Every year I make a cake for our girls’ birthdays. Last weekend we celebrated Lola’s first birthday and I made a simple boxed vanilla cake. I love to bake but I’m no Ina Garten. That being said, I do want it to taste good and I find that most boxed cake mixes these days are really pretty delicious. But could they be better? I had no idea how to make a boxed cake taste like a bakery cake until my mother-in-law sent me a little text with some tips. Thanks to her (really…she’s the best mother-in-law you could ask for), I will always make my boxed cakes this way. Paul said it was the best cake I’d ever made.
Here’s how you do it…
Follow the directions on the boxed cake mix, but do the following:
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- Add 1-2 more eggs. I ended up adding 2 eggs which meant my boxed cake had a total of five eggs. This made the cake have a richer texture.
- Replace the oil with melted butter and double the amount. For my boxed cake, that meant having about a stick and a half of butter in it. More butter = more better.
- Replace the water with an equal amount of milk. I used 2% dairy milk but whole milk will probably work better. I’m not sure about milk substitutes or nut milks, but it’s worth experimenting.
Mix your cake and again, follow all the directions for baking. I baked mine in a convection oven and found that baking for the full time suggested was best. But ovens differ and it depends on the boxed cake mix you’re using. As long as you just follow the above substitutions/additions and stick with the box directions you’ll be fine. It’s really so easy.
So, did my boxed cake taste like a bakery cake? Let’s just say I gave the doughboy a run for his money. This cake was seriously the best! So fluffy and moist and rich like a bakery cake. Sometimes we don’t end up finishing a cake or we try to freeze it for later. It’s hard for two people to finish a standard size cake before it goes bad. This time, we pretty much annihilated it. Seriously, the “after” look of this cake is nothing like the “before.” We attacked it like serial killers.
I could not get enough of this cake. Cake with coffee? The best. A little bite after lunch? Why not. A full slice with wine after dinner? Duh. I think I have a problem.
Side note… I love how a beautifully decorated cake looks on the countertop. For Lola’s party, I placed it on the table where it really added to the overall decor. I’ve had my glass cake stand for years (it also doubles as a punch bowl) and I found this one that is really similar and under $20. Naturally I went down a decorative cake stand rabbit hole and found some really interesting options:
Have you tried these cake baking tricks before?
xo – Erin
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Yes! I tried this and even non-cake eaters loved it. Made cupcakes with the batter and they were so nice and high. Trying it again this week…$1.00 for the box mix, eggs, butter, milk..and 18 fluffy cupcakes
Hi Susie! I’ve tried this with cupcakes too, and you’re right! They do come out nice and high. Can’t beat a box mix either. Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my blog! I hope to see you around here more! xo- Erin
Wondering, do I need two boxes for the 2 round cake pans? I’ve never baked a cake and am going to try for the first time.
Hi Amy! I only used one box of mix and split it between the two pans. Good luck and have fun! xo – Erin
Hi! Can you tell me how you made your icing as well?! Excited to try this for my 2 year olds birthday coming up!
Hi Adrienne! I’m a total cheater and use pre-made store-bought icing! I know, I’m terrible!! But honestly I like the flavor! :p Thank you for reading my blog and happy new year! xo – Erin
Would Buttermilk, instead of regular milk, work in this recipe? Between the eggs & butter, I wondered if that would be too much fat. I have some I need to use up.
Hi Terry! I’m not sure on the buttermilk, as I’ve never really baked with it before. But I guess it couldn’t hurt to try!
The buttermilk or cream will be fine. Add pudding also, for a denser, but moister cake. Sour cream to the mix as well can’t hurt; but it’s a lot of ingredients…if you do, you won’t regret it!
Great suggestions, Lauran! Thank you for reading my blog! xo – Erin
Hi Erin!
Would this work for a GF cake? Thinking of making my own and seeing how it goes
Hi Caroline! I’m not sure, but it’s worth trying out! I have never made anything GF, so I’m not very well educated in best practices. But I say, go for it!