes for box cakes call for canola or vegetable oil, which is an excellent time-saver but lacks flavor. You can make a more decadent and moist cake by adding a little butter that has been melted or your preferred non-dairy milk. A good alternative would be to use whole milk rather than milk with a percentage of 2 percent. If you want to get fancy, you can even add a dash of orange juice. You could try adding some sour cream or full-fat yogurt to your cake if you want it to have a slightly tangy flavor.
What’s the Secret to Making a Box Cake Taste Like it Came from a Bakery?
It is difficult to argue against the convenience of a box mix cake, particularly when you are pressed for time and lack experience in the art of cake baking. However, if you want it to have the flavor of something you made from scratch, try one or more of these simple modifications. When you are finished, conceal the box.
Instructions
The only instructions to remember are to use whatever is specified on the back of the box:
- Add another egg to the mix.
- Replace the water with equal amounts of milk.
- Can use melted butter instead of oil. DOUBLE the quantity.
- Cook according to the instructions on the package.
Add More Eggs
Along with the eggs called for in the recipe, you should also mix in two additional egg yolks. This will ensure that the cake is extra moist and rich (save the egg whites to make these delicious meringues). Use only egg whites in your cake recipe for a lighter and airier cake, and save the egg yolks for your creme brûlée. Keep in mind that removing the yolks from the cake will reduce the total amount of fat in the cake; therefore, you will need to replace the fat by adding one tablespoon of melted butter for every yolk removed.
Distance Yourself from the Water
Water tastes like, well, water! Replace it with another liquid, preferably one with flavor and fat. Replace the skim milk with whole milk or your preferred non-dairy milk (almond and coconut milk work exceptionally well). Your cake will have enhanced flavor and texture as a direct result of adding fat from the milk.
Do you want your cake to be particularly decadent? You’ve got something special when you switch from milk to buttermilk in this recipe. Because buttermilk has a higher viscosity than regular milk, the amount called for in the recipe should be increased by a few tablespoons. Use your imagination and consider the following alternatives to dairy-based liquids: Try substituting the water with soda (colas are the best), juice (orange is excellent with vanilla and yellow cake), or even a stout beer instead of drinking the water (for chocolate cake).
More Fat, More Flavor
The majority of recipes for box cakes call for either vegetable or canola oil. The only drawback to these oils is that they barely have any flavor. To make the dish more decadent, try substituting the oil for an equal amount of melted butter instead (and adding a pinch of salt if you’re using unsalted butter). Include two tablespoons of mayonnaise in the recipe for a particularly decadent cake. Do you believe that? Keep in mind that mayonnaise comprises oil and eggs, both of which are already present in the cake. You can add up to a quarter cup of sour cream or full-fat yogurt for a tangy twist.
Increase the Amount of Chocolate
To enhance the flavor of a chocolate cake mix in a box, try using hot water rather than cold tap water. The “blooming” of cocoa is facilitated by hot water (just like adding hot water to coffee grounds). Keeping with the theme of coffee, the next time you make a cake mix, rather than adding hot water, try adding strong brewed coffee instead. Coffee and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly, and the combination will bring out the chocolate’s full flavor.
Add More of the Good Stuff to the Mix
The vanilla powder may be that and added to your boxed cake mix had passed its expiration date. Add between a half and a full teaspoon of vanilla extract to give it a more robust flavor. Are you going to make a spice cake? Include a splash of rum and almond or orange extract, if you like. If you are making a white or yellow cake, add a teaspoon or two of freshly grated lemon or lime zest or a little bit of the juice of either of those fruits. Also, don’t forget about all of the delicious things in your cupboard that you could use to make cakes, cookies, or brownies. If you want your cake to stand out from the crowd, spice it up by including some chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit.
Show Your Love In Many Forms
After the cake has been baked and given time to cool, you should cut it into halves or thirds and add something unique to each layer. You can brush each layer with simple syrup, jam, marmalade, or even a little bit of your preferred spirit to add additional moisture and flavor to the cake (like coffee-flavored liqueur for tiramisu cake or a bit of rum for a spiced orange cake). Of course, those additional layers are ideal for accommodating a greater quantity of frosting and icing (which results in a better frosting-per-bite ratio). However, you must not forget about other delectable layering components such as chocolate ganache, buttercream, fresh seasonal fruit, flavored whipped cream, or lemon curd. These are all excellent options.
Why does Cake from a Box Taste Better than Cake Cooked from Scratch?
Cake mixes, even though they have a particular nostalgic comfort factor, often have a taste that is bland, sweet, and faintly chemical, and their texture leaves a lot to be desired. Cakes that have been baked from scratch have an incomparably superior flavor. They are luscious, buttery, and moist, and they have an abundance of subtle sweet flavor subtleties that make it difficult to stop eating more.
There is no reason to celebrate that many of these cake mixes include stomach-bloating amounts of sugar, chemicals whose safety is in question, and occasionally even concealed trans fats. However, this does not mean that you should altogether avoid cake mixes in the future. Some brands are healthier for you that you can consume in moderation without negatively impacting your health.
Do Bakeries Utilize Cake Mixes that Come in a Box?
Add between a half and a full teaspoon of vanilla extract to give it a more robust taste. Are you going to make a spice cake? Include a splash of rum and almond or orange extract, if you want. If you create a white or yellow cake, add a teaspoon or two of freshly grated lemon or lime zest or a little bit of the juice of any of those fruits.
My experience working in various bakeries has led me to believe that the vast majority of them prepare their cakes with the assistance of a cake mix. A variety of additional ingredients are added to the cake mix, but the core components of the cake mix are the same as what you would find in a regular store box mix. This result in the cake is similar to the classic bakery cake you are used to.
How can you Make Packaged Red Velvet Cake Taste Better?
You can achieve a more robust flavor by exchanging the oil for the same quantity of melted butter. One approach to increasing density in a recipe is to add the egg. Replace the water with milk or buttermilk if you’re making a red velvet cake in the same proportions as the water. Alternately, you might use equal parts water and sour cream in its place.
Changing the prescribed ingredients to ones that produce a juicer result is the simplest method to make a box cake taste homemade, like Paula Deena’s version of the cake. As a result, in place of the water called for in the recipe, you should increase the amount of fat and milk present and the number of eggs that are used.
What is the Best Way to Pack a Cake?
- Fill a fitted Styrofoam envelope halfway with the cake.
- To keep the cake fresh, wrap it in frozen cool packs.
- In a sturdy cardboard box, place the Styrofoam envelope.
- Use high-quality packaging tape to secure the box.
- Make a mark on the outside of your box.
- Send your cake out.
Conclusion
If you are concerned about the flavor of the box cake, you might want to experiment with a different flavoring agent or liquid. You can use sour cream or the non-dairy milk of your choice in place of the water in this recipe. Because of this, your loaf will have a deeper taste, retain more moisture, and be significantly denser than a standard cake mix. You can create a traditional cake from a box, but it will taste more as if it came from a bakery if you add these items to your bread.
Many box cake recipes ask for vegetable or canola oil. Because these oils don’t provide much taste to the dish, you can substitute melted butter or other components in their stead. In addition, you can substitute whole milk for the two percent milk in any recipe that calls for it. It will significantly improve the texture and flavor of your cake, and it will also have a higher moisture content and be more delicate. Last but not least, if you want your box cake to have the flavor of a bakery, you should add egg yolk.
