How to Make Boxed Cake Mixes Taste Homemade

Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake from Easybaked.net

I struggle to cook well, but I love to bake. A friend said once that baking was ‘easy’ because all you had to do was follow the directions on the box (when you’re not starting from scratch). But no matter your preference, the best part about both cooking and baking is that you can always add your own flavor by being creative.

The next time you pick up a boxed mix at the supermarket, try these unconventional, yet dynamic twists for cakes, cornbreads, and muffins that will make your treats seem homemade and impress every guest.

Tip: Swap Ingredients

When working with a boxed cake, cornbread, or muffin mix, there are many ingredients that can be swapped to make the dessert your own. My mother was adamant always to use applesauce in the place of oil to cut fat and create a fluffier cake. Other ingredients that can be switched to improve your boxed mix include:

• Softened butter for vegetable oil
• Brewed coffee for water for a Devil’s food mix
• Whole milk for water, to make the cake more dense
• Milk in the place of water (use chocolate milk for chocolate cakes)
• Apple juice as a water replacement in spice cakes
• Orange juice in the place of water to make an orange, yellow cake

Photo: LadyBehindtheCurtain

Tip: Add-Ins For Desserts That Win

Add-ins that make simple recipes like these even more unique:

• tossing in a teaspoon of vanilla or almond flavoring
• a tablespoon of meringue powder, zest from a lime, lemon, or orange to balance flavors
• combining finely chopped nuts, candy chips, or toffee bits to the batter

Some recipes, such as this Oreo Puddin’ Poke Cake, combine cake mixes with Jell-O and pudding mixes. Layered cakes are great to play with, too, like this Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake. Use the boxed mix for the cake’s layers, then fill it in with a unique combination of cream cheese, Kool-Aid, marshmallow crème, and more! The ‘Crash Cake‘ is also a great recipe to break down (literally).

Crash Cake from OneGoodThingByJillee

But never forget: no cake, muffin, brownie, cookie, or any dessert for that matter is ever complete without the frosting. Check out these
homemade frosting varieties to surprise your sweet tooth!