Cake mix hacks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use the Magnolia Bakery frosting recipe and my cupcakes get rave reviews every time:

1 cup unsalted butter, very soft
8 cups confectioners' sugar
1⁄2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

You know this is a bog-standard buttercream frosting recipe, right? It’s like saying you use the secret Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie recipe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don’t use oil. Use melted butter. And explain to parents whose kids you’re feeding you used butter.

- parent who avoids giving my kids seed oils

What are you going to do when they attend middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don’t use oil. Use melted butter. And explain to parents whose kids you’re feeding you used butter.

- parent who avoids giving my kids seed oils

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's 2025 and people are still buying boxed cake mix?! Ugh.

I have to agree. If I wasn’t up for making 5 dozen, I’d just order them at a bakery. If you are going through the mess and trouble to make them, just make real cupcakes. Or don’t and buy them. But cake mix? No

I think most cake mixes are fine. I don't like the canned frosting though. Making buttercream is worth the effort.

[Anonymous]

Any of you substitute coffee and butter (for water and oil) in Ghirardelli’s brownie mix? I have read this hack before too. If so, did it improve the brownies? Making some this weekend and curious.

[Anonymous]

What’s wrong with oil from seeds?

I agree with everyone else to just do the box mix as it says to.
I’ve done orange juice instead of water in a chic cake mix to give it a slight chocolate/orange taste, works in brownies too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any of you substitute coffee and butter (for water and oil) in Ghirardelli’s brownie mix? I have read this hack before too. If so, did it improve the brownies? Making some this weekend and curious.

I made those substitutions and my teens immediately complained about something being different. So, I stand by Ghirardelli's as the gold standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll post some hack recipes for you. By and large, if you just want it tastier, you can substitute buttermilk (or milk + vinegar) for the water. Or even milk, although it isn't as good as buttermilk. You can also add an extra egg.

1 Box White Cake Mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup room temp milk
1 small box of instant chocolate pudding
3 eggs (room temp)

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cream butter, add eggs one at a time and mix well, alternate adding dry ingredients with the milk, and mix until the dry ingredients are just combined. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back from the pan.

OR

1 Box cake mix (any flavor)
1 cup AP flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water***
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp flavoring of your choice

Sift together dry ingredients (especially important with chocolate cake)

Mix all the wet ingredients together. Mix the dry ingredients in, 1/3 at a time. Bake at 325 until done.

*** Instead of water, you can use milk, buttermilk, juice, thawed frozen concentrate, etc. Depends on what flavors you want.

For a "Birthday cake" flavor, you can use Vanilla with a touch (like 1/2 tsp) of almond extract. Butter vanilla flavor works even better, but most people don't have that lying around.

If you're going to do all of this you may as well make the whole thing from scratch.

I don’t disagree! If they want something that’s maybe better than a Betty Crocker mix, they can try the King Arthur ones. Quite good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any of you substitute coffee and butter (for water and oil) in Ghirardelli’s brownie mix? I have read this hack before too. If so, did it improve the brownies? Making some this weekend and curious.

I dont think the coffee makes a huge difference but I think the butter vs oil makes them taste a lot better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any of you substitute coffee and butter (for water and oil) in Ghirardelli’s brownie mix? I have read this hack before too. If so, did it improve the brownies? Making some this weekend and curious.

I dont think the coffee makes a huge difference but I think the butter vs oil makes them taste a lot better.

Interesting. Unless I am making a buttery based dough/batter (yellow cake, choc chip cookies, blondies) I just use oil because I guessed the chocolate in brownies, the banana in banana bread
is dominant flavor and cheap out using oil.

Ghirardelli brownie mix is gold standard for mix though!