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Find out why people have called this easy white cake “the best cake they have EVER had”! Be prepared for tons of compliments when you make this! Follow my easy hacks to make a box cake taste homemade and you’ll be shocked how good it is!

This was the best cake I have EVER had. Thanks so much. Now, I am making the chocolate version for my friend.

-Jill
white cake with funfetti sprinkles on white plate
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These are the Best Box Cake Mix Hacks

I’m a fan of box cake mix recipes probably just as much as you are! They are super quick and convenient. 

I wanted to share this recipe because I know many of us don’t have lots of free time to be spending in the kitchen, but when you make something, you want it to taste good, right?

This cake mix recipe is perfect for all of us who like the ease of a box mix, but maybe want to doctor up the cake mix for more of a homemade taste. Plus, I feel that this doctored up version of a white cake comes together just as quick as the box mix because you can still put everything into one bowl and beat it together.

slice of white cake with funfetti sprinkles on white plate with bite removed

I love a good Boxed Cake – Why Make Box Cake Better?

I consider an easy cake to be one that starts with a box mix. Box cake mixes are great and very handy, plus they can be transformed into bakery style cakes with a few extra ingredients. You are essentially doctoring up a cake mix with a few cake mix hacks. 

ingredients to make white cake mix from box mix on marble background with text overlay

No one will know it came from a box with these Boxed Cake Mix Hacks

It’s all about adding ingredients to the cake mix to give the cake better texture & taste. In our case, we’re adding ingredients with moisture.

Ingredients to Make Box Cake Better

  • 1 box of white cake mix
  • sugar: adds sweetness and flavor
  • all purpose flour: flour is necessary to build structure
  • salt: just a pinch to balance the sweetness
  • egg whites: binds the cake together by providing structure – using only egg whites keeps the cake more white in color
  • vanilla extract: adds that classic vanilla flavor to the cake
  • skim milk: adds moisture
  • buttermilk: adds moisture & fat for richness
  • sour cream: adds moisture & fat for richness
box of duncan hines classic white cake mix

Boxed Cake Mix Hax: Doctoring up your box cake

For this recipe you’ll want to use a 15.25 oz box of Duncan Hines white or vanilla cake mix. I know some boxes out there are 18.25 oz, so be sure you’re getting the right size. You’ll use egg whites only to keep the cake looking extra white.

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, sugar, flour, salt, egg whites, milk, buttermilk, and sour cream, beat with an electric mixer until combined, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 37-43 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding frosting.
slice of white cake on white plate with colorful straws in background

What Brand of Cake Mix to Use

I prefer Duncan Hines cake mixes, as do a lot of food bloggers, plus Wilton recommends Duncan Hines brand and Wilton is a cake powerhouse, so I trust their opinion. 

Frosting to Pair with Vanilla Cake

slice of white cake with rainbow sprinkles on white plate

Try our chocolate cake mix recipe from a box or our easy white cupcakes from a box!

 Box Cake Mix Hacks FAQs

What’s the Difference Between White Cake and Vanilla Cake?

White cake is technically made with egg whites only, to keep the cake as white as possible. Bakers may also use clear vanilla extract to keep the cake white.
Vanilla cake is typically made with whole eggs (the white and the yolk) and contain regular vanilla extract. The flavor of white cake and vanilla cake are nearly identical. This recipe for easy white cake could also be called vanilla sheet cake. The are pretty interchangeable. 

How do you make a cake moist out of box mixes?

To make a box cake mix more moist, add buttermilk and sour cream. These ingredients add fat to the cake, making it more moist and richer in flavor!

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How to Make Box Cake Better (White Cake Mix)

By: Beth
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
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Find out why people have called this easy white cake “the best cake they have EVER had”! Be prepared for tons of compliments when you make this! Follow my easy hacks to make a box cake taste homemade and you’ll be shocked how good it is!

Equipment

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 box white cake mix, 15.25 oz (I prefer Duncan Hines)
  • 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract, clear or regular
  • 1 cup (236ml) skim milk
  • ½ cup (118ml) buttermilk
  • 1 cup (228g) sour cream

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 sticks
  • 3-4 cups (339g-454g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp milk, if frosting becomes too thick
An advertisement for the cookbook Sweet by Beth Baumgartner features the book cover and photos of colorful desserts. Text reads: My New Cookbook Sweet with 63 dessert recipes & photos is now available! A Buy Now button with a cart icon is included.

Instructions 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, sugar, flour, salt, egg whites, vanilla extract, milk, buttermilk, and sour cream, beat with an electric mixer until combined, 1-2 minutes.
    1 box white cake mix, 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour, 3/4 tsp salt, 4 large egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup (236ml) skim milk, 1/2 cup (118ml) buttermilk, 1 cup (228g) sour cream
  • Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 37-43 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and vanilla extract, beat using an electric mixer until fluffy. Begin to add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing by hand. Continue adding powdered sugar until the frosting no longer looks wet and tastes good to you. Then I use my electric mixer one last time to make sure the powdered sugar is really incorporated and ready to go. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a dash of milk.
    1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 3-4 cups (339g-454g) powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp milk
  • Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake, add sprinkles if desired.

Video

Notes

Pair it with chocolate frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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About Beth

I believe that everyone should have a go-to dessert to bring to parties! With hundreds of recipes, I'll help you find yours!

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150 Comments

    1. I need a recipe for a wedding cake, not too airy and not too dense. Would this white cake mix recipe be a good choice? The last few sample cakes I made were from scratch and much too heavy and dense.

  3. Im wanting to use this recipe to make yellow and chocolate cakes to make sturdier for decorating with buttercream. Would i have good results if i put in 4 whole eggs vs just the whites?

    Reply

    1. Hi Kelli! Yes, you can use 4 whole eggs. The only reason we use 4 egg whites in this white cake is so it stays white in color!

    2. Just wanted to say thanks and let you know this is my go to recipe now! Tried other ‘doctored’ cake mix recipes and this is the best! Perfect for layered cakes and holds up lots of buttercream decoration with no problems!

  4. Hi, was trying to figure out how many cups of batter this might make. Has anyone measured it? I see someone made “36 cupcakes” from it, and I see someone asked how many 9″ pans, and the reply was “three 8″ pans” should be good. I’m looking at wedding cake sized cakes, and just wondered if someone had an idea. Yes, I will definitely try it out, but just wondered if anyone knew for sure. A regular box white cake is 4.5 cups of batter. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. I made this recipe, but used 4 whole eggs instead of just the whites, and i measured about 7.5 cups. Id say maybe a bit over 7 with just whites?

    1. This might be too much batter for a sheet cake pan – let me know if you try it!

  6. Want to make a chocolate vanilla swirl cake can I add some cocoa power to this to make half chocolate?

    Reply

  7. This cake recipe is amazing! I did tweak it a little. I used 3 eggs instead of 4 egg whites and I also poked 100 holes in after baking with pineapple juice. Then I used cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted coconut. BEST CAKE IVE EVER EATEN!!! THANKS SO MUCH!!!

    Reply