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This doctored cake mix is an easy way to make any cake mix extra special. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t get from-scratch flavor from a boxed mix!
Sometimes you just need a cupcake – or three. Sometimes you promise your kid that you’ll bake something they can add sprinkles to.
And sometimes you remember in a last-minute panic that you promised to bring a dessert to a party, book club, etc.
Wanna know my absolute favorite trick when any of the above happens? It’s this doctored cake mix.
This is the absolute best way to get the perfect cupcakes and cakes with almost no effort. But don’t worry – I won’t tell anyone how easy it was. Your secret’s safe with me.
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Pin ItMy favorite doctored cake mix recipe
So here’s the thing: one of my favorite cake recipes starts with a boxed cake mix.
Gasp!
I’ll be the first to tell you that baking a cake from scratch can be an incredibly fun and cathartic experience. But I also think we should use the tools and ingredients that give you the results you want.
I’ve yet to be able to recreate the perfection of this doctored cake mix on my own (not that I don’t keep trying). If that means a fabulous cupcake in less time, then give yourself a break and go for it.
Another reason that this doctored cake mix is one of my go-to recipes is because it’s pretty much foolproof.
Toss everything into a large mixing bowl, mix until it’s combined and it comes out perfect every single time. So it’s a great recipe for baking newbies and kids – but I bet even veteran bakers will have fun with this one!
I most often use this recipe when whipping up a batch of cupcakes, but you can also use it to make a bundt cake, layer cake, or sheet cake.
Why add pudding to cake mix?
There are many reasons to adore this doctored cake mix recipe and number one on that list is that it’s super moist.
I love using this recipe when I have to make cupcakes a day or so in advance because I know that they’ll still taste perfectly fresh – even after being stored for 24 hours.
Two ingredients make this recipe super moist: pudding mix and sour cream.
Adding pudding to cake mix is always a great way to make your cake – or any baked goods – stay soft. It’s the secret to my chocolate chip pudding cookies and my white chocolate pistachio pudding cookies, for example.
Sour cream also keeps the final cake or cupcakes moist and lends a little bit of “tang” to the recipe. It’s similar to using buttermilk in a recipe!
How to make my doctored chocolate cake mix
I think my favorite version of this doctored cake mix uses chocolate cake mix. Specifically devil’s food cake mix.
I’m going to walk you through what you’ll need and how to make it so you can see how easy it is, and then we’ll talk about variations on this recipe!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the chocolate version of my doctored cake mix, you’ll need:
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso granules dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
As I mentioned above, we use a box of pudding mix along with the cake mix. Even if the cake mix you’re using says it has pudding mix in it, add the box of pudding mix in this recipe.
Sour cream is my go-to for that bit of “tang” and to add extra moisture to this recipe, but
I like to add instant espresso dissolved in water to help deepen the chocolate flavor. It’s the same idea I use in the best chocolate cake recipe and that my friend Megan uses in her double chocolate muffins.
I promise it won’t make the final cake taste like coffee, but you can always use plain water instead if you’re still nervous about it.
Making this recipe
To make your cake or cupcake batter, use a mixer to beat together all of the ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes, until well combined.
Then follow the baking instructions for the type of cake you are making:
- If you are making cupcakes, use a large cookie scoop to divide the batter between 24 lined muffin wells. Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched.
- To make a bundt cake, pour the prepared batter into a well-greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 350°F for approximately 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- For a layer cake, divide the batter evenly between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- For a sheet cake, spread the batter into a 9×13-inch cake pan. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Once the cupcakes or cakes have cooled, top them with your favorite frosting recipes, such as my homemade buttercream frosting, strawberry frosting, marshmallow frosting, or even chocolate ganache.
Flavor variations
Even though my favorite version of this recipe is for a devil’s food cake or cupcakes, there are so many flavor variations you can make. You really can get creative with all kinds of flavors and mix-ins!
The batter for this doctored cake mix is really thick, so it’s a great consistency for suspending little surprises inside cupcakes.
Just imagine adding little peanut butter cups to the center of your chocolate cupcakes and topping them with peanut butter buttercream.
As for using different cake mix flavors, go for it! Just use an appropriate pudding mix flavor and omit the instant espresso, using just plain water.
Some flavor combos include:
- Coconut cupcakes with french vanilla cake mix and coconut cream pudding mix
- Strawberry cupcakes with vanilla cake mix, vanilla pudding, and strawberry yogurt instead of sour cream
- Vanilla bundt cake with white cake mix and cheesecake pudding mix
- Pistachio pudding cake with yellow cake mix and pistachio pudding mix
- Apple bundt cake with spice cake mix, vanilla pudding, and the addition of apple pieces and apple pie spice
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes with spice cake mix, vanilla pudding, and the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice
And honestly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Get as creative as you like and have fun seeing what flavor combos you can come up with.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you should still add the box of pudding mix. Even when the cake mix says it has pudding in it, I never trust that there’s enough! And the extra pudding mix never hurts, trust me.
Absolutely. Plain greek yogurt is my preferred substitute for sour cream.
If you are using a different flavor of cake mix, feel free to use flavored yogurt in place of the sour cream. For example, try using lemon yogurt with lemon cake mix and lemon pudding.
The instant espresso helps make the chocolate cake taste even richer and more chocolatey. It doesn’t make the final cake or cupcakes taste like coffee.
If you still aren’t sure or you can’t have coffee, feel free to leave the espresso granules out and use plain warm water instead.
Doctored Cake Mix
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix 3.4 ounces
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso granules dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water (see note below)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 standard muffin wells with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla and espresso water mixture. Beat for about two minutes on medium speed until well combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between the prepared muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.
- Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 10 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, top with your favorite buttercream recipe.
For a bundt cake:
- Pour the batter into 1 well-greased, 12-cup bundt cake pan.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- If desired, drizzle the cooled cake with your favorite recipe for chocolate ganache.
For a layer cake:
- Pour batter evenly between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans.
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Frost cooled cake with your favorite buttercream recipe.
For a 9×13-inch sheet cake:
- Pour batter into 1 greased 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Frost cooled cake with your favorite buttercream recipe.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I make the old recipe all the time with the 15 oz mix and people rave about it! I’m hesitant to change anything!
Janelle-
Stick with what works for you! Have a fantastic day and thank you so much for following MBA!
-Jamie
Hi Janelle
You used to old recipe with a 15.25 oz box cake mix and the 5.9 pudding mix and the chocolate chips? That’s what I was going to do today, but I don’t want to mess it up!
Thanks for doing this. I have been noodling around with the original one, but it is good to have the update. And congratulations on the baby!
Thanks for the new post and responding to my original! I neglected to mention that even though the cupcakes collapsed in the old recipe the flavor was so far superior to that of a regular boxed cake mix. So I’m hoping this revised one does the trick. Thank you!
These look scrummy :)
Although I consider myself a “scratch” baker, I do use cake mixes when I make cake balls and gooey butter cakes. I became so annoyed by the change in mix sizing that I boycotted Betty Crocker and switched to Duncan Hines as theirs are still the original size (I think).
Great improvements to the cake mix cakes. I rarely use them now, but I would just replace the water with whole milk and butter for the oil, and maybe a little extra vanilla. I have made other flavors using white, yellow or vanilla cake mixes, such as banana and pumpkin spice by using pureed fruit/veggies and adding spices. It is a shame some boxed mixes have reduced in weight, how many cupcakes can one make out of a box now?! I’d make 24 perfect cupcakes with 1 boxed mix.
Connie, I love messing around with them too. They’re such a versatile ingredient! The new box mixes still make 24 cupcakes. Somehow they’ve managed to change the structure so that they need less product. I don’t notice a texture change, so not sure how they did it.
When I’ve made your doctored up cake mix in the past, my cakes always fall when I take them out of the oven. Any suggestions you can offer to help me out here? Thank you!
Karen, most of the time falling cakes are due to a few different possibilities:
– overmixing: too much air in the batter will cause the cake to rise quickly, and then fall because it isn’t fully cooked (which would hold up the structure)
– oven temperature: you should use a separate oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn’t running hot or colder than the temperature you’ve set it to. Many ovens do not run correctly. For example, mine runs about 10 degrees hotter than what I set the temperature setting at. My oven says it’s 350°F, the thermometer inside tells me it’s actually 360°F. A too-hot oven can also cause a cake to rise too fast.
– peeking: as tempting as it is, do your best not to open the oven at all while the cake bakes. This was a hard lesson for me to learn!
I hope that will help.
-Jamie
Karen & Jamie,
I know that altitude caused a falling cake for me. I increased my oven temp by 25 degrees (Fahrenheit), and decrease the oil by 1/4 cup. That seemed to do the trick. Just a suggestion for any other mountain dwellers.
Thanks for your suggestions.
-Jamie
I absolutely love your pumpkin spice cupcakes made with cake mix and pudding. Should that recipe be adjusted also?
Hi Janet,
I would definitely say so, unless you can find the bigger box size.
-Jamie
your adjusted recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of liquid, and the old one had 2 cups including the pumpkin. I just finished making them and the batter seems very stiff which I don’t remember from the past. Would you mind sending the adjustments you’d make to the pumpkin spice cupcakes? I have served these at the last 4 large parties and they get raves every time.
Janet-
The recipe is always quite stiff – that’s what I love about it. There is no pumpkin in this recipe, nor the original Cake Mix recipe that I posted. The pumpkin spice recipe continues to perform well (per reader feedback) without any alterations. I hope this helps – thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
I made the pumpkin cupcakes last week. Only alteration was adding in 3 TBS flour to make up for the ounce reduction in the cake mix. Came out perfect!! Topped with a maple cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream. Heavenly!
I’m glad the recipe was a success for you! Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
Can you take down the original post? I just made the cake using your old post because I didn’t see this one! Then I clicked on the homepage and saw this one :(
ie I didn’t notice the package was 15oz and used the old recipe for 18oz and though I haven’t tried it yet the cake looks much heavier and not moist and light
E G,
Sadly, this is something that’s been happening with all sorts of store bought ingredients, not just cake mix. Even my peanut butter is smaller in volume! The jar is the same size, but they put a dimple in the bottom of the jar to take up space where peanut butter used to go. I hope that the cake still tastes good for you, but if not, please give this updated recipe a try.
-Jamie
EG-
The original post has now been update with a link to the new post. Thanks for the suggestion.
-Jamie
Do you have a similar recipe for a white cupcake? i loved this choc recipe but the white one i got off internet was TOO sweet.
You might like these Vanilla Bean Cupcakes https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/vanilla-bean-cupcakes-recipe/ Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
I used this recipe for white cupcakes. I used white chocolate pudding mix from Hershey’s. They came out scrumptious and have had repeated requests for more!
Christine-
I’m so glad the recipe was a success for you. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
I was killing time in a bookstore today and spent a good portion of it reading The Cake Mix doctor – have always been obsessed with these kinds of recipes!