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How to Make Box Cake Taste Homemade Like Paula Deen’s?

how to make box cake taste homemade paula deen
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You may love desserts, so you want to try to bake them at home daily. However, baking cakes is not as easy as it seems, so often you take the easier way out by buying a box of cake, and hoping that it will be as good as the homemade one. So, how can you make a box cake taste homemade like Paula Deen’s without actually going through all the trouble by making a cake from scratch?

The easiest way to make your box cake taste homemade like Paula Deen’s is by replacing the recommended ingredients with juicer ones. Therefore, instead of water, you can add more fat and milk, and double the number of eggs in the mixture.

If you do not have the time to bake a cake from scratch, or you are simply a beginner, you can go for box cake mixtures that will enable you to bake a cake in no time. However, if you still want to make your cake look like it has come from a bakery and has the amazing Paula Deen taste, you will have to take additional steps. Here, I have provided everything you need to do to improve your box cakes and achieve the look and taste you actually desire for your dessert. 

How Do You Make a Box Cake Taste Homemade Like Paula Deen’s? 

Not everyone has the time or baking skills to make the perfect homemade cake from scratch, so they resort to other options, such as box cake mixtures. Box cakes are convenient alternatives to homemade cakes when you still want to provide some effort or simply want to try your baking skills. Box cakes are quite convenient since they come with a pre-ready mixture which requires a few more steps and you will get an amazing dessert for your family members or friends. 

However, even though box cakes are convenient options, they still do not taste the same as homemade ones. People usually try to achieve the taste that Paula Deen provides in her cakes since this American chef is considered the greatest example of a baker in the world of cakes. Therefore, you might really have the desire to achieve something from Paula’s recipes, but you simply do not have the appropriate conditions to do so. 

Luckily for you, there are ways to make your box cake taste homemade, like from the recipes from Paula Deen, and no one might even realize that there is a box cake in question. The steps to achieve this are quite simple, meaning you do not have to do anything special and difficult, or need any special ingredients to make this happen. In fact, you probably have these additional ingredients already in your fridge, so you do not have to buy anything else besides your box cake mixture. 

Below, I have provided some steps that will help you achieve that famous homemade taste from Paula Deen’s cakes, and make you look like a real pro in baking cakes. 

Choose a Good Box Cake Mixture 

The box cake mixture you choose plays a significant role in this part. If you choose something cheap, you cannot expect to improve the taste of a mediocre mixture. Therefore, choose a good and recognized brand that is known for its good quality. 

You should be prepared that you will have to pick from a variety of options that might make you feel overwhelmed. To make your choice easier, I have listed some of the best box cake mixtures that are proven to be of high quality, and they are mostly affordable options. I always go back to them:

If you opt for one of these box cake mixtures, you can expect that you will improve the quality and the taste of the cake, so it will look like it is a homemade cake recipe by Paula Deen. Usually, it is not easy to work with any type of mixture. However, the ones that I listed are tested, so you can certainly work with them. 

Use Milk Instead of Water 

Every box cake mixture requires the addition of water according to the recipe, so you are obliged to add some liquid to the mixture. The liquid helps in making the mixture batter, so you will have something out of which you will bake the cake. Usually, all recipes recommend water since this is the cheapest way to make the batter, but it does not mean that if you add another type of liquid will not work. 

The cake to which is added water have a good texture, but they are often dry. To make your cake softer and juicer, you can replace water with milk. You can try with 2% or skim milk. However, if you want to achieve Paula Deen’s effect, it would be good to opt for full milk. This will obtain maximum moisture and flavor, so your cake would definitely taste as if it is homemade. 

You can also use buttermilk as it is a great option for obtaining moisture from the cake. If you do not have buttermilk close by, you can make your own by mixing a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for each cup of milk. 

Add More Eggs 

In the same way as water, each box cake mixture requires the addition of eggs as well. However, the recipes included on the back of the box always give you the cheapest and the most convenient options, so most times you will be required to add one egg so you will be able to combine the mixture well and create a great batter to work with. But, eggs are not only responsible for making the batter and including moisture in the cake. 

They are able to give special homemade richness to the cake and lift the batter, so you will obtain a really fluffy and light-baked result. For instance, if you want to achieve an airy cake, you should add one or two egg whites more than given in the instructions. In addition, if you want to obtain some homemade richness of the cake as in the recipes of Paula Deen, then you should opt for egg yolks and go all the way with them. 

Include Fat Along With Milk 

As I mentioned before, relying only on water to make the batter would not be enough to make the cake fluffy and moist. To be on the safe side, along with the milk, you should add a little bit of oil, so you will ensure richness in your cake. Nothing shows homemade taste more than a cake full of richness and flavors. 

In this case, you can also give a try to sour cream. Sour cream is actually the secret ingredient for giving your cake a homemade look and taste since it will add specific flavorful features to your baked dessert. You will not lose anything by trying this trick. 

What Type of Cuisine Does Paula Deen Make? 

Paula Deen is a well-known American chef that is popular for her traditional Southern cuisine. [1] Since she has grown up in Albany, Georgia, she knows everything about the Southern regions. Therefore, if you want to cook something traditional that really feels like home, you should look into her recipes. The Southern area of the US is famous for keeping the traditional marks in place, and the best thing to achieve that is through food.

That is why all of Paula Deen’s recipes are closely connected to home, especially when it comes to cake. That is why when people try to bake or cook something, they really work to achieve the Paula Deen homemade taste. 

What Are Paula Deen’s Most Famous Recipes? 

The cookbook of Paula Deen is abundant in different kinds of dishes, starting from appetizers to desserts and snacks. Therefore, it is difficult to choose which recipes are the most famous since people enjoy almost everything from her cuisine. So, if you are looking to find some of the most common that people have tried to cook by themselves, I have prepared a list; therefore, you may try out your own skills. 

Some of the most famous recipes of Paula Deen are the following: 

  • Peach Cobbler 
  • Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding 
  • Crockpot Potato Soup
  • Pineapple Casserole 
  • Buttery Grits
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 
  • French Onion Pork Chops 

There are so many more recipes that people enjoy. However, these are the ones that are most commonly chosen. So, if you feel like cooking, you should definitely try some of them. 

To conclude, you are able to make your box cake taste and look homemade, you just have to know the right ingredients for it. In other words, you need a few simple ingredients that will make your cakes taste just like a recipe by Paula Deen.