7 Boxed Cake Mixes That Taste Homemade

What to Look for When Buying a Boxed Cake Mix

Ingredients

Generally speaking, most cake mixes include the same basic ingredients. You’ll typically find sugar, flour, a leavening agent, flavoring (anything from vanilla to cocoa powder, or a specialty flavoring), oil, salt, and food coloring in almost every box of cake mix. Many mixes will also include a non-fat milk product, egg products, or stabilizers. None of these things are uncommon, and all come together to make a cake quickly.

But if you’re looking for a cake mix that is tailored to your tastes or dietary needs, you’ll need to pay special attention to the ingredients list. These days, there’s a wide variety of mixes available to suit just about every need. Gluten-free cake mixes are available that substitute almond, rice, oat, or another gluten-free flour for traditional wheat. There are also sugar-free, keto, and vegan cake mix options available, among others.

Additionally, most boxed cake mixes call for a few extra wet ingredients to bring the cake mix to life. These ingredients generally include eggs, oil, water, butter, or milk. Different mixes use a different combination of ingredients, so make sure to check the box and make sure you’ve got everything you need to finish the cake. 

Price

The price of a box of cake mix is one of the biggest advantages of buying a box over making a cake completely from scratch. In some cases, you can find a box of cake mix for less than $2, but a recent stroll through the grocery store put the average price of a box of cake mix between $2 to $3. Many people have eggs, oil, and water on hand already, and don’t need to purchase additional ingredients beyond frosting. There’s no arguing that it would cost more to purchase all of the ingredients for a homemade cake separately, and if you aren’t a regular baker then all of those ingredients are just going to take up valuable cabinet space. 

Gluten-free and specialty cake mixes typically cost more than conventional cake mixes, beginning at around $6 per box and moving upwards of $20 if purchased from a high-end specialty retailer. The more expensive the boxed mix becomes, the more it might be worth it to consider making the cake from scratch, depending on if you have a reliable recipe and ingredients available. 

Brands

You’ll instantly recognize many of the major cake mix brands in grocery stores, including General Mills Gold Medal, Krusteaz, Pillsbury, Jiffy, Betty Crocker, and Duncan Hines. Many of these brands provide cake mixes in a wide variety of flavors that smaller brands don’t necessarily have the capacity to produce, as well as diet-specific mixes like gluten-free, sugar-free, and keto. 

But other brands have developed high-quality cake mixes ready to compete with the big brands, including Simple Mills, Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, and even Williams Sonoma. While many of these brands don’t cater specifically to cakes, many have a history of selling reliable baking ingredients and have created cake mixes that aim to be as close to made-from-scratch as possible.

Flavors and Textures

Everyone’s got a favorite flavor of cake, and for your special occasion, you should have the flavor of cake you like best. Cake mixes come in more flavors than ever, including chocolate, vanilla, yellow, white, strawberry, coconut, red velvet, devil’s food, pineapple upside-down, angel food, spiced, banana, funfetti, marble, lemon, and more. Not to mention all of the ways you can doctor a cake mix to make it your own.

But regardless of the flavor of the cake, you also want your cake to have a nice texture. Boxed cake mixes are known for creating incredibly moist cakes, in no small part due to the water and oil added to the mix that helps keep it moist. But you don’t want the cake to be so wet or oily that it’s mushy or slick. You’ll also want a cake that’s nice a spongy with a tender crumb, not dense and crumbly. Most cake mixes have been painstakingly tested to please, so there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a satisfying cake if you follow the instructions. But it may take testing out a few brands to figure out which texture and flavors appeal to you most.

Yield

Before you purchase a boxed cake mix, you should have an idea of how much cake you need, and what format you’re going to bake it in. Need 48 red velvet cupcakes for a bake sale? You’re probably going to need more than one box of mix. Every box of cake mix tells you exactly how much cake the mix will make. While some mixes are very specific (like one 8x4-inch loaf pan or two 9-inch cake rounds), other mixes are flexible and give yields and cooking times for a wide variety of cake styles, including 13x9-inch pans, sheet and half sheet cakes, 8 to 9-inch round cake pans, bundt pans, loaf pans, and cupcakes. A little planning and careful attention to the yields will ensure you’ve got enough cake for everyone.

FAQs

How can you improve a boxed cake mix?

The beauty of boxed cake mixes is that they’re consistent, and can be altered in a wide variety of ways. The easiest ways to alter or improve a boxed cake mix include:

• Add a half or full teaspoon of an extract. Almond, coconut, lemon or citrus, or even maple or cinnamon extracts can really deepen the flavor of your cake. 
• Instead of water, add another liquid. Some people reach for milk, sour cream, or buttermilk, while others reach for coconut milk, coffee, juices, or even ginger ale.
• Add some mix-ins, whether it be chocolate chips, citrus zest, shredded coconut, sprinkles, cookie crumbles, or fresh fruit — mix-ins instantly personalize a boxed cake mix.
• When you’re ready for some deeper experimentation, consider adding an extra egg or egg yolk to the mix for a more rich and moist cake. Alternatively, consider adding powdered pudding mix to the cake mix for an ultra-moist and densely fudgy-textured cake (whichever flavor you’d like). 

How do you make cake pops with boxed cake mix?

Making cake pops with boxed cake mix (and a can of frosting) couldn’t be easier. Simply mix and bake the boxed mix cake as directed in a 9 by 13-inch pan. Once entirely cooled, you’ll crumble the cake and mix it together with a can of frosting. From there, you can form the cake and frosting mixture into balls, which you’ll then add to sticks and dip into coating chocolate to make cake pops. 

How do you make a cake roll with boxed cake mix?

Most boxed cake mixes can be turned into cake rolls, with just a few simple steps. First, you’ll be using more eggs. Typically a boxed cake mix calls for three eggs, but for a roll cake, you’re going to use six eggs, which will help to make your cake more elastic. You’ll beat these six eggs first until they’re a light lemon color and aerated, before adding the rest of the ingredients. Betty Crocker suggests altering the ingredients from a boxed cake mix even further by adjusting the water and vegetable oil you use, as well as adding powdered sugar which has cornstarch in it to gently help stabilize the cake for rolling. 

Finally, if you’re using a full box of cake mix and a regular jelly-roll pan (10x15-inches), you’ll only use half to ¾ of the batter. Use all of the batter if cooking the cake in a half-sheet pan (13x18-inches) or two jelly-roll pans. Baking times will vary, but you’re looking for the cake to spring back when touched.

How many cups of cake mix are in a box typically?

A standard 15.25-ounce box of cake mix can make anywhere from three to six cups of cake batter, depending on the mix. The average is about four cups of batter, but results will vary.

How many cupcakes does a boxed cake mix make?

A standard box of cake mix typically makes between 24-30 cupcakes. Most boxes will specify the number of cupcakes the mix can make, along with the traditional cake recipe.

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This roundup was written by Brigitt Earley, who has written and edited hundreds of articles in the food space for various publications over the course of the last 10 years. Brigitt also attended the French Culinary Institute in NYC. She's a white cake lover, but can't resist a good Pillsbury Funfetti cupcake, either.

Jenny Kellerhals updated this article and wrote the accompanying buying guide and FAQs. She is a professional pastry chef and food writer living, working, and eating in Queens, NYC. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is her go-to cake indulgence. Jenny firmly believes that making a cake for someone is one of the most generous gifts, whether it comes from a box or from scratch.