Don't Always Trust The Baking Powder Added To Boxed Cake Mix

Cake mix might just be the easiest way to make a cake fast, but it's still a form of baking, and baking is a delicate process that requires the right ingredients and chemical reactions. From being meticulous about measurements, adding ingredients in the right order, and even bringing the altitude of your kitchen into account, every factor matters when making a cake. There's zero shame in reaching for boxed cake mixes, especially for those of us who aren't avid bakers, but making cake from a mix doesn't mean there won't be any mishaps.

One tip for using a convenient mix — while still baking a great cake — is that you shouldn't always trust the baking powder in your cake mix. Leavening agents like baking powder are surprisingly delicate, and the powder in cake mixes that have been sitting on a shelf for a while might be lacking in freshness. Baker powder's lifting abilities decrease as it becomes less fresh, and your cake might end up flat and dense if the rising agent can't do its job. Luckily, the solution for light, fluffy, high-rise cakes made from a box is simple.

To counteract a cake mix that might contain flat baking powder, simply to add some fresh baking powder into the mix. Mixing a few extra sprinkles of this ingredient into the batter will ensure that your cake rises properly and becomes the fluffy and structurally-sound dessert you're hoping for. The exact amount you need to use will depend on the recipe, but most boxed mixes will do well with an extra half-teaspoon or a teaspoon of baking powder. Even if the baking powder in your mix is fresh, an extra sprinkle will make for more fluffiness and rise, so it doesn't hurt to try it. 

While adding extra baking powder makes boxed cake mix just a little less effortless, it can be the difference between a lackluster cake and a mouth-watering one, so the extra few seconds are worth it. A boxed mix also means less worrying about ingredient measuring and cleanup, but it's not a bad idea to try and elevate these mixes even further with more ingredients you have in your kitchen.

Beyond issues with flat baking powder, some cakes made with a boxed mix taste a little lackluster. For the sake of shelf stability, many mixes lack the flavorful ingredients you'd find in a from-scratch cake recipe. The addition of an extra egg into a boxed mix can help your cake taste more homemade. Even if the recipe on the box doesn't call for one, an egg can help the dough rise better and makes for an especially moist cake, due to the extra fat from the yolk.

Another way to make a spectacular-tasting boxed cake is to switch out the water for milk. It's not uncommon for cake mixes to call for water in the instructions, but opting for milk instead leads to a richer end product. The same can be said if the boxed mix calls for oil. Swap oil out for butter to make for a more flavorful cake. Lastly, you can liven up your boxed cake with sour cream. Along with plenty of moisture, sour cream adds a subtle tang that can be welcome in sweet but one-dimensional cake mixes. Avoid baking powder blunders and make a few clever ingredient swaps, and your cake will come out as fluffy and tasty as can be.