7 Tips To Make Betty Crocker Cake Mix Better (+ Apricot Jam & Melted Chocolate Cake Recipe)
People who love baking would probably never resort to using box cake mixtures. However, box cake mixes are quite a convenient option for beginners and those who do not have the time to bake desserts from scratch. Betty Crocker is one of the most commonly chosen brands. But, you may wonder how to make Betty Crocker Cake Mix better so that it tastes like homemade.
You can improve Betty Crocker Cake Mix by adding more eggs, including more butter, replacing water with milk, adding vanilla extract, or adding more layers. Choose some of the tips, and your cake will have more moisture and enhanced flavor.
Below are some tips that you can use to give your box cake a homemade taste and look. Keep reading because I will explain each tip in detail.
Add more eggs to the cake mixture
Since you are using a box cake mixture, you are probably looking for simpler and more convenient options for baking a cake. That is the reason why the Betty Crocker cake mixtures come with simple recipes, i.e. a few simple ingredients that need to be added to make batter for your cake. Therefore, the recipe included at the back of the box calls for one or two egg tops.
However, if you want to make your cake juicer and fudgier, you would have to opt for more additional ingredients, and you should start with eggs. When you add more eggs than is included in the recipe, you will obtain moisture and extra richness in your cake. Two extra egg yolks will definitely make a noticeable difference both in the taste and look of the cake. You can do the same thing while baking Betty Crocker brownies.
However, if you are aiming to achieve the lightness and airiness of your cake, then you can use extra egg whites since they will give you the desired result. This is a helpful tip if you are going to cut the cake in half to add more layers.
Include butter and sour cream
Boxed cake mixtures are a quick and simple solution, but they miss that homemade flavor. To fool our guests, we need to find a way to enhance the flavors in bought cake mixtures. This is when butter comes on a table.
To achieve a more flavorful taste, you will have to include more fat when you are preparing the batter. Instead of vegetable oil, use butter, and use it more than it says on the box.
In other words, by using butter you will enhance the richness of your cake, and you probably have this ingredient at your home at all times. Lastly, you may add a little bit of sour cream or heavy cream since they might also be helpful in this case.
Replace water with whole milk
All recipes for box cake mixtures call for water since you need some liquid in order to make the batter. Of course, Betty Crocker recipes are not excluded from this rule, so you will definitely see water as the main ingredient for the preparation of batter. However, water does not really have taste; therefore, do not expect your cake to taste homemade with water as your primary liquid in the mixture.
Fortunately, there is a perfect substitute for water that can make a huge difference in the taste of your cake. Milk would play the ideal role as a substitute ingredient that will be responsible for the better density and flavor of your cake.
Now, if you want to get a little bit fancy while making your cake and obtain extra richness, then you can resort to buttermilk. Buttermilk will give an amazingly delicious taste to your box cake mixture. Your Betty Crocker cake will end up tasting the same way as a homemade cake made from scratch, and most importantly, no one will be able to tell the difference.
Use soda water
If you want to avoid milk and stick to water for some reason, rather opt for soda water than still water. This kind of water will bring extra fluffiness to the cake, meaning you will be able to include more layers. More layers mean more frosting. And more frosting means ore moisture.
Use vanilla and salt to achieve the real homemade taste
You have probably heard that vanilla extract can do magic things to your sweet baked goods; therefore, the same refers to box cake mixtures. By adding a little bit of vanilla extract along with a pinch of salt, your cake will turn out with a real homemade taste and flavor. The balance of flavors that you can achieve with vanilla extract and salt is astonishing, and you will be surprised that such simple ingredients could make such a huge difference.
These ingredients are basically the main things that make all cakes special, no matter if you have opted for a box cake mix solution. As I mentioned previously, you need to be smart to make your cake taste delicious, i.e. you do not have to be a professional chef to make a difference to the taste of a box cake mixture. Therefore, use the combination of salt and vanilla, and you will be on the right track to achieve homemade flavors.
Experiment with different flavors
Vanilla and salt are not the only ingredients that can make your Betty Crocker cake mixture better. In fact, you can experiment with a variety of flavors that will give you the same result. For instance, if you want more unique flavors for your cake, you can use some special flavors, such as almond, rum, or orange extract.
If you are about to make some sort of yellow or white cake, you can spice up the flavors of your cake mix by adding a tiny bit of lemon zest, or juice. However, when I talk about experimenting with different flavors, I do not only talk about liquids and extracts. You can also try some chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts that will definitely give a different taste to your cake mixture.
Include some layers
You might finish baking your cake, but you still feel that something is missing, i.e. there is something else you could do. You are thinking correctly, there is always something more you could do to improve the flavor and richness of your Betty Crocker cake mix. Namely, even when you are done baking, the mixture allows you to add some layers that will make a difference to your cake.
For instance, you can cut your cake in half and add layers of jam or marmalade to give juiciness to your dessert. Even a little bit of syrup will do the trick. Nothing says “homemade” more than a juicy layer of something fruity. This will not only make your cake sweeter, but the layers will make it look way nicer as well.
Is Betty Crocker cake mix better with milk or water?
It is a well-known fact that water might be a more convenient and cheaper option. However, every cake is better with milk instead of water. Using milk as a substitute for water in your Betty Crocker cake mix will enrich your cake.
What does adding an extra egg do to the cake mix?
Extra eggs in cake mixtures are used for many purposes, such as making the cakes lighter or obtaining more moisture. If your aim is to achieve moisture, then you should add extra yolks. If your end result is light and airy cake, opt for extra egg whites.
Do you need a mixer for a boxed cake mix?
When it comes to making the batter out of the boxed cake mixture, it does not mean that you will need a mixer. But it might be the more convenient option. If you have the right tools and utensils, you will not need any electric appliances to make the cake batter.
In conclusion, you have seen that you can always do something about the taste of box cake mixtures, and you do not even need some complex ingredients. Therefore, follow some of the tips and make your Betty Crocker box cake mix taste as if you have made a cake from scratch.
Betty Crocker cake mix with apricot jam and melted chocolate
Equipment
- 2 x 20 cm cake tins or 12 cupcake muffin tins
Ingredients
- 1 Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 8 + 1/4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- 7 oz water or milk
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 cup melted chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 356 °F
- Grease tins and preferably line base with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
- Beat the eggs, water, oil, vanilla extract and cake mix until fully mixed.
- Spread in two oiled and prepared pans.
- Bake for 23 to 26 minutes.
- At the end of baking, insert a knife into the cake. If the knife is clean, the cake is ready.
- Spread apricot jam between two biscuits.
- Melt the chocolate.
- Cover the entire cake with melted chocolate.
