The 28 Best Cake Mix Recipes

There is nothing easier than using cake mix. For many people, a pre-made cake mix is their first attempt at baking. It is fun and quick!

However, if you want a high-quality dessert you may be tempted to make it from scratch.

But what if I was to tell you that you can make unique and delicious recipes from a cake mix, and it will taste as if you made it from scratch? That’s right, cake mix can make recipes other than cake.

Here we have compiled a list of some of our favorite box cake recipes. You may be surprised about what you can make.

1. Cake Mix Brownies

Brownies are notoriously hard to get exactly right, which is why it feels like a cheat to be able to do it with cake mix. Made with a dark chocolate fudge cake mix, you get a delicious chewy brownie in a fraction of the time.

While this recipe calls for chocolate chips, we recommended adding walnuts as well. There is nothing better than chocolate and nuts.

Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect treat.

2. Better Boxed Yellow Cake With Chocolate Frosting

While unique recipes are great, sometimes you just want to have a simple cake. Well, why not upgrade your favorite cake mix?

Yellow box cake is a fan favorite, so how can you improve on it? The answer is simple, swap the oil for butter and the water for milk. 

You get a wonderfully soft and versatile cake that tastes as if you made it from scratch. This recipe also has a wonderful chocolate frosting which can work with any cake you make.

3. Cheesecake Cake Batter Dip

It may seem like magic that you can turn a box cake into a delicious dip, but trust us it is amazing. Packed with cream cheese and sprinkles this dessert can be made in less than 10 minutes.

Perfect for if you are hosting a party or bringing food to a buffet.

This dip works best with graham crackers to mimic the base of a cheesecake, but you can dip anything you like into it.

Cookies, pretzels, apples, strawberries, and even a spoon for when you have some leftovers at the end of the night (although we doubt there will be any).

4. Chocolate-Dipped Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

It has become a recent trend to bake cupcakes in ice cream cones and we are here for it. They look so cute and are fun to decorate.

The trick for these cakes is to cook them low and slow so that the whole cone is filled with that spongey goodness.

When decorating you can dip the whole cone in chocolate, or simply drizzle it on top. If you want to be very fancy then finish off your cupcakes with a swirl of cream and a cherry.

5. Lemon Crinkle Cookies

These cookies are the perfect summertime treats. Not only does it use a lemon cake mix, but also lemon olive oil, lemon peel, lemon extract, and lemon juice. There is so much lemon in this cookie you may think you have gone to lemon heaven.

Why not even pair this cookie with a delicious glass of lemonade on a hot summer day?

6. Cake Mix Cobbler

This recipe is so easy to make it will become a staple in your household. All you need is 3 ingredients and you probably already own them all.

While it is easy (there isn’t even any stirring involved), you need to trust the process. You lay out your fruit, sprinkle over your box mix, and then pour ginger ale over the whole thing. It sounds crazy but somehow it works and is fantastic.

7. Cherry Dump Cake

Just like the name suggests, this cake involves you dumping all your ingredients into a pan, mixing them, and then baking it. T

his particular recipe only calls for 4 ingredients, and one of them is optional. Just a simple angel food cake mix, a can of cherry pie filling, sliced almonds, and almond extract. 

Cherry and almond work fantastically together and this dessert tastes like a classic English Bakewell tart. Only with a fraction of the ingredients and time.

8. Cake Mix Banana Bread

Banana bread has always been the best way to get rid of overripe bananas, so being able to make it with leftover cake mix is a win-win. While this recipe says to use a yellow cake mix, chocolate or toffee is a fantastic substitute. 

The result is fluffy and moist, just make sure you don’t accidentally eat the whole loaf.

9. Cake Batter Blondies

These blondies are so cute and colorful that you will be hard-pressed to eat them. These are a real crowd pleaser and will make you look like a professional baker when all you did was stir ingredients together. 

It is unfairly easy to make these blondies so you have no excuse to not make them for your next party.

10. Holiday Cake Pops

Cake pops are a great way to turn your favorite cake into a decadent bitesize treat. These specific cake pops are holiday themed and are great to make with the family. Of course, you can always adjust the decorations to match any occasion.

This recipe is great because it gives you a lot of flavor combinations to choose from.

11. Cake Mix Donuts

That’s right, you are able to make donuts with cake mix. They are wonderfully fluffy and require no deep frying. While a donut pan would be easier, you can replicate it by putting balls of foil in the middle of a cupcake tray.

The best part of this recipe is the decorating. From glazes to the frosting to sprinkles, donuts are the perfect way to show off your creativity.

12. Cake Mix Fudge Crinkle Cookies

Crinkle cookies look great and couldn’t be easier to make. Just roll your cookie dough balls in powdered sugar before baking them. The darker the cookie dough color, the better the crinkle effect will look.

These specific cookies are chewy and chocolatey, the perfect combination. This recipe is also from the cake mix giant Betty Crocker, so you know this recipe is good.

13. Birthday Cake Pancakes

By combining cake mix and pancake mix you can have a yummy and sweet breakfast like no other. You can eat them as regular pancakes, or do what the recipe suggests and stack them like a tiered birthday cake.

This specific recipe is perfect for children because it uses a lot of sprinkles. You know what they say, you eat with the eyes before the stomach.

14. Gooey Butter Cake

Sweet, creamy, and rich, this is the best butter cake recipe out there. Not only is it the best, but it is also the easiest using a yellow cake mix as the base. You get a cream cheese crust which is a wonderful addition to an American classic.

You can adjust the amount of confectioner’s sugar in the recipe to make the cake less sweet. We recommend only going down to a minimum of 2 cups so that the recipe still works.

15. Cake Mix Whoopie Pies

Everyone loves whoopie pies, they are easy to eat and this recipe is easy to make. You can make this recipe even easier by using pre-made frosting.

These whoopie pies use a yellow cake mix and sprinkles, but you can just substitute it for a funfetti cake mix.

Our tip for these is to use a ⅛ measuring cup to make each cookie and reduce the cooking time slightly. This increases the number of cookies you can make with this recipe and they become a bite-sized treat.

16. Southern Coconut Poke Cake

A slice of Southern comfort with a tropical twist. A poke cake (see also ‘28 Delicious Poke Cake Recipes‘) is named for the small holes you poke into the cake while it is still warm before pouring a sweet liquid over it.

This makes the cake extra moist. This cake uses coconut cream and sweetened condensed milk to get this texture.

If you want to make this cake fancy then you can decorate it with toasted coconut and pineapple.

17. Birthday Cake In A Jar

The perfect birthday gift, this cake in a jar is easy and thoughtful. You just need to bake your cake in a sheet pan and then cut circles out of it to fit in the jar, if you use the mason jar lid to cut the circles then you know they will fit perfectly.

Just layer your cake in your jar with your favorite frosting in between. 

This recipe also gives you ideas on how to wrap and decorate your jars. You can use an assortment of bows and ribbons, and then finish it all off with a single candle.

18. Almond Chocolate Biscotti

A unique take on cake mix, these biscottis are sweet, nutty, and crumbly. Perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea. They get their signature texture by being baked twice, first as a loaf and second after being sliced.

The white chocolate drizzle on top is a perfect fit with the usually dry biscuit. This recipe is great for sharing with friends, family, and neighbors. 

19. Cake Mix Cookie Bars

For your next picnic, these are a must-have. They are easy to make and only require 4 ingredients. The simplicity of its recipe makes it ideal for adapting to your favorite flavors. However, our preference is still the classic chocolate chip. 

This recipe has a whole bag of chocolate chips packed into it, so every bite is filled with melted goodness.

20. Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

The ideal winter warmer dessert. This cranberry cake is sweet and tart and oh so delicious. This cake is baked with the sauce on the bottom of the pan and then flipped. This is where the name ‘upside-down’ comes from.

Cranberry is known for being quite tart, which is why the sauce is cooked with brown sugar to give it a wonderful caramel aftertaste.

We recommend serving this cake warm with a drizzle of cream and a hot drink.

21. Lemon Pound Cake

Pound cake has always been a staple in baking, and now you can make it with half the effort. This lemon pound cake not only uses cake mix but also pudding mix to make it extra fluffy.

You can enjoy this cake by itself, or with a homemade lemon glaze. The lemon glaze is very simple, just powdered sugar and lemon juice. You can add more or less powdered sugar depending on how sweet you want your glaze.

The ideal pairing for this cake is your favorite fresh fruit, our picks being fresh blueberries and strawberries.

22. Mint Chocolate Ice-Cream Cake

This is a summer must-make, especially for you mint chip addicts. Devil’s food cake, a gallon of mint chip ice cream, chocolate glaze, and as many mint chocolates you can fit on top.

This cake is a mountain of flavor and will keep you nice and cool on a hot day.

It is best to freeze this cake overnight so the ice cream can be fully set, and any leftovers you have should be stored in the freezer too.

Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of mint chocolate, you can easily swap out the ice cream and toppings for anything you like.

23. Birthday Cake Mix Waffles

First pancakes and now waffles, what can’t cake mix make? If you want a luxurious birthday breakfast, then dust off your old waffle maker and make yourself something easy and delicious.

Fitting the birthday theme, these waffles are filled with rainbow sprinkles and can be topped with maple syrup and whipped cream. If there is any day to treat yourself, it’s your birthday.

24. Chocolate Chip Slice

You can’t get much easier than this recipe, it only has 4 ingredients and 2 of them are pre-made mixes. Just mix and bake, even a beginner baker can nail this recipe every time.

Cutting this into bite-size pieces also gives you a fudgy and chocolaty pick-me-up when you’re on the move.

25. Red Velvet Jar Cake

If you have ever forgotten a gift, don’t panic, jar cakes are here to save the day. Not only do they get a delicious cake, but also a handy mason jar.

Red velvet cake is chocolatey and the cream cheese frosting gives it a tangy taste. A splendid combination for a gift. This recipe also recommends dicing your cake before layering it in your jar, this makes it easier to make and eat.

When decorating your jar, make sure you include a plastic spoon. That way the person can dig in immediately.

26. Reese’s Cake

As previously mentioned, there is nothing better than chocolate and nuts. This double-glazed bundt cake is the perfect showstopper.

Not only is it a rich chocolate cake, but there is a layer of peanut butter filling in the middle. Every bite just gets better and better!

Compared to some of the other recipes on this list, this cake takes a bit more time and effort. But it is 100% worth it, so book a morning off and get your apron on.

27. Lemonade Chocolate Cake

While this sounds weird, it works surprisingly well. It may feel wrong to pour lemonade into the cake batter, but the carbonation in it makes the cake airy and fluffy. You can also replace it with coke if you want a richer chocolate taste.

This recipe is great for making with children, they’re usually fascinated by the addition of soda. They also get a delicious dessert at the end of it.

28. Margarita Cake

After a long day, you just want to sit down and enjoy a nice margarita… cake. This dessert is non-alcoholic but carries all the right flavors. It is moist, refreshing, and looks absolutely fabulous.

You can use frozen or shelf-stable margarita mix to trick your party guests into thinking you’re a professional baker.

Conclusion

As you can see, a pre-made cake mix is very versatile. You can make essentially any baked goods out of it (see also ‘33 Fun Treats That You Can Bake In No Time At All‘). The best thing is you can get cake mix in a variety of flavors, so many of these recipes can be adapted to your tastes.

So get out there and make an easy recipe, that tastes like you spent days working over a hot oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can I Buy Cake Mix?

Typically you can buy cake mixes in the baking aisle of any major supermarket. If not then you can buy it online, you may even find different flavors there that you can’t buy in person.

How Long Can You Store A Cake?

You can store a cooked cake for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. It can last about 5 days if refrigerated. You can even freeze your cake for around 6 months.

If your cake is frozen then you need to thaw it at room temperature for a few hours, or in the fridge overnight.

What Is The Shelf Life Of Cake Mix?

The typical shelf life for cake mix is around 6 months to a year. Make sure you store it in a cool, dry place.

Can I Double Or Half A Recipe With Cake Mix In It?

Yes, you can. All you need to do is measure out half the mix or buy multiple boxes of them. Remember to change the other ingredients to match the amount of cake mix used.