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How To Hack A Boxed Cake Mix Like Your Favorite Baker

I’m a sucker for a great hack – especially – if it involves CAKE!

How To Hack A Boxed Cake Mix Like Your Favorite Baker

My desk is filled with scraps of paper with hastily written hacking notes, and as I was cleaning off said desk, I found a blue stick-it note that simple had this written on it:

Whole milk = H2O

1-2 more eggs (“more” was underlined cause I’m precise like that ~eye-roll~)

water doubled for oil

Intriguing.

I figured it had to do with a cake mix hack that I’d been wanting to try, so I grabbed the note and headed to the kitchen.

Hack this.

Try that.

I’m always thinking up or reading about hacks I wanna test.

Funny Thing: I think I wrote the hack down wrong (and I have no idea where  I saw it originally), but we’ll circle back to this thought later.

(POST EDIT: I did write it down wrong!)

Meh – let’s try this thang!

I do love me some strong Sandra Lee action in the kitchen.

I grabbed a cake mix (I think any will do), one that stated it was of the “moist” variety.

I pulled the old switcheroo and substituted the ingredients above, using two extra eggs instead of one.

Side Note: My cake box instructed to use three egg whites, so I simply added two extra whole eggs to that.

I substituted whole milk for the water, and then substituted water (doubled) for oil. (it called for 1/2 cup oil and I used 1 cup of water).

Mixed it all together and baked in two 9″ rounds.

How To Hack A Boxed Cake Mix Like Your Favorite Baker

It. Was. Delicious.

And very bakeryesque.

My MIL demanded to know where I bought it.

I made it.

My SIL said she could have eaten the entire cake.

Me too, sister…me too.

~nomnom sounds and copious nods of approval~

Ooooooo, I likey.

How To Hack A Boxed Cake Mix Like Your Favorite Baker

So, here’s where I think I screwed up (from the “funny thing” above):

It’s possible, maybe, most likely, that I screwed up by replacing the oil with water.

I’m thinking, but can’t be sure until I repeat this experiment, that possibly, maybe, most likely, I should have used melted butter to replace the oil (in the same doubled proportions that I substituted water. 1 cup melted butter for 1/2 cup of oil).

If so, if I actually screwed it up, then mine was a happy accident, because, let’s review:

It. Was. Delicious.

~ It was a denser cake than the boxed would have been as is, but not too dense that you felt like it belonged in the cornbread category.

~ It wasn’t overly sweet. It was perfectly balanced, which made me almost eat all the frosting on my piece (not a big frosting gal).

~ It held up under a heavier filling (CARAMEL!).

~ The crumb was perfection. Not flaky. Not gummy. Perfection.

~ It was as if I bought it from a bakery, then passed it off as my own.

So, even if I should have used butter (should I have? No idea!), using water instead of oil worked just fine.

I will try the boxed mix with butter next, because let’s face it, everything tastes better with butter.

As soon as I do, I’ll check back in with you to share the results.

SIDE NOTE #2: Did I mention I filled it with caramel?

DID I?!?!

How To Hack A Boxed Cake Mix Like Your Favorite Baker

Ohmmmmgeeee!

~ A gentle reminder: OMT! uses Amazon referral links. When you do your shopping through the Amazon links on this page, you support the blog at no cost to yourself. It’s much appreciated!~

ONE MORE IMPORTANT THANG:

If you have never ever used this canned caramel, I weep for you.

Life-changing is NOT hyperbole.

Buy it. Bake with it. Try resisting eating it by the spoonfuls straight from the can.

I. Die.

Do yourself a favor. Buy a couple of cans and TELL ME you aren’t a changed soul.

Until Next time, my babies – happy hacking!

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laura

Wednesday 19th of December 2018

I love a good hack! Yum! laura

Patti Tucker

Thursday 20th of December 2018

Yay! Me too!

Mother of 3

Friday 23rd of November 2018

That looks yummy! I do add melted butter in place of the oil and follow these other substitutions to make a boxed mix taste so much better.... but I have yet to try that caramel. It sure does look amazing. Pinned. Thanks for sharing with us at the Happy Holiday Link party. Pinned.

Patti Tucker

Saturday 24th of November 2018

Thanks for sharing!

Kippi

Wednesday 21st of November 2018

I enjoyed your take on the hack from the note. So happy it turned out to be a good mistake. Happy Thanksgiving, Kippi

Patti Tucker

Thursday 22nd of November 2018

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop 304 ~ LeCultivateur

Tuesday 20th of November 2018

[…] How To Hack A Cake Mix Like Your Favorite Baker – Oh! Mrs. Tucker […]

How To Hack A Boxed Cake Mix (Again!)

Monday 19th of November 2018

[…] love a good hack, kitchen or life, it doesn’t […]

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