As a cake decorator for 40+ years, I've learned that adding the oil as directed on the box, PLUS 1/2 to 1 stick melted butter gives better results (salted butter is all I buy). Since the butter solidifies at room temperature, the cake can be too dense if only butter is used. But if you add the butter in addition to the oil, you get the best of both! I also use milk instead of water, add a small box of instant pudding mix (a flavor that will compliment the cake flavor), and an extra egg or two. I also first mix all wet ingredients together really well, then add the dry cake mix and pudding mix, then beat for the amount of time speciied on the box. This way, all of the ingredients are well incorporated, but without the cake mix being over beaten, which can result in a heavy, coarse crumb.
TIP: for a nicer cake texture... cream the butter (3/4 c.) with a mixer, keep the wet ingredients in a bowl separate from the dry...Make sure to sift both flours especially the one from the box...don't throw everything together in the mixing bowl instead, divide in 3 parts: add wet then dry and keep alternating while mixing. (I added 1/2 c sugar vs. 1)
Thanks for the tip! I was wondering about the sugar as I don't want it to taste too sweet. Also I had an idea to separate the eggs & whip the egg whites. Then fold them in. Would it make it have a lighter texture (kind of like a sponge cake)?
When I'm making a box chocolate cake (Duncan Hines: Dark Chocolate Fudge seems to have the best chocolate flavor in my opinion), what I like to do is, instead of 1 cup of water, use a cup of room temperature coffee. The coffee that's left over in the pot from the morning works perfect. It really brings out the chocolate flavor. Same thing with box brownies too, except they usually only call for 1/4 cup water.
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. I often bake from scratch but will use box mixes if I will be stacking or carving the cake. Besides, box mixes have emulsifiers that make your cakes very moist and foolproof.
Hi Liz! I’ve made this cake 4 times in the last year (along with your Easy Buttercream) and it is delicious and I always get lots of compliments on the taste of the cake AND icing. It’s just sweet enough, but not overly sweet. It’s my go to recipe for cakes from now on and I will NEVER use American Buttercream again. I loved ABC, but then I tasted your Easy BC/Mock Swiss BC and it is perfect tasting and perfect for decorating cakes. Thanks for your tutorials. I have learned so much about baking cakes from these. Also, your babies are gorgeous!
Hi@@nansm3672. I think she used unsalted butter because she also adds 1/4 tsp salt in the mix. Have you tried it yet? I don't think that particular mix is available here in the UK but I'll definitely use her advice for other box mix.
I was kind of skeptical to try this box hack with flour and sugar. I thought it would be googly and dense. Omg my kids loved it. So now this will be my go cupcake receipe. Thank you so much.
I have tried a homemade cake recipe but your “doctored up” box mix recipe was DELICIOUS!!! It turned out so light and fluffy yet extremely sturdy! This is my new go to cake. My family could not stop eating this cake. Thank you so much for the video and all of your tips♥️
There's a cake mix cookbook title The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn that helps amp up box cake mixes. Thanks for sharing your tips and the recipe for taking a mix to the next level.
I can't wait to try this. I have made several top rated "wedding cake" recipes from scratch and none have ever tasted like one. The flavor I get the most is the same as what pancakes taste like. Not sure if its me or what. The only thing close to the wedding cake flavor I"ve ever had luck with is a doctored cake mix where additional sugar, flour and sour cream were added with just a couple tbsp of oil. I thought it was tasty but not quite there yet. This one actually sounds like it may be more what I"m hoping for. Thanks for sharing.
Made the chocolate version and it is absolutely DELICIOUS! Great idea for when you don’t have enough time to bake from scratch or feeling lazy!!!! Thanks Liz, you’re the best.
Thx! Tried it and came out great! Boxed cakes are normally a bit too sweet for me so I replaced 1 cup of extra sugar for 1/2 sweetener and it was perfect! Life saver!😊
I know right. She made it look so easy. My husband gave me an instant pot for Christmas and I have been cooking away. I haven't made a cake yet, but I'm going to try. Thanks for the support!!
@@josephinebrown6878 I started cooking when I was 12 too. It has been my mainstay and become my profession for 50 years! You go GirlFriend! hope you get a TH-cam channel and share your wonderful creations!
You are SO RIGHT! My son had a school project to do and we taste tested cake box mixes and Duncan Hines is way better!!!!...and putting your recommended fresh ingredients takes it to a whole nother level 🤣 Your awesome, we love you ❤️ keep up the good work👍🏽😋
I normally just add an extra egg, buttermilk for the water, and melted butter for the oil. I must try your recipe and see which I like better. Thanks! BTW, your buttermilk white cake with ermine frosting was delicious!
@@cherokeeheartct8633 I've answered this question many times on this channel as to why you'd use the extra ingredients :) I answer questions as much as I can but it's impossible to keep up with them all, and if someone is calling me nasty, why would I answer their question? You don't have to be on my channel, there are many others you can learn from.
adding all that extra flour will make a good size cake. All the other cake box hack recipes end up with no added flour and such a small thin weak cake. I love this video.
My mom has always used Duncan Heinz cake mixes. I must say she has made layer cakes with them. Both white and chocolate. She never has an issue with them bulging or not stacking properly. However after they cool she always put them in the freezer before she does anything with them.
I am looking forward to trying this out with a pound cake mix. I have been trying to duplicate my grandmother's home made pound cake for years without success. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Liz ~ How does a novice bake baker like myself THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart ♥️??? Your tutorials on how to lick up a box cake to the max has blown me away! I've had to make 2 "big occasion" cakes within the last two weeks and everyone raved at how moist, flavorful and delicious they were. I have copied your steps with ingredients and taped it to the inside of my kitchen cupboard so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle of other less meaningful recipes. ALSO - sitting right next to that recipe is your "Easy Buttercream" recipe. You are my Mega Star 🌟🌟🌟 ~ Ms. Liz ~ I wish ALL good things come your way. God Bless You for airing your sincere tips and tricks to other people, like myself, in their quest(?) for professional baked goods. You're Thee Best! THANK YOU!!! ♥️🌟🌹
How long would I bake it in a 6" pan that is 3" deep? I have a crappy 27" oven. I put an oven thermometer in it though, and it seems to be fairly accurate. It's just a smaller space.
Try the How ToCook That vanilla cake recipe and the Tasty ultimate chocolate cake. Neither is particularly hard, but they're both brilliant. The one pot chef channel has simpler recipes if you want to start slower.
I just commented on your Swiss Buttercream recipe being the perfect recipe for me. Well this is the recipe I used for the white cake for my friends Birthday cake. She loved it and the cake tasted amazing and it was so pretty to look at. I used a lemon curd for the filling and your recipe for the Swiss buttercream. But for the cake I used 1t of lemon extract instead of almond and in the buttercream I used 1t of lemon extract and 1t of vanilla extract. Thank you again. Love your channel.
Thank you so much for this video!! Made my first cake trying this recipe and after trying a few scratch cake recipes I was so happy about the outcome of this one! So easy, simple & DELICIOUS 😋!! If anyone has never used the Molina brand vanilla extract I recommend you use that in this recipe 😉 Thanks Liz for making this my go to! ❤️ PS. I am a woman writing this btw lol under hubbys account at the moment. 😆 ok that’s all 😉 TRY THIS RECIPE YOU’LL LOVE IT!
Hi Liz! I’ve made this cake 4 times in the last year (along with your Easy Buttercream) and it is delicious and I always get lots of compliments on the taste of the cake AND icing. It’s just sweet enough, but not overly sweet. It’s my go to recipe for cakes from now on and I will NEVER use American Buttercream again. I loved ABC, but then I tasted your Easy BC/Mock Swiss BC and it is perfect tasting and perfect for decorating cakes. Thanks for your tutorials. I have learned so much about baking cakes from these. Also, your babies are gorgeous!
I totally agree with you about Duncan hines … no comparison to others. A lot of stores here in Canada are not carrying their mix anymore and focusing on Betty Crocker which is complete garbage. It's nice to have this doctored recipe for times you're in a pinch so thank you!!
I read somewhere that some of the ducan Hines cake mixes were recalled due to salmonella contamination. That's probably why they aren't carrying them anymore.
I used chocolate add 2 hersheys chocolate bars wile melting butter and a half cup hersheys coco. Cooked in 48 mini pan from heb. Made 2 pans and 9 reg cupcakes. AMAZING.
Thank you, I was going to buy cake flour and do scratch but the store had buy one get one free mixes. I am making my wedding cake. I think I will start the process today.
🤔 Not really - I used to make all of my event Cakes from scratch & the embellished Box cakes are definitely better for stacking(& Shaping). The crumb is more predictable/consistent as well - IMO.
It's ok, it's not for everyone. I went to pastry school and made everything from scratch. But since I have started teaching, I realize that some people just need a little stepping stone between box mix and completely from scratch for a variety of reasons. To some, box mix is all they know and all their palette is used to. So making a doctored box mix taste a little more like scratch helps them see beyond just the box. It's also full proof. As you know, making a cake from scratch requires very careful measuring and mixing. Beginners who only know how to put a box mix in a bowl get discouraged by difficult measuring. Box mix also has emulsifiers that help the cake rise pretty much no matter what. So the successful cake gives the beginner a boost of confidence. Once they see they can make something like a doctored box mix, they move onto baking from scratch more easily. I know this is a long answer but I wanted to let you know I get it and there is a method behind my madness :)
@@cherokeeheartct8633 Ok I understand what you are saying but I get a notification every time that someone leaves a comment and I answer each one so from my perspective I'm seeing you ask the same question over and over so I didnt really understand why. I'm not upset.
Some really good tips, Liz! I've always replaced the water with milk. I bake from scratch and use box mixes. I have to admit Duncan Hines does make the best box mix. Plus, if you make your own icing & do fun fillings, it makes it feel all the more. "homemade."
I have made 3 of your box cake to scratch recipes and they are all absolutely delicious!!! Just made the white almond sour cream cake and omgggggggggg!!! Perfection!!! Would love to see a brownie box mix video!! ❤❤❤
Can I use the same recipe 4 a yellow cake using for whole eggs of course and no almond extract? I'm using two 8-in cake pans ... Will I have a lot of batter left?
Made it for a 1st birthday. Got raves over it AND it stacked beautifully! Thank you so much for sharing! P .S. I did add an extra egg yolk. I really wanted it to be dense. I had a caketastrophy a few weeks ago and was a little nervous about the cake holding it's shape. LOVED it though!
Liz, love you!! Your book helped me grow in the art of decorating cakes. I was wondering if I could use 3 whole eggs in place of the 4 egg whites. Thanks for teaching.
I have this vanilla cake in the oven now (the batter tastes lovely). Question, for chocolate cake, would you use same additives, minus the almond extract (and perhaps coffee instead of milk)? Would you still add the sour cream? Thanks :-)
I used this recipe, except using oil instead of butter, in my cake business years ago. At first, I was skeptical of the whole doctored cake mix thing, but I did blind taste tests and the doctored mix won over scratch cakes. Maybe it’s because that’s what people used at home? Personally, I liked the scratch better, but it wasn’t what people liked better. Oh, and I also did a blind taste test using the doctored and un-doctored mix, and peeps chose the doctored then as well. Beats me. 🤷🏻♀️
Katie B exactly.. I would first sift it, so that there are no lumps, and then add vanilla, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup milk (instead of 1 cup of water) and that’s pretty much it, you’ll end up with an amazing cake! Sometimes I even add lemon/orange zest or for chocolate cake mixes, I add a good teaspoon of coffee grounds and a pack of instant chocolate jello pudding mix, along with the milk and sour cream instead of water. Works PERFECTLY.
@@theforeverfreak7294 Yaaas❣ Great "Cake Lady" trick/tip. I came to the same conclusion re: my event & Specialty cakes. IDK why some people are acting like embellished Box cake is a worthless hassle or is inferior to Scratch, that's just not the case.
@@michelebradley7813 I agree. I've been a cake decorator for 40+ years, and a doctored box cake is all I use now unless it's a specialty cake such as Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, etc.
I use this recipe for all of my cakes. I tried several scratch recipes and could not get consistent results. This mix is a perfect middle ground with perfect results every time.
Thank you for the recipe. Can Plain Greek yogurt be used instead of sour cream? I'm far more likely to have Greek yogurt around and the properties are very similar.
Thank you for your videos and sharing baking info. Over the years, I've noticed that there's a difference in the smell. The regular box cake has a smell (makes me nausea) and scratch mix smells like butter, chocolate, whatever flavor your using. It could be just me. When I doctor a box mix, the smell is less and taste better. Question, after I fill a baking order, and don't use all of the batter, can it be saved and used in a few days?
Yes!! I noticed different cake smells from box cake & scratch cake (im a scratch baker) but I tried a doctored cake & it smelled alittle less artificial😅 but still tasted great.
This looks amazing I usually bake from scratch but not good exactly like you said for stacking I am making a three tier 10 inch cake with strawberry mousse filling and adding Slices of strawberries as well to the filling and I need something that will be sturdy enough that it will not bulge out the sides with this stand up to a three tier 10 inch cake thank you again so much for this wonderful recipe love your tutorials❤️
Id like to try this but need a dairy free option. What can you substitute the sour cream and milk with? Also, can you do this same recipe for a red velvet box mix? Thanks so much
Wow ! I made this cake it turned out great 👍 Thank you so much for this wonderful tip. Any chance to give us the recipe of red velvet box cake please 😍
I make a boxed red velvet cake that's really good and everyone in my family seems to love it. I make these exceptions to the box instructions: Instead of water, use cultured whole buttermilk and use an extra ounce or two over the recommended one cup, because buttermilk is much thicker than regular milk or water. Another suggestion I would make is to prepare ahead. Let the buttermilk sit out on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then add 2 tbl spoons of heavy cream and let it sit out for a couple more hours. When you begin to mix the batter, keep a little extra buttermilk on hand in case the batter is thicker than you like, you can add a little extra to thin it. As this video recommends, instead of oil use melted butter. You might also want to add one additional egg, over the box-recommended three large eggs, although if you don't like your cakes to be too rich, you might want to stick with just three. When you begin to mix everything, mix the dry cake mix first with the buttermilk and melted butter. Once that's in, add the eggs one at a time. Eggs and butter are like oil and water, in that they don't mix. Therefore, you have to settle for an emulsion, and that emulsion will help to create a wonderfully moist and creamy texture to your cake if you add each egg individually and mix it in well before adding the next egg. If you're making a layer cake, with any kind of cake mix I always sprinkle some sugar over the top of the batter right before it goes in the oven. This will help keep the top much more level.
Thanks Liz! I wanted to make a boxed cake that I can use to practice stacking and decorating without having to waste the more expensive ingredients. I have been using the easy buttercream recipe and it is the only bc I make, unless I need a sturdier and less heat sensitive buttercream. In that case I use SMBC or IMBC. Thanks again!
For all you people wondering about measurements!!!!!! Read the description box!!!!!! Would these ingredients excluding the almond extract work in different flavored cakes? Im thinking of adding to a lemon box cake im making tomorrow. Also would the cake still come out okay without the sour cream? Or less of the sour cream? Cause Im not sure i have enough...please let me know! Im not a baker! And don't want to mess this cake up! Thanks
I didn't see you add any baking powder to the mix, so was the flour you added to the box cake AP or SR flour? If it was AP, then I'm guessing that would be why it's a bit more dense and better for stacking?
We used your recipe and everyone loved it and were so impressed by it! I'm thinking of making my daughters cake a number 1 pull-apart cupcake cake next month. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to use this recipe for cupcakes or whether we should just do a regular box mix cake orrrr if we should attempt to make it from scratch (which we've never done). HELP! lol If there's any advice you can offer or any video you can point us to, I'd appreciate it. Thanks & keep being amazing!!
Isabel Abreu I noticed no one had replied to your question. I’m not a pro or anything, but I could tell you that if it worked for a cake, it will work for cupcakes. I always try adding things to my cake box batter so it tastes a little different, but always use it for cupcakes, though, I have never done a pull-apart cupcake cake before, but I think that it would work too. You should have to be careful with the hight of the cake or else it would colapse if it has no support. I hope this was helpful to you. Congrats on anything your celebrating.
Karina Rivera hey, thanks for the reply 😅 it was for my daughters first birthday and since it was a small thing I really didn’t wanna purchase a cake. But I used this recipe and it turned out great and super cute. The cupcakes were super practical for a quick and clean hand out. I was really concerned about them not coming out the same height but it all worked out and everyone loved them. Thanks again guy for the advice.
I’m not so new at cakes but I don’t like the flavor or texture of how my scratch cakes come out. I think I want to go back to box cake but I needed this to help make it taste and stack 10x better! Question tho, can I use the full egg because I don’t like wasting egg yolks
Well, I wanted to just add a little sour cream to my boxed cake mix and see what it does. I’m pretty sure if all of your ingredients made it okay, then my little sour cream will be fine 😁 Thanks!
I tried this yesterday with a Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake mix I had in my pantry! I also have molasses so I took a chance and added that into the mix so that it would taste even more like gingerbread. I did 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup molasses instead of the 1cup milk. Though I did add in a bit of extra molasses on a whim (I’m told I bake and cook like a witch 🤣) so it was maybe closer to 3/4 cup molasses and 1/2 cup milk. And 3 whole eggs since I figured it to be about the same amount as 4 eggs whites. To the dry mix I added a sh*t tonne of ginger (I didn’t measure I just did the witch thing again!), some nutmeg& cinnamon, and also some cayenne- it’s a relatively neutral flavour that adds the extra spiciness you lose when you’re not using fresh ginger. I used vanilla extract as I don’t have almond, and 1/2 cup sugar on account of the molasses, but 3/4 would have been fine too imo. I didn’t have sour cream, but I don’t think gingerbread would have needed it. And I followed the suggested amount of flour, butter, and salt in your recipe. I was a little nervous because I wasn’t following your hack directly as I had a different flavour of cake mix, but it turned out amazing! Great structure, and the molasses made it very moist. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
For my cupcakes, I only use EGG WHITES, no yolks. I find this fluffier. I also use milk instead of water. However, this may not be the best for stacking. I just find this way the flavor is the BEST !
Hi Liz, what if Im going to use the orange flavor box mix? Do i need to add more sugar to the batter since I still need to add frosting? Can I use the whole egg instead of just egg whites? Please let me know. 😁
As a cake decorator for 40+ years, I've learned that adding the oil as directed on the box, PLUS 1/2 to 1 stick melted butter gives better results (salted butter is all I buy). Since the butter solidifies at room temperature, the cake can be too dense if only butter is used. But if you add the butter in addition to the oil, you get the best of both! I also use milk instead of water, add a small box of instant pudding mix (a flavor that will compliment the cake flavor), and an extra egg or two. I also first mix all wet ingredients together really well, then add the dry cake mix and pudding mix, then beat for the amount of time speciied on the box. This way, all of the ingredients are well incorporated, but without the cake mix being over beaten, which can result in a heavy, coarse crumb.
Thanks for the tips :)
Now I know why my cake turns not fluffy and just dull lumpy lump.
Does it allow for stacking cakes?
I'm trying it just like you said except for I added milk instead of water
Have to let you know how it works
@@perryretzlaff5490 It will do great! I do it all the time. :)
TIP: for a nicer cake texture... cream the butter (3/4 c.) with a mixer, keep the wet ingredients in a bowl separate from the dry...Make sure to sift both flours especially the one from the box...don't throw everything together in the mixing bowl instead, divide in 3 parts: add wet then dry and keep alternating while mixing. (I added 1/2 c sugar vs. 1)
Thanks for the tip! I was wondering about the sugar as I don't want it to taste too sweet. Also I had an idea to separate the eggs & whip the egg whites. Then fold them in. Would it make it have a lighter texture (kind of like a sponge cake)?
@ Mrob75 Will try this tip. When you say "nicer texture" what type of texture are you referencing? (Softer crumb? More of a tighter/ dense crumb, Etc)
@@Kay-jk2gi an airy / softer texture...not as compact as straight from the box
When using your technique, would I still mix it for a full 2 minutes after combining all ingredients?
@@tdg1945 yes
When I'm making a box chocolate cake (Duncan Hines: Dark Chocolate Fudge seems to have the best chocolate flavor in my opinion), what I like to do is, instead of 1 cup of water, use a cup of room temperature coffee. The coffee that's left over in the pot from the morning works perfect. It really brings out the chocolate flavor. Same thing with box brownies too, except they usually only call for 1/4 cup water.
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. I often bake from scratch but will use box mixes if I will be stacking or carving the cake. Besides, box mixes have emulsifiers that make your cakes very moist and foolproof.
Hi Liz! I’ve made this cake 4 times in the last year (along with your Easy Buttercream) and it is delicious and I always get lots of compliments on the taste of the cake AND icing. It’s just sweet enough, but not overly sweet. It’s my go to recipe for cakes from now on and I will NEVER use American Buttercream again. I loved ABC, but then I tasted your Easy BC/Mock Swiss BC and it is perfect tasting and perfect for decorating cakes. Thanks for your tutorials. I have learned so much about baking cakes from these. Also, your babies are gorgeous!
Me watching holding my box cake from Betty Crocker as she says she recommends Duncan: 👁👄👁💧
Saaaame haha
Lmao same
Haha same except I have like five boxes which I tried to return and couldnt😕
Duncan makes a better crumb ..whether you hack it or not. I love the french vanilla and strawberry if I need to; otherwise I make from scratch
I think we are all the same
I had a tour in a local, very expensive, cake shop and was SHOOK when I saw shelves and shelves of Duncan Hines cake mix.
teambeining WHaaaaaaat
😏😱WHY AM I EVEN SURPRISED???? Everyone wants to be on top nowadays with their foolery👺
I used this recipe to make a three tier wedding cake for my nephew. It was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
Can water be used instead of milk?
I used your recipe... I got all raves. So thumbs up to you 👍🏽
Did you use salted or unsalted butter? TIA
Hi@@nansm3672. I think she used unsalted butter because she also adds 1/4 tsp salt in the mix.
Have you tried it yet? I don't think that particular mix is available here in the UK but I'll definitely use her advice for other box mix.
Do you think this recipe would work for cupcakes?
@@monah3477 Yes, it would. Most cake recipes work well for cupcakes, too, but just be sure to decrease the baking time on them.
I was kind of skeptical to try this box hack with flour and sugar. I thought it would be googly and dense. Omg my kids loved it. So now this will be my go cupcake receipe. Thank you so much.
How much did u fill the cupcake Liners? Did they lose some of the height like the cake?
You did not give the measurements of each ingredient. Dud
I have tried a homemade cake recipe but your “doctored up” box mix recipe was DELICIOUS!!! It turned out so light and fluffy yet extremely sturdy! This is my new go to cake. My family could not stop eating this cake. Thank you so much for the video and all of your tips♥️
There's a cake mix cookbook title The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn that helps amp up box cake mixes. Thanks for sharing your tips and the recipe for taking a mix to the next level.
I can't wait to try this. I have made several top rated "wedding cake" recipes from scratch and none have ever tasted like one. The flavor I get the most is the same as what pancakes taste like. Not sure if its me or what. The only thing close to the wedding cake flavor I"ve ever had luck with is a doctored cake mix where additional sugar, flour and sour cream were added with just a couple tbsp of oil. I thought it was tasty but not quite there yet. This one actually sounds like it may be more what I"m hoping for. Thanks for sharing.
Made the chocolate version and it is absolutely DELICIOUS! Great idea for when you don’t have enough time to bake from scratch or feeling lazy!!!! Thanks Liz, you’re the best.
Try using chocolate milk or espresso instead of water with chocolate or devil's food mixes.
Robert Berryman yes that is what I do! Haha I like it better with cooled coffee instead of chocolate milk
Thx! Tried it and came out great!
Boxed cakes are normally a bit too sweet for me so I replaced 1 cup of extra sugar for 1/2 sweetener and it was perfect! Life saver!😊
I made mine with just 1/2 cup of sugar and it turned perfect!!!
Boy, was I intimidated trying to make a cake from scratch!! This is exactly what I was looking for! A Possibility....Thanks 😊😊
I know right. She made it look so easy. My husband gave me an instant pot for Christmas and I have been cooking away. I haven't made a cake yet, but I'm going to try. Thanks for the support!!
I've made this recipe like 3 times in the last couple of years. Everyone loves it
This helped me a lot and I’m just a 13 year old thx owo
Thx I'm 8
I'm 12 and I absolutely love cookingg💕💕
shut the fuck up, im three
@@josephinebrown6878 Im also 12 and i am trying to bake better
@@josephinebrown6878 I started cooking when I was 12 too. It has been my mainstay and become my profession for 50 years! You go GirlFriend! hope you get a TH-cam channel and share your wonderful creations!
You are SO RIGHT! My son had a school project to do and we taste tested cake box mixes and Duncan Hines is way better!!!!...and putting your recommended fresh ingredients takes it to a whole nother level 🤣
Your awesome,
we love you ❤️
keep up the good work👍🏽😋
I normally just add an extra egg, buttermilk for the water, and melted butter for the oil. I must try your recipe and see which I like better. Thanks! BTW, your buttermilk white cake with ermine frosting was delicious!
Cynthia Thomas. She has it on her website. It is sugar cooked with flour and milk, cooled and added to whipped butter. Looks delicious!
Cynthia Thomas. Ok I don’t know this host but I think she was pregnant. Maybe she didn’t answer because she was busy.
Cynthia Thomas. Ok I understand. Thanks for the reply.
@@cherokeeheartct8633 Do you use salted butter?
@@cherokeeheartct8633 I've answered this question many times on this channel as to why you'd use the extra ingredients :) I answer questions as much as I can but it's impossible to keep up with them all, and if someone is calling me nasty, why would I answer their question? You don't have to be on my channel, there are many others you can learn from.
adding all that extra flour will make a good size cake. All the other cake box hack recipes end up with no added flour and such a small thin weak cake. I love this video.
My mom has always used Duncan Heinz cake mixes. I must say she has made layer cakes with them. Both white and chocolate. She never has an issue with them bulging or not stacking properly. However after they cool she always put them in the freezer before she does anything with them.
I am looking forward to trying this out with a pound cake mix. I have been trying to duplicate my grandmother's home made pound cake for years without success. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Liz ~ How does a novice bake baker like myself THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart ♥️??? Your tutorials on how to lick up a box cake to the max has blown me away! I've had to make 2 "big occasion" cakes within the last two weeks and everyone raved at how moist, flavorful and delicious they were. I have copied your steps with ingredients and taped it to the inside of my kitchen cupboard so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle of other less meaningful recipes. ALSO - sitting right next to that recipe is your "Easy Buttercream" recipe. You are my Mega Star 🌟🌟🌟 ~ Ms. Liz ~ I wish ALL good things come your way. God Bless You for airing your sincere tips and tricks to other people, like myself, in their quest(?) for professional baked goods. You're Thee Best! THANK YOU!!! ♥️🌟🌹
Sorry for the auto correct mistakes......One could "lick up a box cake mix but I meant to "kick up" a box cake mix 🤔
How long would I bake it in a 6" pan that is 3" deep? I have a crappy 27" oven. I put an oven thermometer in it though, and it seems to be fairly accurate. It's just a smaller space.
I’m 14 years old and I got to make my own cake because we couldn’t order a cake because of the coronavirus thank you
Try the How ToCook That vanilla cake recipe and the Tasty ultimate chocolate cake. Neither is particularly hard, but they're both brilliant. The one pot chef channel has simpler recipes if you want to start slower.
It looks like you used carton egg whites in this? Would you say carton egg whites or fresh gives better results? Thank you.
I made this a few days ago. Delicious!!!!! These ingredient additions really kick this cake up a notch! Thanks Liz!! ❤️
Did you put any icing on it?
@@G-grandma_Army yes I added homemade chocolate frosting 🙂
Hi can I replace the egg whites with whole eggs
Pudding mix. Butter instead of oil. Milk instead of water. Coffee to chocolate mix. Extra egg. Vanilla extract always. Almond is good too
I just commented on your Swiss Buttercream recipe being the perfect recipe for me. Well this is the recipe I used for the white cake for my friends Birthday cake. She loved it and the cake tasted amazing and it was so pretty to look at. I used a lemon curd for the filling and your recipe for the Swiss buttercream. But for the cake I used 1t of lemon extract instead of almond and in the buttercream I used 1t of lemon extract and 1t of vanilla extract. Thank you again. Love your channel.
I found this cake to be extremely sweet, can I add 1/2 cup sugar instead of a full cup?
Thank you so much for this video!! Made my first cake trying this recipe and after trying a few scratch cake recipes I was so happy about the outcome of this one! So easy, simple & DELICIOUS 😋!! If anyone has never used the Molina brand vanilla extract I recommend you use that in this recipe 😉 Thanks Liz for making this my go to! ❤️
PS. I am a woman writing this btw lol under hubbys account at the moment. 😆 ok that’s all 😉 TRY THIS RECIPE YOU’LL LOVE IT!
Hi Liz! I’ve made this cake 4 times in the last year (along with your Easy Buttercream) and it is delicious and I always get lots of compliments on the taste of the cake AND icing. It’s just sweet enough, but not overly sweet. It’s my go to recipe for cakes from now on and I will NEVER use American Buttercream again. I loved ABC, but then I tasted your Easy BC/Mock Swiss BC and it is perfect tasting and perfect for decorating cakes. Thanks for your tutorials. I have learned so much about baking cakes from these. Also, your babies are gorgeous!
I totally agree with you about Duncan hines … no comparison to others. A lot of stores here in Canada are not carrying their mix anymore and focusing on Betty Crocker which is complete garbage. It's nice to have this doctored recipe for times you're in a pinch so thank you!!
chickapey; I like the Aldi boxed cake mixes.
I read somewhere that some of the ducan Hines cake mixes were recalled due to salmonella contamination. That's probably why they aren't carrying them anymore.
I used chocolate add 2 hersheys chocolate bars wile melting butter and a half cup hersheys coco. Cooked in 48 mini pan from heb. Made 2 pans and 9 reg cupcakes. AMAZING.
Thank you, I was going to buy cake flour and do scratch but the store had buy one get one free mixes. I am making my wedding cake. I think I will start the process today.
Will this recipe be fine without the sour cream?
Jasmine Bennett; I suggest buttermilk vs sour cream.
I Made it and it was delicious. Thanks for the tips. My question, can I make🎉 cupcakes with this same recipe. Please and thanks
If you’re going to add all of that you might as well just make the cake from scratch.
🤔 Not really - I used to make all of my event Cakes from scratch & the embellished Box cakes are definitely better for stacking(& Shaping). The crumb is more predictable/consistent as well - IMO.
Connie Ramsey lol
It's ok, it's not for everyone. I went to pastry school and made everything from scratch. But since I have started teaching, I realize that some people just need a little stepping stone between box mix and completely from scratch for a variety of reasons. To some, box mix is all they know and all their palette is used to. So making a doctored box mix taste a little more like scratch helps them see beyond just the box. It's also full proof. As you know, making a cake from scratch requires very careful measuring and mixing. Beginners who only know how to put a box mix in a bowl get discouraged by difficult measuring. Box mix also has emulsifiers that help the cake rise pretty much no matter what. So the successful cake gives the beginner a boost of confidence. Once they see they can make something like a doctored box mix, they move onto baking from scratch more easily. I know this is a long answer but I wanted to let you know I get it and there is a method behind my madness :)
@@cherokeeheartct8633 Ok I understand what you are saying but I get a notification every time that someone leaves a comment and I answer each one so from my perspective I'm seeing you ask the same question over and over so I didnt really understand why. I'm not upset.
@@cherokeeheartct8633 - Calm down man.
I love this recipe. I've received so many compliments on the texture how homemade it taste
Some really good tips, Liz! I've always replaced the water with milk. I bake from scratch and use box mixes. I have to admit Duncan Hines does make the best box mix. Plus, if you make your own icing & do fun fillings, it makes it feel all the more. "homemade."
Where are the eggs?
Can this be used on any cake box flavor? I want to try a red velvet cake
Yes it works I just made it with a red velvet cake it was really really good
I have always heard, replace the oil with butter and the water with milk. 🙂
I'm trying to show off this Easter and you gave me the blueprint thank you 🔥
I have made 3 of your box cake to scratch recipes and they are all absolutely delicious!!! Just made the white almond sour cream cake and omgggggggggg!!! Perfection!!! Would love to see a brownie box mix video!! ❤❤❤
Thank you for the amount of eggs, I was just thinking about that! Right on time!😊
Can this be ok to do with cupcakes too?
Can you make a video for red velvet cake please!? I tried your chocolate cake box recipe and everyone loved it. 🥰
Can I use the same recipe 4 a yellow cake using for whole eggs of course and no almond extract? I'm using two 8-in cake pans ... Will I have a lot of batter left?
Made it for a 1st birthday. Got raves over it AND it stacked beautifully! Thank you so much for sharing! P
.S. I did add an extra egg yolk. I really wanted it to be dense. I had a caketastrophy a few weeks ago and was a little nervous about the cake holding it's shape. LOVED it though!
Haha I fooled them all😉!!! Your hack was on point👍
Liz, love you!! Your book helped me grow in the art of decorating cakes. I was wondering if I could use 3 whole eggs in place of the 4 egg whites. Thanks for teaching.
Clara's Heart Sweet Delights yes you could do that :)
Ste al Thank you :-).
I have this vanilla cake in the oven now (the batter tastes lovely). Question, for chocolate cake, would you use same additives, minus the almond extract (and perhaps coffee instead of milk)? Would you still add the sour cream? Thanks :-)
There is a chocolate WASC cake version on my site as well
It looks delicious. Do you think I could make it without adding eggs?
How much of each of the other ingredients did you use? Is it the same for the other flavors like choco or red velvet
Shes has the ingredients and the amounts of each one listed below the video.
May as well just make it from scratch 😂 (which I prefer anyway, I was just wondering if this was an add-one-or-two-things-to-the-mix type of deal)
I used this recipe, except using oil instead of butter, in my cake business years ago. At first, I was skeptical of the whole doctored cake mix thing, but I did blind taste tests and the doctored mix won over scratch cakes. Maybe it’s because that’s what people used at home? Personally, I liked the scratch better, but it wasn’t what people liked better. Oh, and I also did a blind taste test using the doctored and un-doctored mix, and peeps chose the doctored then as well. Beats me. 🤷🏻♀️
Katie B exactly.. I would first sift it, so that there are no lumps, and then add vanilla, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup milk (instead of 1 cup of water) and that’s pretty much it, you’ll end up with an amazing cake! Sometimes I even add lemon/orange zest or for chocolate cake mixes, I add a good teaspoon of coffee grounds and a pack of instant chocolate jello pudding mix, along with the milk and sour cream instead of water. Works PERFECTLY.
@@theforeverfreak7294 Yaaas❣ Great "Cake Lady" trick/tip. I came to the same conclusion re: my event & Specialty cakes. IDK why some people are acting like embellished Box cake is a worthless hassle or is inferior to Scratch, that's just not the case.
Katie B I was thinking the exact same thing!
@@michelebradley7813 I agree. I've been a cake decorator for 40+ years, and a doctored box cake is all I use now unless it's a specialty cake such as Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, etc.
If you're going to add all of those ingredients to the box would it not be just as easy (if not easier) to make from scratch?? Legitimately asking...
Courtney Pelucchi box mix is formulated to bake up without any special mixing. Scratch cake requires careful mixing and weighing of ingredients
I use this recipe for all of my cakes. I tried several scratch recipes and could not get consistent results. This mix is a perfect middle ground with perfect results every time.
Thank you for the recipe. Can Plain Greek yogurt be used instead of sour cream? I'm far more likely to have Greek yogurt around and the properties are very similar.
Yes, it absolutely can!
Can I put whole eggs instead of only whites If i the color is not important to me
Thank you for your videos and sharing baking info. Over the years, I've noticed that there's a difference in the smell. The regular box cake has a smell (makes me nausea) and scratch mix smells like butter, chocolate, whatever flavor your using. It could be just me. When I doctor a box mix, the smell is less and taste better. Question, after I fill a baking order, and don't use all of the batter, can it be saved and used in a few days?
Yes!! I noticed different cake smells from box cake & scratch cake (im a scratch baker) but I tried a doctored cake & it smelled alittle less artificial😅 but still tasted great.
This looks amazing I usually bake from scratch but not good exactly like you said for stacking I am making a three tier 10 inch cake with strawberry mousse filling and adding Slices of strawberries as well to the filling and I need something that will be sturdy enough that it will not bulge out the sides with this stand up to a three tier 10 inch cake thank you again so much for this wonderful recipe love your tutorials❤️
Can I reduce the amount of sugar or will that effect the density and texture? I find this cake too sweet for me. Thanks Liz!
GuardMomma D did you try without the added sugar ? I made it today and I agree it was too sweet for my liking (I don’t have a sweet tooth lol)
I tried mine with 1/2 cup of sugar and turned out Great! Next time i am going to add just 1/4 cup because it is still too sweet for me
Hi Liz! Love all of your videos. One quick question.. what can I use instead of the sour cream?
Id like to try this but need a dairy free option. What can you substitute the sour cream and milk with? Also, can you do this same recipe for a red velvet box mix?
Thanks so much
Did you ever do this dairy free? I am trying to do this recipe dairy free as well.
@@porshaflowers9079 I didn’t use this recipe but I used plant based butter and almond milk as replacements.
I find this very sweet, can you only add 1/2 cup sugar?
I'm making it for my birthday since we're quarantine
Vsco Girl lol I’m making one for my brother since they probably won’t have any at the store 😂
emily pacheco same!
Same lmao my birthday is tomorrow happy late Brithday I think lol
@@mannalejaz71 happy birthday and its April 21st
Could I put this recipe in a 13 by 9?
Thanks for this! Did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Nikki Love sure thing! Unsalted butter for all of my recipes :)
@@SugarGeekShow thank you!! I'm pregnant and craving it so bad!! I'll be making it tonight 😋
How many cupcakes would this make, and how long would I bake them for?
♦
I’d say based on the box times ...remember cupcakes are smaller than cakes ...soooo the time it takes to make the cupcakes will be less than cakes
Wow ! I made this cake it turned out great 👍 Thank you so much for this wonderful tip.
Any chance to give us the recipe of red velvet box cake please
😍
I make a boxed red velvet cake that's really good and everyone in my family seems to love it. I make these exceptions to the box instructions:
Instead of water, use cultured whole buttermilk and use an extra ounce or two over the recommended one cup, because buttermilk is much thicker than regular milk or water. Another suggestion I would make is to prepare ahead. Let the buttermilk sit out on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then add 2 tbl spoons of heavy cream and let it sit out for a couple more hours. When you begin to mix the batter, keep a little extra buttermilk on hand in case the batter is thicker than you like, you can add a little extra to thin it.
As this video recommends, instead of oil use melted butter.
You might also want to add one additional egg, over the box-recommended three large eggs, although if you don't like your cakes to be too rich, you might want to stick with just three. When you begin to mix everything, mix the dry cake mix first with the buttermilk and melted butter. Once that's in, add the eggs one at a time. Eggs and butter are like oil and water, in that they don't mix. Therefore, you have to settle for an emulsion, and that emulsion will help to create a wonderfully moist and creamy texture to your cake if you add each egg individually and mix it in well before adding the next egg.
If you're making a layer cake, with any kind of cake mix I always sprinkle some sugar over the top of the batter right before it goes in the oven. This will help keep the top much more level.
@@robsemail Excellent tips!
@@robsemail thanks much you've been very helpful together with the video
Robert Berryman 5
She has one for chocolate cake. Red velvet is red chocolate cake fyi.
Am I the only person who thinks 📦 🎂 mix is DELICIOUS and doesn't need to be doctored up❓
Possibly. 🤔 :-)
Yes
Yep. It’s the frosting that makes it different IMO
I think so too!!
I'm afraid you ARE, Ms Jayne. Regular cake mix cakes taste way to "boxy" for me.
Can I use this recipe for any flavored boxed cake?
Thank you for sharing! Can cupcakes be made this way too?
Tried it and loved it, but will cutting out some of the sugar affect the texture?
Hi, just found your channel. Thanks for sharing. Can I use cake flour instead of AP flour?
You can but it's not necessary
@@SugarGeekShow thank you
would this work for confetti cake mix ? Maybe add less s.cream since it is sweet?
I was wondering that too!
Yesterday I tried this recipe .it was super yummy 😋
Thanks Liz! I wanted to make a boxed cake that I can use to practice stacking and decorating without having to waste the more expensive ingredients. I have been using the easy buttercream recipe and it is the only bc I make, unless I need a sturdier and less heat sensitive buttercream. In that case I use SMBC or IMBC. Thanks again!
For all you people wondering about measurements!!!!!! Read the description box!!!!!! Would these ingredients excluding the almond extract work in different flavored cakes? Im thinking of adding to a lemon box cake im making tomorrow. Also would the cake still come out okay without the sour cream? Or less of the sour cream? Cause Im not sure i have enough...please let me know! Im not a baker! And don't want to mess this cake up! Thanks
Kyra Hitt yes it works with lemon too. Use as much sour cream as you have, you can add yogurt if you don’t have enough. Leave out the almond
Hey Liz 👋🏾 I plan to use this recipe to make cake pops. Is it still ok if I use veg oil instead of melting butter?
Does this work with all flavors? Strawberry for instance, what would you recommend to amp that up?
I have wasc recipes for strawberry, chocolate, and red velvet! All on my blog sugargeekshow.com/?s=Wasc
I didn't see you add any baking powder to the mix, so was the flour you added to the box cake AP or SR flour? If it was AP, then I'm guessing that would be why it's a bit more dense and better for stacking?
So I've only tasted the battery so far but omg it was delicious can't wait till the cake gets done!!
-Tabitha
I tweet ALL brands of cake mix👍🏾 They have the "pound cake" taste and texture 🙌🏾
We used your recipe and everyone loved it and were so impressed by it! I'm thinking of making my daughters cake a number 1 pull-apart cupcake cake next month. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to use this recipe for cupcakes or whether we should just do a regular box mix cake orrrr if we should attempt to make it from scratch (which we've never done). HELP! lol If there's any advice you can offer or any video you can point us to, I'd appreciate it. Thanks & keep being amazing!!
Isabel Abreu I noticed no one had replied to your question. I’m not a pro or anything, but I could tell you that if it worked for a cake, it will work for cupcakes. I always try adding things to my cake box batter so it tastes a little different, but always use it for cupcakes, though, I have never done a pull-apart cupcake cake before, but I think that it would work too. You should have to be careful with the hight of the cake or else it would colapse if it has no support. I hope this was helpful to you. Congrats on anything your celebrating.
Karina Rivera hey, thanks for the reply 😅 it was for my daughters first birthday and since it was a small thing I really didn’t wanna purchase a cake. But I used this recipe and it turned out great and super cute. The cupcakes were super practical for a quick and clean hand out. I was really concerned about them not coming out the same height but it all worked out and everyone loved them. Thanks again guy for the advice.
Isabel Abreu no problem, here to help. I’m glad to know they turned out well.
Isabel Abreu and cute! I love kids! I hope she enjoyed the cupcakes🥰
Ok...how much flour and sugar?
I’m not so new at cakes but I don’t like the flavor or texture of how my scratch cakes come out. I think I want to go back to box cake but I needed this to help make it taste and stack 10x better! Question tho, can I use the full egg because I don’t like wasting egg yolks
Hi! Love the receipe , only one question , can i cut the sour cream or substitute with something else cause i dont have it atm :/
Well, I wanted to just add a little sour cream to my boxed cake mix and see what it does. I’m pretty sure if all of your ingredients made it okay, then my little sour cream will be fine 😁 Thanks!
I wish you gave the measurement of the ingredients you added to the cake box mix.
Its in the description box
Obviously if we don’t want almond flavor we skip the extract correct? Like if I was just doing a regular vanilla cake or white cake?
Yes just replace it with vanilla extract :)
Great video- thank you! I'm making DH French vanilla cake mix- would I do anything different?
can I substitute the almond extract for Vanilla extract ?
Of course
I tried this yesterday with a Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake mix I had in my pantry!
I also have molasses so I took a chance and added that into the mix so that it would taste even more like gingerbread. I did 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup molasses instead of the 1cup milk. Though I did add in a bit of extra molasses on a whim (I’m told I bake and cook like a witch 🤣) so it was maybe closer to 3/4 cup molasses and 1/2 cup milk. And 3 whole eggs since I figured it to be about the same amount as 4 eggs whites.
To the dry mix I added a sh*t tonne of ginger (I didn’t measure I just did the witch thing again!), some nutmeg& cinnamon, and also some cayenne- it’s a relatively neutral flavour that adds the extra spiciness you lose when you’re not using fresh ginger. I used vanilla extract as I don’t have almond, and 1/2 cup sugar on account of the molasses, but 3/4 would have been fine too imo. I didn’t have sour cream, but I don’t think gingerbread would have needed it. And I followed the suggested amount of flour, butter, and salt in your recipe.
I was a little nervous because I wasn’t following your hack directly as I had a different flavour of cake mix, but it turned out amazing! Great structure, and the molasses made it very moist.
Thank you so much for the inspiration!
That's great!
Aldi’s white box mix is amazing when doctored!!!
I’ve been hearing good things about aldis mixes. I must try it now!
Doctored how?
Kim Ziehm Replace water with milk, add extra egg and use butter instead of oil. Delicious!!
I will try that because I think the taste awful
I agree with you some reason I dont prefer Betty Crocker . I also love no name brand. What do you think about adding pudding
After baking and cooling can I freeze the cakes?
For my cupcakes, I only use EGG WHITES, no yolks. I find this fluffier. I also use milk instead of water. However, this may not be the best for stacking. I just find this way the flavor is the BEST !
Hi. Thank you for all your information. I was wonder if i can use greek yogurt or unsweetaplesauce instead of the sour cream. ?
Hi Liz, what if Im going to use the orange flavor box mix? Do i need to add more sugar to the batter since I still need to add frosting? Can I use the whole egg instead of just egg whites? Please let me know. 😁
Nvm about the eggs lol. I read your blog, can you please confirm if the sugar has to be added or half?
Thanks for your tips. I have one question you didn’t add the eggs the box cake called for ? Do we not need them
I’ve made this and your chocolate version oh man big big hit got so many compliments, can this work for cupcakes ?