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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 love this recipe and use it frequently!I had a request for the vanilla version so I substituted vanilla cake mix and pudding. The layers were awful! I looked over my ingredients and then saw that the Jello instant vanilla pudding mix was 1 ounce instead of 3.4 ounces! What the heck?
Oh wow, I’ve never seen a 1-ounce box before! Glad you caught that; I hope you were able to remake the cake with the correct size package! Glad that you like the original recipe so much. Happy baking!
Jamie
This may have been asked at some point in this thread so I apologize if it’s redundant: can you tweak this recipe to work with brownie mix instead of cake mix? I’ve done some research about how to make cake from brownie mix but I can’t find a fool-proof, unanimously successful approach to doing that. Any suggestions?
Hi Ashley – I haven’t attempted this method using a brownie mix, so I can’t speak to the result or provide any suggestions. Maybe another commenter will have some ideas for you. Happy baking!
Jamie
It’s very seldom I feel compelled to comment on recipes or cooking hacks regardless of how much I enjoyed them. But I just had to comment on this recipe.
I cook well but am notoriously bad at baking and so I’m always on the lookout for ways to “amp up” boxed baking mixes. I’ve tried so many, all with less-than-stellar results. That is until yours. The final product is staggeringly good and extremely versatile. I would never guess it was made with a box mix if I didn’t already know. Thus far I’ve made the chocolate version you’ve chosen to highlight (but added some mini chocolate chips into the batter), and a vanilla cake version (I used white chocolate cocoa mix with the water as opposed to espresso granules). For both I used a cool whip frosting (that also uses pudding mix as one of its main components), one typical vanilla and the other with cookies and cream pudding mix and added Oreo pieces. But honestly I think I could have frosted your cake with gravel and it still would have been delicious. Thank you so much for helping me up my baking game at long last!
This makes me so happy to hear, Ashley! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback! Happy baking –
Jamie
Have you ever tried with a gluten free cake mix? Absolutely love this recipe but my son has celiac and we have to go gluten free now!
Hi Debbie – I personally have not tried this with a gluten-free cake mix, so I can’t attest to the results. If you try it I’d love to hear how it works out for you. Happy baking!
Jamie
@Debbie, I have! I do it all the time with XO Baking co. Cake mix and jello pudding powder. Works like a charm!
Very good! I divided the batter between 3 eight inch round pans and baked them at 330 for 25 minutes. I have been using recipes for doctored boxed cake from the sugargeekshow website with success but it makes a lot of cake. Your recipe made a normal size cake and it’s just as good if not better! I’m definitely going to make this again, thanks!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
I have made your recipe before, but now i have swiss chocolate cake mix and vanilla pudding. Can i still follow the same directions, or would you suggest any tweaking? Btw- im. Not much of a baker and your recipes have helped me a lot! Thank you!
Hi Rachel – That should work just fine, as long as the sizes of the cake mix and pudding mix are the same as what I originally call for. Thanks for stopping by – I hope this helps! Happy baking –
Jamie
How long should I cook a cake in a 13X9” pyrex glass pan (clear)? Thanks. I made the cupcakes and they were so good!!
You’ll likely need to bake it for around 30 minutes. I’d start checking it around the 25-minute mark; it may need up to 35 minutes. I hope this helps! Happy baking.
-Jamie
I’ve made this several times with vanilla pudding and yellow cake mix. They are absolutely THE BEST cupcakes ever. Doing it that way, I usually substitute vanilla (or honey vanilla if I have it) full fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream. I’ve done it both ways, but the vanilla yogurt adds an extra punch of vanilla flavor that takes these over the top! I may never make a different cupcake recipe ever again!
So happy you like the recipe, Sharon! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your tips!
Really a very solid cupcake made from a box mix. Even my mom, an experienced baker and Wilton graduate was impressed. One thing though, I made both this chocolate version and a butter cake version with water instead of espresso mix and French vanilla pudding mix. Same brands for everything, same batch of eggs, same container of sour cream, and the butter cake had a much softer crumb and runnier batter. Hence, not as great of a rise and spring. I wonder if anyone else experienced this. It’s as if it needed more flour or something. I plan on making this again and would appreciate any thoughts.
@Colleen Y, HI, I ommited the water all together and used French vanilla creamer. Started with a couple tablespoons, I think I ended up at a quarter cup. Hope this helps.
Perfect! These are light and fluffy. Absolutely perfect. Thank you so much. :)
So happy to hear you enjoyed them! :)