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Hi Bold Bakers!
Box cakes are so simple to use because all you do is combine the pack of dry cake mix with some wet ingredients. What could be easier? I’ll tell you what, my Homemade Cake Mix! And just like box cake you just need to add liquid. It’s time to start thinking outside of the box cake and start to look at what is actually in the cakes that you are eating.
How to Make Homemade Cake Mix
In the pretty box of cake mix there is everything but the kitchen sink. You probably don’t know or can’t pronounce half of the stuff that goes in there. However there’s a new kid in town, my Homemade Cake Mix. Made with pronounceable ingredients like flour and salt it is better for you than store bought and the final results are second to none. You’ll just combine flour, both white and brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix my Dry Cake Mix with some simple ingredients like eggs, oil and buttermilk to yield you a beautifully soft and fluffy cake. This eliminates the need to ever use store-bought boxed cake again. And it lasts for 2 months in the cupboard until you need to whip up a cake in a snap.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Finely milled, low gluten cake flour will yield the tenderest cakes with the finest crumb. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own with this Homemade Cake Flour recipe.
- Make a few batches of this cake mix to quickly make a cake anytime! This can be stored in an airtight container in your pantry for 2 months or in the freezer for 6 months.
- Many of us don’t have buttermilk in the fridge, but it’s very easy to make your own substitution. Click here for the recipe.
- You can alter the flavor of this cake in a few ways:
- Almond-Flavored Cake: Replace the vanilla extract with 1 tablespoon of almond extract.
- Espresso Cake: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of instant expresso powder into the buttermilk before mixing.
- Spice Cake: Add your favorite dry spices into the dry mix (2 teaspoons of cinnamon or 1 tablespoon of mixed spice, for example).
- Lemon Cake: Replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of lemon extract plus 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest.
- Red Velvet: Add in 2 tablespoon of red food coloring and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- We don’t recommend that you add enough cocoa powder to make a chocolate cake as this will have an over-drying effect on the cake. But this cake would be delicious frosted with my Best Ever Chocolate Buttercream!
- For other buttercream ideas, try my Strawberry, Salted Caramel, Best Ever Vanilla or Cream Cheese Buttercreams!
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Homemade Cake Mix
Ingredients
For the Dry Mix:
- 3 ⅓ cups 16 ½ oz/469 g) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz/340 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (3 oz/85 g) light brown sugar
To Make a Cake:
- 2 cups (16 floz/480 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 floz/240 ml) neutral-flavored oil (like canola)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Dry Mix: In a large bowl, mix together flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- To use immediately, follow directions below, or place into a sealable bag and store for up to 2 months.
- To Make a Cake: Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Butter and line two 9-inch (23 cm) or three 6-inch (15 cm) round cake tins and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Stir the cake mix into the wet ingredients in 3 additions and stop just as soon as you have a smooth batter. Take care not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake for 35-40 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Looking for more cake recipes? try my Best Ever Chocolate Cake or my Vanilla Birthday Cake.
Hi Gemma: I would love to know if i can buy the boxes that you have made for this cake mix. Thank you and I love watching your videos and I love all the recipes I have tried so far.
Cora
This recipe turned out perfectly! It was moist and delicious.
Curious why you went with all-purpose flour over cake flour for this. Any insights?
This is a very nice recipe is very good and moist… but question for the chocolate cake when i add the coco powder do i need to add coffee or even baking soda?
Hello Gemma! I’m planning to give my friend’s daughters a little something to keep them busy during this quarantine season, so can you guess how excited I am when finding this recipe?? :))) I have a few question though, if I want to reduce the amount of sugar, do you have any suggestion on how much the maximum reduction should it be, because I understand that sugar is one of the moisture key to the cake. Also, I found in most of your recipe (please correct me if I’m wrong) that you use LIGHT brown sugar instead of DARK, is… Read more »
I just love this recipe! Can you tell me if it is possible to use this recipe as a base and alter it to create other flavour box mixes? Thanks for all you do to make baking easy!!
Hi Gemma! Omg I love this recipe! It’s so simple with easy ingredients and tastes AMAZING! Used it for my Easter Bunny Cake. I’ll never use a store bought box again! Can we add flavorings? Lemon juice or peach puree?
What can you replace the buttermilk with
What is the purpose of brown sugar? Usually vanilla cakes don’t have it, so I’m curious to what difference it makes
Can we try this recipe in microvawe… ??
Suggest the changes if any …
I want a quick cake mix for microvawe… so tat i can prepare quick for my son wen he wants…
I loved ur pancake recipe…. a lot .. i make him for breakfast frequently.