How Many Layers Does A Box Cake Mix Make
Bound to How-To
Are you one of those people who feels guilty for using a boxed block mix? If then, you've come to the right place! In this mail, which I'g labeling "The Ultimate Guide" to doctoring a boxed cake mix you lot'll receive tips, tricks, and lots of fun ideas you lot've probably never thought of!
How to Brand a Cake Mix Sense of taste Ameliorate
Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury. . .and all of the rest. These brands are all well and good. Starting with a box of cake mix is a good starting time. Merely sometimes you only demand more than. You need to have your cake to the adjacent level.
It doesn't affair what flavour you lot choose–chocolate cake mix, yellow cake mix, white cake mix, or even something different, like a spice cake mix–you tin can still spice it up fifty-fifty more than with just a few additions. And trust me. . .these simple additions tin can make all the difference.
You'll be surprised at how easy it is to non merely make a boxed cake mix taste better, but feel ameliorate in your mouth, every bit well. Later on all, bootleg cakes exercise take a fuller texture y'all tin can't achieve with a boxed mix using the recipe on the back of the box.
Best of all, you'll walk away from this feel convinced that in that location's nil incorrect with boxed mixes. They're great. . .and non only when you're in a bustle!
Why I Use a Boxed Mix
Over the past fifteen years I've baked for weddings, funerals, anniversaries, baby showers, bridal showers, and much, much more than. And birthdays. Lots and lots of birthdays.
Every cake I baked started with a boxed mix. I've never establish a from-scratch recipe that I savour equally much equally these doctored block mixes.
I employ them for a diverseness of reasons, but primarily because I want a consistent product. When y'all're baking from scratch, recipes tin go awry. Measurements can go skewed. But with a boxed mix I'thou pretty much guaranteed the cakes will turn out the aforementioned every fourth dimension.
And working with boxed mixes helps with toll, too. They're relatively inexpensive. Best of all, they're quick. I can mix up several cakes in a row. . .lickety-divide!
With all of that in mind, I've compiled this ultimate guide to doctoring a boxed cake mix. I've laid out my meridian twenty tips for jazzing up a mix to make information technology actress-special. When y'all take the time to doctor your mix, no one volition know the divergence! They'll be so wowed past your cake that the words, "This is surely from scratch" volition be on the tips of their tongues.
Top 20 Tips to Aid Y'all Dr. a Boxed Block Mix
Permit's swoop in to my ultimate guide for doctoring a boxed block mix. I'll have you feeling similar a pro in no time!
TIP ONE: Decide Quantity
Decide in advance how many cake mixes you will need for your project. I usually triple-layer my cakes and here's my (basic) formula for determining how many boxes of mix to buy:
- ane boxed mix volition brand three half dozen-inch cakes
- ii boxed mixes will brand 3 eight-inch cakes
- 2.5 boxed mixes will make 3 9-inch cakes
- 3 boxed mixes will make three 10-inch cakes
- 5-six boxed mixes will make three 12-inch cakes
Knowing how many people you can feed with your cake is key. A basic cake mix volition feed 10-12 people (roughly, depending on how it'south sliced). Multiply that by the number of boxes y'all're using in your recipe.
TIP TWO: Know your cake brands and how/when to use them.
If I'thou building a tiered cake, I use Pillsbury considering information technology's a denser block. Duncan Hines is lighter/fluffier and does well for layered cakes merely I still adopt Pillsbury. Practise non apply off-brand block mixes. I tried this once. Never again.
Sometimes the brand preference will depend on the season. That, my friend, is upwardly to you! My go-to for Lemon cake is Duncan Hines. My preference for spice block? Betty Crocker. Chocolate cake is a favorite, but I'chiliad fractional to Devil'southward Food chocolate cake mix from Pillsbury. The others simply don't sense of taste the same to me. You'll take your favorites. They'll exist even tastier with the addition of a few actress ingredients!
TIP THREE: Broil in professional pans
I know. This might not seem like a "beef up the mix" proposition, only I promise you'll feel so much better about your finished product if it has straight edges and is presented on a cake board (or on a pretty block dish). This means you'll take to separate yourself from the old ix ten 13 casserole dish, only the finished production will be worth it, I promise!
TIP Four: Add more eggs
Here'due south a elementary fiddling play a joke on: Most boxed mixes call for iii whole eggs. Instead, utilize 4 whole eggs and don't be afraid to go big. I usually use actress large eggs when I'chiliad baking. Even if you toss in an extra egg yolk or two, your block will be enriched.
TIP 5: Wedding ceremony cakes call for a different approach
If you're making a nuptials cake (or a pristine white cake) reverse what I said above. Instead of using whole eggs, go with four egg whites (only). This will proceed the color bright white.
TIP SIX: Chiffon your cake
You can have the egg whites to a whole new level past whipping them separately until they form soft peaks, and so gently folding them into the cake batter. You'll end up with a cake that's super low-cal and fluffy. A good case of this would be my Strawberry Lemonade Cake. Chiffon cakes are great when paired with a whipped cream-based frosting similar my Raspberry Whipped Cream.
TIP SEVEN: Pass the Milk, Please!
To make your block richer, add together whole milk instead of water to the mix. The fat in the milk will add together wet and a lovely flavor to the block. If y'all don't accept milk handy, use evaporated milk or even a little heavy whipping cream. You'll end upwards with a cake that's rich and beautifully dumbo. Information technology volition gustatory modality similar a homemade cake!
Buttermilk is a great addition and adds a bit of a twang. If you've ever eaten a "velvet" cake (for instance, red velvet or white velvet) you've had buttermilk without realizing it. This one unproblematic add-on will create a rich cake that has a meliorate flavor than a obviously box block mix.
(I interrupt this mail service to say that I merely made some pinkish velvet cupcakes today and they were the flop!)
Some recipes even phone call for melted water ice cream in place of water. If you need to go dairy-free, endeavor coconut milk.
TIP Eight: Other Interesting Additions
Other means to add fat/moisture to the cake and requite it a better flavour would exist to add a half-loving cup of sour foam, yogurt, or even mayonnaise to the mix. (I recently fabricated a lemon cake using yogurt and it was yummy!)
I know that some people add a tin of soda in place of the eggs, water, and oil, but I haven't tried that one, either. Sounds fascinating, though!
Just call back to utilize room temperature ingredients! If you read my 8 Cake Baking Tips mail service yous know how disquisitional this is.
TIP Ix: Butter/Dark-brown Butter
Instead of vegetable oil, add softened or melted butter. Only don't add it to the mix while hot.
Speaking of butter, if you lot want to add a caramel flavor to your yellow block, add brown butter instead of oil or regular butter. (Don't be afraid to apply salted butter. Doing so enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.) Brown butter is also terrific in frosting. I love it so much that I defended an entire mail to it! Check out my Brown Butter Frosting recipe.
I add them every time I broil a boxed cake. Utilise traditional vanilla and/or almond extracts for fancy cakes, just remember that a trivial goes a long manner, especially with stronger flavors, similar almond. As well, you'll want to employ a clear excerpt if you lot're baking a white cake. At that place are a ton of extracts to effort, but I use a lot of maple.
TIP ELEVEN: Instant Pudding
I of the easiest ways to add additional flavor to your block is to add together a box of instant pudding. Favorite flavors include: vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, lemon, cheesecake, pistachio, and York Peppermint. Pudding will thicken the concoction and make it richer. One of my favorite recipes (Mint Oreo Trifle) includes York Peppermint pudding mix in the filling.
TIP TWELVE: Alternative liquids
Some other way to add season is to reach for juice or other alternative liquids. I add a loving cup of orange juice to my carrot cake mix. I add together lemon juice to a white cake mix to turn it into a lemon cake. Another liquid to consider is java creamer. I'm a fan of French Vanilla or Italian Foam. Replacing some of the water with creamer will enhance the block's flavor.
TIP THIRTEEN: Achieve for the Spices!
Speaking of adding flavors, don't be agape of spices! I reach for the cinnamon a lot. I'm besides a fan of pumpkin pie spice. Y'all'll see these spices in my Apple Spice Skillet Cake, as well as my Cookie Butter Cupcakes.
Other spices to consider: clove, ginger, and nutmeg. These are all terrific for fall-flavored cakes. You can add together cocoa powder to a white cake to turn it into a chocolate block. A fun addition to chocolate cakes is coffee. Replace one-half of the water (or milk) with a cup of coffee. This will amplify the chocolate flavor. I added coffee to the chocolate cupcakes that I paired with my Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting.
TIP FOURTEEN: Sweetness additions
Add together a cup of any of the following: chocolate chips, chopped Oreos, sprinkles (lightly mixing in and then the colors don't run), chopped pecans. (This is peculiarly yummy if you make your cake with brown butter and a dash of maple excerpt.)
Yous tin can add lemon zest to a boxed cake mix. Or orange zest. Or a cup of chopped Biscoff cookies. You can also add chocolate chips (or whatsoever flavor of chips, for that thing) simply coat them in flour starting time so that they don't sink to the bottom of the batter while baking.
I love to load upwards my cakes with yummy stuff like I've listed in a higher place. A couple of examples would be my Cranberry Hummingbird Cake and my Italian Cream Cake.
TIP FIFTEEN: Savory additions
Hear me out. Aye, the cake is sweetness, but adding a savory element can give an unexpected twist. An example would exist to add salary to a maple-flavored cake.
TIP 16: Healthy additions
Another fun improver is chopped Craisins (or fifty-fifty raisins). Other healthy additions might include diced apples, absurdity in place of oil, finely shredded carrots, coconut, or mandarin oranges. Stir in a few blackberries or blueberries, merely coat them in flour first to absorb some of the moisture that will release as they bake. Add chopped strawberries to your strawberry cake mix.
TIP SEVENTEEN: Zebra stripe your cakes to get multiple flavors.
An case would be to make chocolate concoction and white/vanilla batter, then zebra stripe them together so that the flavors merge. (In the sometime days we chosen this marbling only these days the zebra technique offers a lovely surprise when the cake is cut.) If you're interested in learning more than about how to zebra stripe your batter, come across my Pretty in Pink Ombre Block post.
TIP 18: Homemade Frosting
The one thing that helps your boxed block taste bootleg is the frosting. Skip the canned frosting and apply a homemade buttercream (similar my Dreamy Buttercream) or a stabilized whipped cream frosting. I'm not a fan of Italian meringue frosting but a lot of people are, and so yous might consider that as an selection for frosting.
I've got a really great recipe for Chocolate Frosting: Best Ganache Recipe. This luscious homemade frosting volition make all the difference.
TIP Xix: Fillings
Another fashion to make that boxed block mix actually special is to add fillings betwixt the layers. After adding buttercream to your block put a ring of frosting effectually the edge of the block and fill information technology with any sounds yummy. I employ a lot of preserves (strawberry, raspberry, etc.) I'm also crazy virtually lemon curd. But I've as well been known to make my own huckleberry/blackberry filling. (Add cornstarch to cooked berries to thicken them for use.)
By far my virtually asked for fillings would be turtle filling (ganache, pecans, caramel sauce and mini chocolate chips) or even chopped Oreos. I as well apply sliced berries between the layers of some of my cakes. A actually yummy frosting and filling will go a l-o-n-g mode in making your cake await and sense of taste professional.
TIP Xx: Presentation
Have a stab at decorating the cake in a way that draws the centre. Using a Wilton 1M tip, put a few pretty buttercream rosettes/swirls on top. Stick a couple of cookies or some berries on top. And so trim around the lesser edge of the cake with a piping tip. When you lot're done, serve your cake on a pretty platter.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "How does this doctor up my cake?" Trust me when I say that a good chunk of eating happens with the optics. A visually appealing cake (i that looks like you went to a dandy bargain of effort, even if y'all didn't) will go a long way in winning over the crowd.
How to Doctor upward a Box Cake Mix Like a Pro!
If you're ready to try your mitt at wowing the crowd, check out my Pretty in Pinkish Ombre Cake post, which will give y'all all sorts of creative ideas.
Don't forget. . .boxed block mixes are perfect for cupcakes, too. If you're in the mood to broil but don't want to commit to decorating a whole block, starting time minor with these Butter Pecan Cupcakes. With the improver of spices and pecans and caramel, the gustatory modality is sensational! People won't believe you started with a boxed mix!
And while we're talking about calculation things to boxed mixes, bank check out my thoughts on how to add carrots to your batter on my carrot block cupcakes recipe.
Video Tutorials
If y'all like video tutorials, I institute one from Icing on peak called "Doctored Cake Mix Tutorial" that might be helpful.
I really enjoy JJR at Man Nigh Block and he's got a cool hack, adding cream cheese to his batter. I'chiliad likewise mesmerized by his suggestion to use a butter wrapper at the bottom of the baking pan. W-due west-what?And what'south up with that canned frosting idea? Whipping information technology and adding butter? Totally cool. I tin can't wait to try this ane, myself!
If you have other ideas for doctoring a block mix, get out them in the comments below! I can't wait to see what you come up with. There are all sorts of additional ingredients yous tin add together. (Lemon-lime soda, anyway? Ginger ale?)
Oh, a couple more! Check out Miz Helen's Total Plate Thursday for more than swell recipes! And don't forget Weekend Potluck over at South Your Rima oris. Yummy offerings over there!
Instructions
Doctoring a Boxed Block Mix: The Ultimate Guide
TIP ONE: Determine Quantity
Decide in advance how many cake mixes you will need for your project. I usually triple-layer my cakes and here's my (bones) formula for determining how many boxes of mix to buy:
1 boxed mix will make 3 6-inch cakes
2 boxed mixes will brand 3 8-inch cakes
two.5 boxed mixes volition brand three 9-inch cakes
3 boxed mixes will make three 10-inch cakes
5-vi boxed mixes will make three 12-inch cakes
Knowing how many people you tin feed with your cake is key. A basic cake mix volition feed 10-12 people (roughly, depending on how it'south sliced). Multiply that by the number of boxes yous're using in your recipe.
TIP Ii: Know your cake brands and how/when to utilise them.
Pillsbury is more dumbo (better for stacking). Duncan Hines is lighter/fluffier and does well for layered cakes.
TIP THREE: Bake in professional pans
Create a lovely finished production. Separate yourself from the old 9 10 13 casserole dish and set up that cake on a pretty plate/dish.
TIP FOUR: Add more eggs
Add four instead of three.
TIP Five: Nuptials Cakes Call for a Unlike Arroyo
Use four egg whites instead of three whole eggs.
TIP SIX: Chiffon your cake
Whip four egg whites and fold them into the batter.
TIP Seven: Laissez passer the Milk, Delight!
Supplant water with milk, evaporated milk, or buttermilk.
TIP EIGHT: Other Interesting Additions
Other ways to add fatty/moisture to the block would be to add together sour foam, yogurt, or even mayonnaise to the mix.
TIP NINE: Butter/Brown Butter
If you lot want to add a caramel flavor to your yellowish block, add brown butter instead of oil or regular butter. (Don't be afraid to use salted butter. Doing so enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.) Brownish butter is also terrific in frosting.
TIP Ten: Know your extracts
Use traditional vanilla and/or almond extracts for fancy cakes, simply call up that a little goes a long way, specially with stronger flavors, like almond. Also, yous'll want to use a articulate extract if y'all're baking a white block. There are a ton of extracts to endeavor, but I use a lot of maple.
TIP ELEVEN: Instant Pudding
One of the easiest ways to add additional flavour to your cake is to add a box of instant pudding. The batter volition be thicker but will taste yummy!
TIP TWELVE: Culling liquids
Another way to add season is to reach for juice or other alternative liquids. I add a loving cup of orangish juice to my carrot cake mix. I add lemon juice to a white cake mix to plough it into a lemon block. Some other liquid to consider is coffee creamer. I'yard a fan of French Vanilla or Italian Cream. Replacing some of the water with creamer will heighten the cake's flavor.
TIP Thirteen: Reach for the Spices!
Don't be agape of spices! I reach for the cinnamon a lot. I'm likewise a fan of pumpkin pie spice. You lot'll come across these spices in my Apple Spice Skillet Cake, also as my Cookie Butter Cupcakes.
Other spices to consider: clove, ginger, and nutmeg. These are all terrific for fall-flavored cakes. You tin can add cocoa pulverization to a white cake to plow it into a chocolate cake. A fun add-on to chocolate cakes is coffee. Replace half of the water (or milk) with a loving cup of coffee. This will amplify the chocolate flavor.
TIP FOURTEEN: Sweet Additions
Add a cup of any of the following: chopped Oreos, sprinkles (lightly mixing in and then the colors don't run), chopped pecans. (This is peculiarly yummy if yous make your cake with brown butter and a dash of maple excerpt.)
You tin can add lemon zest. Or orange zest. Or a loving cup of chopped Biscoff cookies. You can also add together chocolate fries (or any flavor of fries, for that affair) but coat them in flour offset so that they don't sink to the bottom of the batter while baking.
TIP Xv: Savory additions
Adding a savory element can give an unexpected twist. An example would be to add bacon to a maple-flavored cake.
TIP SIXTEEN: Healthy additions
Good for you additions might include chopped Craisins, diced apples, applesauce in place of oil, finely shredded carrots, kokosnoot, or mandarin oranges. Stir in a few blackberries or blueberries, only glaze them in flour first to absorb some of the moisture that will release equally they bake.
TIP SEVENTEEN: Zebra stripe your cakes to get multiple flavors.
An example would be to make chocolate batter and white/vanilla batter, then zebra stripe them together and then that the flavors merge. (In the old days nosotros chosen this marbling but these days the zebra technique offers a delightful surprise when the cake is cut.)
TIP Eighteen: Homemade Frosting
The one thing that helps your boxed cake taste bootleg is the frosting. Skip the canned frosting and use a homemade buttercream (like my Dreamy Buttercream) or a stabilized whipped cream frosting. I'm not a fan of Italian meringue frosting just a lot of people are, so you might consider that as an option for frosting.
TIP Xix: Fillings
Subsequently adding buttercream to your cake put a ring of frosting around the edge of the cake and fill it with any sounds yummy. I use a lot of preserves (strawberry, raspberry, etc.) I also dear lemon curd. But I've also been known to make my own blueberry/blackberry filling. (Add cornstarch to cooked berries to thicken them for apply.)
By far my most asked for fillings would be turtle filling (ganache, pecans, caramel sauce) or fifty-fifty chopped Oreo. I also use sliced berries between the layers of some of my cakes. A really yummy frosting and filling will go a 50-o-n-g way in making your cake look and taste professional.
TIP TWENTY: Presentation
Take a stab at decorating the cake in a manner that draws the eye. Put a few pretty buttercream rosettes/swirls on top. Stick a couple of cookies or some berries on height. Then trim around the bottom border of the block with a piping tip. When you're done, serve your cake on a pretty platter.
Notes
Don't be afraid to use a boxed mix. Use your imagination! Wearing apparel upward a strawberry cake with fresh berries or instant strawberry pudding. Dress upwards a chocolate cake with Oreo pudding or chopped Oreos. Dress up a yellow cake with spices and pecans. The possibilities are endless!
Source: https://outoftheboxbaking.com/2022/02/02/how-to-doctor-a-boxed-cake-mix-the-ultimate-guide/
Posted by: mancusoinvints.blogspot.com
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