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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Anonymous wrote:Why would you hack a cake mix in this situation?