Make Ree Drummond's Go-To Christmas Dessert With A Boxed Cake Mix Shortcut

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If you're hosting any Christmas event, you've probably already got plenty of work on your plate. Why not remove some of that by opting for Ree Drummond's go-to Christmas dessert – a dressed-up boxed cake mix that tastes homemade!

Flavor isn't the only thing that makes the boxed cake mix so delicious. At every step of their product development, they're designed to deliver the perfect crumb with minimal hassle — just be sure to grab one of the best-rated cake mix brands. Drummond capitalizes on their precise balance of dry ingredients and transforms a box of yellow cake mix into an incredible rum cake, using only ingredients you can pick up from most any grocery or liquor store. Unlike other cake recipes that may require you to cream sugar, whip egg whites, or simmer a syrup, hers achieves perfect flavor and texture with nothing more than a batter poured over pecans and a quick glaze you can simmer while the cake bakes.

The only real baking tool you'll need to create this easy beauty is a bundt cake pan. What you're left with is a moist, dense, vanilla-flavored cake with the spiced heartiness of rum and plenty of sweet glaze over it all. Still, like many baked goods, there's some room for improvement without introducing too much extra work or cost. Whether you want to add more spice or bump up the moisture, the pre-measured balance of ingredients in a box of cake mix allows you plenty of room for experimentation.

Yellow cake mix has some advantages over traditional vanilla, but it comes with some drawbacks. Its density means it may have the risk of crumbling (or not rising), and its surface area contact with the pan means sticking is a major risk. Luckily, the Pioneer Woman has a lot of experience with this recipe, and there are ways to avoid some of the more common mistakes.

Drummond recommends pricking the cake a hundred times with a fork to let the glaze sink into the crumb. While this helps its moisture immensely, you can also add one creamy ingredient to guarantee the right texture: sour cream. It's rich in fat and water, imparting a creamy tang to your baked goods. If you don't want the tang, you can always replace half a cup of oil with a third of a cup of mayonnaise to take it from dry to delicious.

To prevent sticking and preserve the smooth exterior shell of your cake, try greasing your pan with cooking fat and flour. The key is to use a fat without any solids in it, like shortening or ghee, rather than butter. Drummond recommends some kind of baking spray that includes flour — we like Pam's version – to make the process easier, which you can find at most major retailers. If you choose to do it by hand, use the finest flour you can find, as anything coarse may create an undesirable texture.