Skip The Oil To Turn Boxed Cake Mix Into A Bakery-Worthy Creation

When it's time to bake up a sweet treat, buying a boxed cake mix could help you prepare dessert quickly and easily. But it's important to keep in mind that there are quite a few ingredients that will take your boxed cake mix to another level and enhance the flavor and texture. One way to augment your cake is to add butter instead of vegetable oil. Try melting down an equal amount of butter for a flavorful swap (so if the recipe requires half a cup of vegetable oil, melt down a single stick). Once the dairy product has cooled off a little, the butter can be mixed in with the other ingredients.

Since oil and butter are both forms of fat, they'll function the same in the cake batter. The major benefit of this swap is that cakes made with melted butter may taste a little richer. In desserts like angel food cake or vanilla pound cakes, this subtle palate shift may make a more noticeable difference. Aside from flavor, cakes baked with melted butter can have a more tender texture.

If you wind up adding too much melted butter, you may find that the cake batter is extra runny. Fortunately, there are a few ways to remedy this. Firstly, spooning in some extra cake flour can help soak up the melted butter. Second, adding an extra egg into the mix can help bind all the ingredients together to correct the texture. Eggs help the cake retain moisture as it bakes up, ultimately leading to a softer and more succulent bite once it's served.

Another way to make your bakes taste even better is to swap out the liquid used. For a moister final product, use milk rather than water. The casein and whey proteins from the dairy can also alter the texture of the cake, making it a little more tender. It also provides some extra fat that water won't, which contributes to a rich texture. Flavored milk, like chocolate or strawberry, could even add a complementary flavor to your cake.