Boxed cake mix

Pre-measured blend of flour, leaveners, sugar, and flavouring. The fastest path to a cake — just add eggs, oil, and water. Easy to 'doctor': swap oil for melted butter, add an extra egg, stir in sour cream, or add a box of dry pudding mix for a moister, more bakery-like crumb.

Boxed cake mix

Used for

  • dump cakes
  • poke cakes
  • layer cakes
  • cupcakes

In the kitchen

  • doctor the mix
  • add pudding mix for moisture

Picking it at the store

  • Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, and Pillsbury are largely interchangeable
  • Check expiry — leaveners in the mix weaken over time

Related terms

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