How to Make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Better Than Bakery

Magically transform a store bought cake mix into a moist, crowd-pleasing layer cake with my "secret" hack for How to Make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Better Than Bakery...

I don't mean to brag or anything (okay, maybe I do just *a little* bit ;) ), but I have become known over the past few years for my "homemade" two-layer cakes. 

They are often requested by my family & friends for birthdays, special occasions, and holidays. And I do have to say that I find it a tad bit amusing since I have never really considered myself much of a cake baker.

But a few years back, I discovered a little hack to doctoring up a boxed cake mix. (Shhhhh.... I do not make my layer cakes from scratch!) 

The "secret" is extra eggs, extra oil, and sour cream. The addition of these three things can magically transform a regular ole store bought cake mix into a super moist and decadent cake that will leave all of your party guests raving and begging you the recipe.

Cake Mix Strawberry Shortcakes

These easy-to-make Strawberry Shortcakes start with one of my favorite time-saving baking hacks- a boxed cake mix!

While I tend to make most of my recipes from scratch, I have also posted my fair share of recipes using one of my absolute favorite baking hacks- a simple boxed cake mix. I know that some people might consider using a boxed cake mix as "cheating", but I personally just find it to be a convenient shortcut that comes in handy if you are short on time or happen to not be the best at baking. 

For the most part, a boxed cake mix takes the guesswork out of making sure you have the right amount of flour, baking soda or baking powder (or both), salt, etc. And bonus? Cake mixes come in so many different varieties and flavors that they can easily be adapted to just about any recipe you would like to make!

I have used boxed cake mixes in everything from actual cakes (see my secret for making a boxed cake mix taste better than the bakery HERE) to pancakes and even cookies and muffins.

But today's recipe was my first time making a shortcake from a cake mix...

10 Out of the Box Cake Mix Cookie Recipes

Transform your favorite boxed cake mix into a batch of soft & chewy cookies with these 10 Out of the Box Cake Mix Cookie Recipes...

It is no secret that I have a love affair with using boxed cake mixes in my baking. I like to doctor them up to use in my semi-homemade cake recipes, like my Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake & my perfect for spring Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Buttercream.  

I am also a fan of using my favorite cake mixes to bake up a batch of sweet rolls  or my moist & fluffy Banana Spice Streusel Muffins on a weekend morning. There is absolutely no shame in my store-bought cake mix game, you all. ;)

But perhaps one of my favorite things to use boxed cake mix in is cookie recipes. You can transform just about any flavor of cake mix into a batch of perfectly baked, soft & chewy cookies.

And there is no need to waste your time with measuring flour, and baking soda, and sugar. The cake mix has done all the hard work for you!

Since I can't get enough of cake mix cookies, I decided to visit some of my favorite food blogs to find some of the most creative, out-of-the-box (I know.... punny, right? ;) ) cookie recipes made from a cake mix. 

Whether you are a chocolate addict, a strawberry lover, or are into more traditional cookie flavors, you are sure to find the perfect cake batter cookie for you in this collection of easy recipes I am sharing with you all today... 

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Biscoff Marshmallow Buttercream

This week I am creating two delicious recipes from just one box of Spice Cake Mix.  First up?  These decadent & moist Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Biscoff Marshmallow Buttercream...

So, here is my one & only big complaint about boxed cake mixes- who needs 24 cupcakes all at once??  

I mean, seriously.  That is just begging to go straight from my belly to my waistline and hips.  

Every time I pull out a box of cake mix from the cabinet, I sigh and ask myself... "Which of my family & friends can I make it out to in the next few days to hand some of these off to?"

Then I had a light bulb moment the other day...

Who says I HAVE to use the entire box of cake mix all at once??

That's right! No one! :)

Cake Mix Carrot Cake Pancakes

Who says you can't have cake for breakfast? ;) These carrot cake pancakes come together super quick with the help of a boxed mix, leaving you plenty of time to whip up the decadent Biscoff cream cheese glaze to pour over top of these...

Foodie confession time- I do not own a food processor.

Yep, I hear you all gasping at this. ;)

I mean, I have tried to own one... twice now.

The first one I ever had in my kitchen didn't make it past a week before I had boxed it up and returned it to the store.

Food processors & I are just not good company. I always have issues with the lids not locking correctly, or changing out the blades, or snapping in the container the right away. I would literally spend like 15 minutes just trying to get the darn thing lidded & snapped in right just so it would turn on!

I did give it a shot once more.  That food processor ended up in a yard sale a few months later.

Sigh.

Chocolate Screwdriver Angel Food Cake

This Chocolate Screwdriver Angel Food Cake is a light, airy chocolaty orange angel food cake with a rich, gooey chocolate ganache glaze oozing down each slice of it...

I may have been a little excited when Julie (aka, This Gal Cooks) and I had decided on the Spiked! Recipe Challenge ingredient for this month.  I had kind of been just itching for a reason to go buy some chocolate liquor.  I originally was gunning for a bottle of Godiva liqueur, but the only bottle my local liquor store had of it was practically a ginormous jug.  I am sure I could have put very good use to an extremely large bottle of Godiva chocolate alcohol, but I wasn't going to risk it. ;)

After poking around the store a bit longer, I found my favorite liquor- Pinnacle Whipped Vodka in chocolate.

Say what??

Yeah, I was sold.

Citrus Coconut Sunshine Cake

This super easy to make and delicious Citrus Coconut Sunshine Cake is bursting with bright lemon, sweet mandarin oranges, and toasted coconut- just like summer on a fork!

So, the last time I posted a new recipe on here it was near the beginning of summer. I do apologize for the almost 3 month long hiatus, but I promise you all that it was for a very good reason. A very good reason that I can't reveal to everyone just yet, but that I should be able to tell you all about within the next two months or so. ;) So, stay tuned- because it is a pretty BIG. 

In the meantime, I am over here soaking up these last little bits of summertime and digging into this easy to make Citrus Coconut Sunshine Cake. Seriously, folks. This citrusy and bright cake is summer on a fork.

And when I say summer, I mean the pre-Covid, all day at the pool, backyard family BBQ's, beach vacation summer. Because let's face it- this has been a super weird summer. Summer 2019 with its outdoor concerts, and the crowded city pool, and packed restaurant patios seems like a lifetime ago at this point- am I right?

Red, White, & Berry Cupcakes

Just in time for any Independence festivities you may have planned for this weekend (and if you are quick, even this evening!)- Red, White, & Berry Cupcakes!  These cupcakes are super easy and come together quickly. Well, mainly because I cheated and used a boxed cake mix.  ;)
So what will you need to make these?

1 box of white cake mix
1 cup of raspberries
1 cup of blueberries (or blackberries)
2-3 tbsp of sugar
Your favorite white frosting recipe (or you can make it even easier & used canned frosting)

Mix the cake mix according to the directions on the box.  I reduced the water by 1/4 cup since I knew the berries would be adding moisture to the batter.  
Next, mix your berries together in a small bowl with 2-3 tbsp of sugar.  You can use either fresh or frozen berries.  I actually used frozen raspberries and fresh blueberries since it is what I had on hand. 

Mix the berries into the cake batter and then using a small measuring cup, fill your cupcake liners in a muffin tin about 2/3 full each with batter.  Bake according to the directions on the box for cupcakes.

Once baked, let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.  Whip up your favorite vanilla or buttercream frosting (just make sure it is white!). I figured that since I used the cake mix shortcut for the cupcakes that I would at least make a frosting from scratch. ;)  I used a cupcake frosting recipe from the blog, Natasha's Kitchen.  Click here for the recipe.  I divided the frosting into 3 bowls, using food coloring to dye one bowl blue, one red, and left the third one white.  

I admit it- I don't use fancy pastry bags for my icing.  I use a plain old gallon sized food storage bag with a bottom corner snipped off and then just slip my icing tip into the snipped off corner.  I literally just spooned each color icing into the bag side by side, but if you would like to the colors to stay more separate you could put each color into quart sized storage bags with snipped corners, and then set those bags down inside the larger gallon sized bag.  I kind of like the tie-dyed effect I got by just letting the colors mix and mingle. ;)

Just frost your cupcakes and then decorate however you see fit (Or not all, if you prefer. The frosting is pretty enough!).  I used some red, white, & blue star-shaped marshmallows and some red and white pinwheel party picks I found in the dollar section at Target.  

Red, White, & Berry Cupcakes!

Happy 4th of July!

Red Velvet Molten Cakes

These easy Red Velvet Molten Cakes with an ooey, gooey cream cheese center start with a red velvet cake mix and are the perfect Valentine's Day dessert...

Okay.... I did it.

I dived right into the red velvet craze that always seems to be hitting the internet and showing up in Google searches in rapid fire around this time of the year.

I get it.

Red Velvet really is the perfect quintessential Valentine's Day dessert. ;)

In general, I can take red velvet or leave it.  

My husband loves red velvet- it ranks right up there with cheesecake for him. 

Some day I will have to tell you all the story about the year I decided to make this red velvet/cheesecake layered birthday cake -from scratch-  for my husband....  It was a logistical nightmare, but so crazy delicious.  ;)  Not pretty, but everyone raved about how amazing it tasted.

Happy Birthday Cake Batter French Toast

Surprise the birthday guy or gal with this fuss-free & festive cake batter flavored baked french toast...

First, I have to start this post by wishing my very lucky husband a very Happy Birthday today! :) I won't tell you all just how old that he is, but I will say that he is now a tad bit closer to 40 than 35.

Just a tad. ;)

I love to give him a hard time because he is older than me.... even if it is by less than 6 months.

But he is still older than me. :P

I originally made this sprinkle-rific breakfast for my own birthday back in September (yep, I have been holding out on you all this long).  And today I am celebrating my husband's birthday on the blog by finally sharing this fun, rainbow sprinkle packed Happy Birthday Cake Batter French Toast with you all!  

Chocolate Funfetti Sheet Cake

Chockfull of rainbow sprinkles, this dense and fudgy Chocolate Funfetti Sheet Cake is topped with the most airy & light chocolate whipped frosting. A little slice of happiness on a plate!

I have been contemplating the meaning of happiness lately- the complexities of it, the things that enhance our own personal happiness and the things that seem to hinder or take away from it, and the various ways that we sometimes seem to get in the way of our own happiness.

I mean, when do we know that we are truly happy? 

When we stop reaching for the next big thing? The better thing? When we allow ourselves to finally feel some contentment with how things are in the here and now?

But then you have to ask yourself- is that really true happiness? Or is that just settling?

Shouldn't we always be striving to better ourselves? To improve our lives? To love harder? To love ourselves more? To push that extra mile or two? To not give up on the things that we feel are important in our lives just because it may be hard at the moment?

Overnight Red Velvet Cake French Toast Casserole

This rich, decadent Overnight Red Velvet Cake French Toast Casserole starts with your favorite red velvet cake mix, is put together the night before, and then simply popped in the oven in the next morning- a perfect Valentine's Day weekend morning treat!

I am pretty much a fan of any delicious breakfast I can assemble the night before, pop in the fridge, and then just bake the next morning.  You know, pretty much any easy breakfast casserole. ;)

I have created a few overnight french toast casseroles in my day by now, but I have to admit it- this Overnight Red Velvet Cake French Toast Casserole is by far my favorite! 

It is rich.  It is decadent.  It is creamy. It is absolutely perfect for Valentine's Day weekend!

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Buttercream

Super moist layers of lemony cake are frosted in an amazing homemade buttercream flavored with lemon curd & fresh lemon zest in this Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Buttercream...

Who else seems to be stuck in spring limbo (aka, what I am deeming as sprinter) where you live?? It is almost mid-April, & we have had snow flurries off & on over the past few days. Tomorrow it will finally feel like spring here in West Virginia with some sunshine and temps in the 60's. 

The weather man is predicting a high of 79 for both Saturday & Sunday (sprummer, anyone?), and then we are headed right back into the 40's with possible snow by the beginning of next week. I really wish Mother Nature would get it together already! 

In the meantime, I am just going to go ahead and create a little sunshine of my own with this luscious and bright Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Buttercream. ;) I actually made this cake for Easter dessert this year, and it was a huge hit with my family. 

You just can't go wrong with these super moist layers of cake bursting with lemony goodness, all frosted in an amazing buttercream flavored with homemade lemon curd & fresh lemon zest...

Throwing a Jake and the Neverland Pirates Birthday Party

Plan a fun birthday party for your favorite pint sized pirates with my tips for Throwing a Jake and the Neverland Pirates Birthday Party...

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I have to admit that my youngest surprised me this year when choosing the theme for her fourth birthday party. I was fully expecting to be planning a Doc McStuffins (can we say obsessed? ;) ) or maybe a Sophia the First princess tea party, but nope! I let her loose in the children's party aisle at our local party supplies store, and she ended up going in an entirely different direction- she asked for a Jake and the Neverland Pirates birthday party! :) Pirates? Okay! That is a party theme that I can totally get behind.

Planning this party was so much fun, and I couldn't believe how many awesome ideas there are out there for children's pirate themed parties! :) So let's get into the party details, shall we? 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chocolate Cake

Celebrate that special mama in your life this coming weekend with this moist chocolate cake frosted with a perfectly edible chocolate chip cookie dough frosting...

In less than a week, Mother's Day will be here! 

As a mama myself, I can't think of a better way to celebrate this special day than with some homemade treats as sweet all my favorite mothers out there.

This week I will be sharing some very special recipes for sweet treats that you can make and share with your favorite mamas and grandmamas this coming weekend.

Or you could whip one or two of these up and just keep them for yourself... ;)

I am starting with this recipe for this delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chocolate Cake. I originally made this for my husband's birthday in March, but what mother doesn't love cookie dough? (Or should I say, what woman doesn't love cookie dough?)

Especially when it is slathered and piped all over a moist homemade chocolate cake... 

Oreo Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes {A Guest Recipe from Curves and a Camera}

Happy Friday Foodies. I'm so excited to be guest blogging for Carrie here at the Frugal Foodie Mama. I have been following her blog via Facebook and Twitter long enough and figured it was time to start joining in the fun. So here I am guest blogging and visiting over from Curves and a Camera; where I do food/recipe posts, but also blog about being a plus-size fashionista, my love for classic/vintage inspired items/life and my journeys as a 30-something woman.

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Recently I started having Friday's be my "Foodie Friday" weekly post so when I had the chance to guest blog (thanks to being a Frugal Foodie Mama sponsor this month) I knew right away I wanted to do a recipe.

Last Saturday, my Portland family got together to acknowledge and celebrate the six mothers and five May birthdays. Since I'm pretty much the "designer baker" in the family I volunteered to do the "cake". What I ended up doing instead was Oreo Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes. Because who doesn't love a cupcake?

The entire family loved them! Even my sister K who doesn't like cake said they were delicious.

I will be honest they took me three days to make....BUT only because I made the cupcakes one night after work, the mousse the next day after work and then Saturday morning made the whipped cream and assembled them. Because there are so many steps, if you decide to try making them, set aside the better part of the day.

However, I will be honest....they were simple to make. I used boxed cake mix (although I doctor it up as you'll see below) and the mousse and whipped cream go by pretty fast. They are worth the effort I will tell you that!

If you've never done a filled cupcake before, here's my trick: wait until the cupcakes are completely cooled and then using a measuring tablespoon, carve out about two tablespoons worth of cake. I don't try to put the top back on - it's just being covered in frosting anyway. Hollowing them out this way allows for more of the mousse to be put into the center and prevents the cupcakes from splitting our their sides when just piping the cream directly in.

I found that putting the mousse into a pastry bag and piping it in was the easiest - use your largest tip and make sure to fill them FULL!

A word of caution (learn from my mistakes) make sure if you are folding cookie crumbs into your whipped cream that they are completely broken apart and very fine (no chunks). I ended up having one piece that kept clogging my pastry bag and I had to attack with a chopstick. (Yes, you read that correct. Attacked. With. A. Chopstick.)

In the end the cakes were moist (that's the trick with baking them at a cooler temperature), the mousse smooth and rich,  and the chocolate whipped cream fluffy and light. My family fought over how many they each got to take home after the party.

That's my last tip: Make extra because you'll want left overs!

Want more Curves and a Camera? I'm on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Bloglovin'. Hope on over to www.curvesandacamera.com to follow through multiple avenues.

Thanks, Carrie for letting me take over Frugal Foodie Mama today!