Turn Boxed Cake Mix Into A Luxurious Milkshake With This Hack

Three words: cake batter milkshake. The key ingredient to boost your next shake with a creamy, rich twist? Boxed cake mix. The dry, pre-mixed cake blend makes a perfect addition to milkshakes, adding subtle fluffiness and a decadent taste that mimics your favorite boxed flavor.

While dumping cake mix straight from the box into the blender might sound tempting, you can't skip heat-treating it first. This step kills any bacteria in the raw flour, making it safe to consume. To do this, microwave the dry mix on high in 30-second intervals. For one serving (¼ cup of cake mix), it takes about one minute to reach the safe temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're making milkshakes for a crowd, use the oven instead. Spread the cake mix evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, or until it hits 160 degrees. Let it cool completely before adding it to your ice cream and milk — otherwise, you'll end up with a warm, runny shake.

For the most delicious cake batter milkshake, use 1 cup of vanilla ice cream, ¼ cup of heat-treated yellow cake mix, and ¼ cup of dairy milk. This combo creates a single serving that's satisfyingly bold and bursting with vanilla flavor. Best of all, it's smooth, lush, and sweet — and tastes just like licking batter straight from the bowl.

While we used a combination of vanilla ice cream and yellow cake mix in this shake, the options are limitless. Using vanilla ice cream as the base allows for considerable creative freedom in the cake mix department. For example, a Funfetti variety pairs seamlessly, enhancing the sugary, vanilla notes with the added pop of color and flavor from the sprinkles. Choose a strawberry cake mix for a fruity twist on flavors reminiscent of an airy chantilly cake with berries. 

A boxed lemon or orange supreme cake and vanilla ice cream blend creates a slightly tart yet luxurious base that offers notes inspired by a frozen orange creamsicle cocktail. For a tropical twist, combine one of Dolly Parton's baking mixes, such as the Coconut flavor, which features vanilla bourbon extract to complement the underlying nuttiness. When blended into vanilla ice cream, it imparts an extra layer of creaminess for a coconut cake batter milkshake that's beyond tasty and refreshing.

If you're a self-proclaimed chocolate lover, ditch the vanilla ice cream base altogether. Pair a dark, cocoa-forward devil's food cake mix with your favorite chocolate ice cream for the ultimate fudgy cake batter shake of your dreams. Another decadent riff — use a German chocolate boxed cake. This lighter-cocoa base still imparts loads of homemade flavor. Don't forget to blend in mix-ins (like flaked coconut and pecans) for an authentic take that offers fragrant, buttery notes and satisfying texture.