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.

Chocolate Mint Sweet Rolls

These cake mix Chocolate Mint Sweet Rolls are so rich and decadent that they can double as a breakfast & dessert...

Ever since making my French Vanilla Chai Cinnamon Rolls earlier last year, I have been kind of obsessing over new sweet roll recipes I could make using cake mix.  

My son is pretty much a chocolate-mint fanatic.  Give him a box of Andes chocolates and he is in heaven.

I knew I needed to come up with a sweet rolls recipe that would re-create the flavors in his favorite chocolates.

I have to say that these Chocolate-Mint Sweet Rolls were a resounding success (and teenage son approved!).

Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

With it's super moist chocolaty cake layers frosted with a rich peanut buttery mousse, this Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake is chocolate cake perfection...

Do you all know what day it is today?

Nope.... It isn't hump day (that's tomorrow, folks). ;)

It is National Chocolate Cake Day! (As if we all need a national food holiday to eat a slice or two of chocolate cake today, right?)

I have actually been holding onto this recipe for a decadent Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake for a little while now. Inspired by my Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie, this cake has been served at my son's birthday party for the past two years, and it has been requested by my mother for her department's work birthday parties several times in the past year.  

To say that this cake has been thoroughly tested and taste tested would be an understatement, friends. ;)

I could think of no better day to finally share this recipe with you all than for National Chocolate Cake Day. How can you go wrong with super moist chocolaty cake layers frosted with a rich peanut buttery mousse and then topped with your favorite whipped topping, lots of chocolate syrup and honey roasted peanuts? 

I mean, unless you are not a fan of chocolate... or peanut butter... or cake. Does someone like that even exist anyways? ;)

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.

Peanut Butter Oreo Cake Mix Cookies

These easy to make peanut butter cookies start with a cake mix and are loaded with chunks of chopped Oreos...

So, we are on like what? Day #1,525,123 of the stay at home/quarantine life now? And yes, like everyone else I am starting to feel a little restless and antsy & long for some of the normalcy from my life pre-virus...

For one, I miss my gym workouts something fierce, you all. Specifically, cardio machines like my beloved elliptical and stair climber. 

Yeah, I know I could go out and run, but A. I kind of hate running and B. Mother Nature hasn't really been cooperating weather-wise. I mean, one day it is sunny and in the 60's and the very next day it is flipping snow here. Or it is raining. Or just plain cold.

I also miss getting my hair cut. And since I went much shorter with my hair in the fall, I had been stopping in to see my stylist about once every 3 weeks before all of this went down. I made the decision a few weeks ago to just go with it and started growing it out. 

My hair is presently in that super awkward stage of having ducky feathers and sticking out in weird places, so I am super thankful for my stretchy, wide headbands right now. And baseball caps. 

And the fact that I can't go out socially (because no one wants to witness this, lol). But hey- what better time to decide to grow it out than now? 

Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake

With its rich & chocolaty cake layers frosted with a fresh raspberry buttercream, you certainly cannot go wrong with this crowd-pleasing Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake for your next party or celebration...

Let me start this post off by first offering an apology to any of my Instagram followers who may have seen the teaser photo I posted back in August for this insanely decadent cake. You all have been waiting almost two months for this recipe, and I didn't mean to make you all wait that long for this one. 

But you know, life & work & the kids starting back to school got in the way. But today the wait is finally over, my friends!

I actually whipped up this cake for my son's 20th birthday party in August. And yes, I did say TWENTY. I mean, how does that even happen anyways? 

When they say the years go by fast, they are not exaggerating, you all. One day you are planning a Blue's Clues themed party for their first birthday, and then the next thing you know they have officially left their teen years and are in their twenties. I can't even wrap my head around it sometimes.

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...

Chocolate Covered Cherry Coke Cake

Another birthday... and yes, I decided to make another cake.  You may remember my post about my husband's delicious, yet god forsaken ugly Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake.  I swore in that post that I would never bake a cake again unless it was a bundt cake or cupcakes, and I have stayed true to that promise. ;)

For my son's birthday, I decided to combine a few of his favorites- fudgy chocolate and Cherry Coke.

I have always heard about those Coca-Cola chocolate cakes, and it has been on my list of recipes to try.  So, I thought why not try it with Cherry Coke instead of Coke?

I created this recipe from hodge podge of a couple of Coca-Cola chocolate cake recipes and one of my favorite bundt cake recipes, the Better Than Pretty Much Everything Chocolate Cake from the Is This Really My Life? blog.  I kind of pieced it together and prayed that it turned out edible.  Lucky for myself, my son, and our birthday party guests, it turned out decadently fabulous.

What you will need:

For the bundt cake:

16.5oz box of Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix

5.9oz box of Chocolate Fudge instant pudding mix

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 egg

12oz can of Cherry Coke

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Chocolate Covered Cherry glaze:

1 cup of fresh cherries, pitted and halved

3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a bundt pan with cooking spray and coat with flour.  Mix together all the ingredients for the bundt cake except for the chocolate chips.  Mix right away because the pudding mix will quickly make the batter thick.  Once the batter is well mixed, stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour into your prepared bundt cake pan and bake for about 55 minutes.  

Once baked, let the bundt cake cool for about an hour before turning it out onto a serving plate.

Halve and pit about 1 cup of fresh cherries.  I wish that I could tell you that I have a fancy trick for this, but I do not.  Someone told me to try using a straw to poke out the pits.  It sort of worked, but my knife and fingers worked them out way quicker.

Now for the Chocolate Covered Cherry glaze...

Melt the butter, chocolate chips, light syrup, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.  When completely melted and well incorporated, add the cherry halves.  Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.  Let it cool slightly (maybe 5 minutes), and then pour the chocolate and cherries over the top of the cooled cake.

 And there you go!  Chocolate Covered Cherry Coke Cake! :)  This cake is pretty rich, and oh so sinful.  It was really moist.  I was actually surprised at how much of the liquids were successfully replaced by the Cherry Coke in the recipe.  No oil, no water, and only 1 egg.  

Happy 14th Birthday to my sweet young man! 

Bring your favorite chocolate dessert to Roxana’s home baking #chocolateparty and win amazing prizes from OXO, Calphalon, Keurig, Imperial Sugar, Honey Ridge Farmsand Land O Lakes® Butter

Sweet Confessions Sunday Link Party #11 (& I am the Very First Ever Co-host!!)

Sweet Confessions Sunday Link Party #11 and Very First Co-Host!

Hi everyone!!  I am thrilled to announce that this week, I have my very first, and very fantastic co-host:  Carrie, from Frugal Foodie Mama!!  I hope you will all give her a warm welcome, visit her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and say hi!  Today, in place of our Sunday Sweet Links Features, we have a to die for recipe from Carrie: her Chocolate Covered Cherry Coke Cake!  I used to drink Cherry Coke by the gallon, so this is right up my alley!

Our Sunday Sweet Links Features Post will be a separate post this week, so make sure to check that out still.

No more blabbing from me, here is our awesome guest post!

________________________________________________________________________

Hello!  I am Carrie and I blog over at Frugal Foodie Mama about my life as a stay-at-home mom to a baby and a teenager, my family's journey to become a little more eco-responsible everyday, and how I still manage to stay a foodie on our one income budget.  Please stop on over any time and say hi! 

Blog~Facebook~Twitter~Pinterest

Today I am going to share with all of you my recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherry Coke Cake.  For my son's birthday, I decided to combine a few of his favorites- fudgy chocolate and Cherry Coke.

I have always heard about those Coca-Cola chocolate cakes, and it has been on my list of recipes to try.  So, I thought why not try it with Cherry Coke instead of Coke?

I created this recipe from hodge podge of a couple of Coca-Cola chocolate cake recipes and one of my favorite bundt cake recipes, the Better Than Pretty Much Everything Chocolate Cake from the Is This Really My Life? blog.  I kind of pieced it together and prayed that it turned out edible.  Lucky for myself, my son, and our birthday party guests, it turned out decadently fabulous.

What you will need to make your own:

For the bundt cake:

16.5oz box of Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix

5.9oz box of Chocolate Fudge instant pudding mix

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 egg

12oz can of Cherry Coke

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Chocolate Covered Cherry glaze:

1 cup of fresh cherries, pitted and halved

3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a bundt pan with cooking spray and coat with flour.  Mix together all the ingredients for the bundt cake except for the chocolate chips.  Mix right away because the pudding mix will quickly make the batter thick.  Once the batter is well mixed, stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour into your prepared bundt cake pan and bake for about 55 minutes.  

Once baked, let the bundt cake cool for about an hour before turning it out onto a serving plate.

Halve and pit about 1 cup of fresh cherries.  I wish that I could tell you that I have a fancy trick for this, but I do not.  Someone told me to try using a straw to poke out the pits.  It sort of worked, but my knife and fingers worked them out way quicker.

Now for the Chocolate Covered Cherry glaze...

Melt the butter, chocolate chips, light syrup, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.  When completely melted and well incorporated, add the cherry halves.  Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.  Let it cool slightly (maybe 5 minutes), and then pour the chocolate and cherries over the top of the cooled cake.

 And there you go!  Chocolate Covered Cherry Coke Cake! :)  This cake is pretty rich, and oh so sinful.  It was really moist.  I was actually surprised at how much of the liquids were successfully replaced by the Cherry Coke in the recipe.  No oil, no water, and only 1 egg.  

__________________________________________________________________

Thank you so much Carrie!!  Can't wait to try this out!  

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... 

Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts

These moist & fluffy Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts start with a "secret" ingredient- your favorite chocolate cake mix! 

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Anyone else experiencing a case of the winter blahs? The cold, wintry weather has set back in here this week, and I am just so ready for spring already. 

I mean, I do like spending an afternoon cuddled up on the couch under a cozy blanket with a warm cup of tea while I binge watch old episodes of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. But I am starting to get a serious case of cabin fever, and I am itching for warmer weather & to get outside again.

While I certainly can't make spring arrive any quicker, I can try to brighten up these remaining days of winter with sprinkles.... lots & lots of rainbow sprinkles. And chocolate! 

I mean, who can be all blue & down when you have a moist chocolate glazed cake donut topped with rainbow sprinkles staring you in the face? ;)

Small Batch Spice Thumbprint Cookies

These thick & soft Small Batch Spice Thumbprint Cookies are perfect for when you have a craving for a fall inspired treat, but don't want to bake up an entire batch of cookies...

Confession: I absolutely love me some cake mix cookies. Fact: If I make an entire box of cake mix cookies, I will end up eating almost all of them by myself, you all. No joke. 

My solution to this little dilemma is to only to use half of the box of cake mix & make myself a small batch of cake mix cookies. I can always tuck away the other half of the mix to bake up another small batch later on or to use in another recipe altogether.

A couple of weeks ago as I was getting myself into full-on fall mode, I had a craving for some thick & soft spiced cookies. I happened to have half of a box of spice cake mix in the cabinet, so it was a no-brainer to whip myself up a batch of fall inspired cake mix cookies using that. I had happened to use the other half of that mix in these soft & fluffy Banana Spice Streusel Muffins I baked up earlier in the month.