Discover the convenience and creativity of easy boxed cake mix recipes, perfect for busy bakers of all skill levels!
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Easy Treats That Start with Cake Mix
If you’re short on time but still want to make amazing tasting treats at home, then boxed cake mix recipes are your friend! They are fast and practical and they offer a foolproof starting point, so you can count on consistent results every time.
Additionally, the versatility of cake mixes allows for endless customization, from adding unique mix-ins to creating a variety of dessert recipes even cake mix cookies, making them perfect for all baking skill levels!
Best Tips to Elevate a Boxed Cake Mix
Take your boxed cake mix to the next level with these handy tips and tricks!
- Swap liquids: Use milk or buttermilk instead of water for a richer taste.
- Extra egg: For a denser, richer cake, add an extra egg.
- Butter over oil: Substitute melted butter instead of vegetable oil for better flavor.
- Pudding mix: Add a box of pudding mix (matching the cake flavor) for added moisture and flavor.
- Add extras: Enhance the flavor by adding chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit.
- Frosting: Aim to use homemade frosting, whether for a single or double-layer cake, for a more authentic flavor.
- Make your own cake mix. You can also make your own cake mix to have on hand for when a craving strikes. Check out my recipe for vanilla cake mix if you want to make your own mix.
FAQs
Enhance your boxed cake mix by replacing water with milk for a creamier texture and using melted butter instead of oil for a richer flavor. I also love to add 1/4 cup sour cream for cake.
Stirring in a teaspoon of vanilla extract or folding in your favorite mix-ins like nuts, sprinkles, or chocolate chips takes the flavor up a notch as well.
To transform a white boxed cake mix into a chocolate delight, simply incorporate about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder into the dry mix. Alternatively, you can blend in 4 to 6 ounces of melted chocolate of your choice for a richer flavor.
To make a boxed cake mix taste homemade, start by substituting water with milk for added richness and melted butter in place of oil for a deeper flavor.
Adding an extra egg can make the cake more moist and dense, similar to a homemade cake. Lastly, a touch of vanilla extract or a spoonful of sour cream can enhance the flavor and texture, giving a box mix birthday cake a from-scratch taste.
Experiment with adding different extracts like almond extract, coconut, or lemon extract to give your cake a unique twist. Spices like cinnamon or nutmeg can also add interesting flavors, especially to vanilla or spice cake mixes.
Easy Cake Mix Recipes
Perfect for when you’re short on time but craving something sweet, these simple yet irresistible recipes transform boxed cake mix into everything from luscious cakes to brownies to cake pops.
- Easy Cake Pop Recipe: You can use your favorite cake mix flavor to make these fun bite-sized treats on a stick.
- Cake Mix Brownies: Brownies are my go-to treat when I want something extra chocolatey. These fudgy brownies are made using a box of Devil’s Food cake mix.
- Pumpkin Muffins with a Cake Mix: Enjoy the flavors of fall with these easy muffins made with just 3 ingredients – yellow cake mix or spice cake mix work best!
- Cake Balls: Again, you can use any cake mix flavor your heart desires! I’m a fan of vanilla or funfetti to make these crowd-pleasers.
- Pistachio Bread. This vibrant bread is made with cake mix and pistachio pudding for a fun colored bread for spring or Christmas!
Cake from Box Mix
Boxed cake mix recipes are ideal for busy bakers and they offer the perfect blend of convenience, consistent quality, and room for creativity! I like to use this baking shortcut to make hassle-free cakes or cupcakes anytime!
- Best Chocolate Cupcakes (from Cake Mix): These cupcakes are deliciously soft and moist and full of deep chocolate flavor thanks to the devil’s food cake mix.
- EASY Vanilla Cupcakes: Sometimes simple is best! These cupcakes use a box of vanilla cake mix plus dry vanilla pudding mix to create a soft and fluffy texture.
- Tres Leches Cake Recipe: So much easier than baking from scratch, I like to use French Vanilla cake mix to create this classic milk cake.
- Jello Poke Cake: This recipe combines vanilla cake mix and strawberry jello to create a sweet and refreshing summertime treat.
- Better Than Anything Cake!: Use a devil’s food cake mix, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and caramel sauce to create this sinfully delicious poke cake.
- Death by Chocolate Poke Cake: One of my all-time favorite poke cake recipes, this cake is made with devil’s food cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, and sour cream.
- Strawberry Sheet Cake: Strawberry lovers will rejoice when they try this simple sheet cake made with a box of strawberry cake and vanilla pudding.
- Lemon Poke Cake: Pucker up with this light and airy cake that starts with a box of lemon cake mix and lemon jello.
- Rainbow Cupcakes: Fun and festive, these colorful cupcakes just scream ‘celebration’! Start with a box of vanilla cake mix, and some vanilla pudding mix, and then add food coloring.
- Neapolitan Cake: This is a layered cake with 3 different flavors of frosting, so to make things easier, I usually start with a chocolate cake mix.
Yellow Cake Mix Recipes
Yellow cake mix recipes are one of my favorites because the base flavor is so versatile! You can easily transform its classic flavor into a range of delicious treats. These cake mix recipes will impress your friends and family and you’ll love how easy they are to make!
- Dump cake: You can’t get much easier than a dump cake! Especially if you’re using a cake mix. Just dump everything into your baking dish and bake!
- Gooey Butter Cake Recipe: This classic dessert is made super easy with a box of yellow cake mix – the ultimate timesaver!
- Cake Mix Banana Bread: Simplify the whole process by using a box of yellow cake mix to make a loaf of this delicious banana bread with chocolate chips.
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake: This is basically another dump cake recipe that starts with yellow cake mix as the base and then we add some cozy Fall flavors.
- Apple pie cupcakes: Save time by using a cake mix for these apple stuffed cupcakes and spend more time enjoying them!
- Cake Mix Cookie Bars: Moist and chewy, these chocolate chip cookie bars are a kid favorite!
Cookie Recipes Using Cake Mix
Making cookies from cake mix is super easy and the kids in your life will love to help out! This clever hack allows for a wide range of creative possibilities, from chocolate chip to red velvet cookies, all with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
- Cake Mix Cookies (3 Ingredients): Mix and match the flavors of these soft and fluffy cookies!
- Rolo Cookies: Have a box of Devil’s Food cake mix? Whip up a batch of these irresistible chocolate and caramel cookies.
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies: Strawberry cake mix is the star of the show in these soft cookies dipped in white chocolate.
- Funfetti Cookies: These 3-ingredient cookies are so easy to make! Grab yourself a box of funfetti cake mix, eggs, and oil and you’re in business!
- Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies: Soft, delicious, and festive, these cookies are a real showstopper. No one will know you started with a box of red velvet cake mix!
- Snickerdoodle Cake Mix Cookies: I love these cinnamon sugar crunch cookies! Vanilla cake mix makes baking them a breeze.
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies: When you want a fresh burst of lemony flavor, reach for this easy recipe!
- Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies: These are chocolate chip cookies made simple! All you need is a box of yellow cake mix, eggs, oil, and chocolate chips.
- 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies with Cake Mix: Spice cake and canned pumpkin come together to make these irresistibly soft and fluffy cookies.
The Full List of Boxed Cake Mix Recipes
Click on the links below to find the recipes for all of the delicious recipes mentioned above.
Categorized as: American, Cake + Cupcakes, Cake Mix Cookies, Desserts, Reader Favorites, Recipe Roundup
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
This is quite the collection! I have made so many of your cake mix recipes in the past. I love having them all in one place to refer to. My favorite recipe so far is the Lemon Cookies!
I love all of these ideas. Boxed cake desserts are so yummy and I love the simplicity!
I had no idea all the options you could make with cake mix! I just made the brownies which were delicious and my hubby wants me to make banana bread next!