12 Underrated Ingredients You Should Be Adding To Boxed Cake Mix

Baking a cake from scratch is great and all, but do you really have the time (or energy) to do that every time? Enter the simplicity of boxed cake mix. All you need to do is add a few ingredients to the powdered mix, stir it all together, and bake it in the oven. Less than an hour later, voilà, you have a cake ready to frost and enjoy. However, while boxed cake mix is pretty tasty, it can get boring and doesn't quite rival a homemade cake.

Fortunately, there is a solution for this (and it doesn't involve baking a cake from scratch). Just as you can upgrade canned frosting with a few novel additions, you can take your cake mix up a notch by adding some unique ingredients. After you read our suggestions below, you'll never want to go back to making a plain ol' boxed cake mix again.

Adding applesauce to boxed cake mix offers a few separate benefits. First, it allows you to disregard one of the instructions on the boxed cake mix , which doesn't do much to elevate the overall flavor. If you've made a boxed mix before, you know most call for vegetable oil. Swapping out some of the oil for applesauce will reduce the number of calories in the whole cake (and, subsequently, in each piece).

Beyond making your dessert slightly healthier, applesauce can also enhance the texture and flavor of the finished cake. Because of its consistency, applesauce can help ensure the cake turns out nice and moist. Plus, applesauce will impart some sweetness to the finished cake. You can experiment with different types of applesauce depending on the recipe you're making. For example, to turn a yellow cake mix into a spice cake, consider starting with cinnamon applesauce and adding some spices, such as nutmeg and cloves.

When looking for a quick yet effective way to upgrade a boxed cake mix, why not add some strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries? Berries can transform a simple box mix into an elegant and delicious treat — perfect for everything from summer get-togethers to birthday cakes. You can add fresh berries to your mix, but frozen options can also work well if you want to make this cake outside of berry season. If you use frozen berries, thaw them thoroughly and drain all the excess liquid to prevent making your cake mix too soupy.

Once thawed (if using frozen berries) or cut into smaller pieces (if using strawberries or other large berries), add them to the already mixed ingredients. Mixing the rest of the ingredients first can help ensure everything is evenly distributed and that you don't accidentally squish the berries when stirring them in. Then, pour the berry-filled batter into your cake pans and bake as directed. If you're worried about the fruit sinking to the bottom of the cake, add a few scoops of the plain batter to the cake pan before mixing the berries with the rest. Once the cakes have cooled, you can frost them if desired. However, the colorful berries can also act as their own decoration and will do enough to enhance the flavor of the cake mix so that you don't necessarily need to frost it.

When you're thinking about ways to improve a boxed cake, your mind probably doesn't travel right to pretzels. However, boxed cake mix and pretzels go together better than you may initially think. Believe it or not, making pretzels is one of the non-cake uses for boxed cake mix. But, that isn't the only way these two food items jive together; you can also add some pretzels to your boxed mix for a delightfully sweet and salty treat.

There are different ways you can add pretzels to your boxed cake mix. However, the best way to really infuse their flavor throughout each bite will be to use a food processor to grind them down into tiny pieces. Mix this crumbly powder in with the dry cake mix before adding the other ingredients — the more you add, the more noticeably the salty pretzel flavor will be in the finished product. Just note that you'll have to adjust the wet ingredients called for on the box to ensure that the batter has the right consistency — add another egg or a little more oil/water as needed. After baking and frosting your cake, you can continue with the pretzel theme by adding a few as a decoration over the frosting.

Marshmallows are another ingredient you might not initially think to add to cake mix. However, you'll miss out if you don't try this interesting combo at least once. After preparing the cake mix according to the box's directions, add a few cups of marshmallows and stir to incorporate them into the mix. When you bake the cake, the marshmallows will soften, causing them to spread throughout the batter. Some will even make their way to the top of the cake, adding a natural sugary coating to the surface.

If you want to try adding marshmallows to your cake mix, there are a few important things to keep in mind. First, it is best to use miniature — not full-size — marshmallows. These will melt more evenly and prevent air pockets from getting left in the batter when the marshmallows cool and shrink. The cake is also going to taste best warm when the marshmallows are still melty. So, this is one cake that you'll want to serve immediately. Skip trying to frost it (since you can't add frosting to a hot cake) and opt to serve it with a scoop of ice cream. You could also try melting a few chocolate bars and drizzling them over each slice before serving. Doing so could mimic the flavor of s'mores — yum!

Adding some instant pudding mix to a boxed cake mix can deliver wondrous results. First, it can help you level up the flavor of the cake. Think about all possible delicious flavor combinations, including lemon pudding mix with white cake, strawberry pudding mix with chocolate cake mix, or chocolate pudding with devil's food cake mix (for the true chocoholic). Beyond elevating the flavor, adding a box of instant pudding mix when preparing the cake mix will also help ensure that your finished cake is nice and moist.

While pudding can be a great addition to your boxed cake mix, there is something important that you'll want to consider. First, as you likely know, pudding mix is colored. So, adding a darker-colored pudding to a lighter-colored cake mix will alter the color of the finished product. If you're only concerned about taste, you might not need to worry about this too much. However, if you also want your cake to look beautiful, you might want to re-think adding chocolate pudding mix to a strawberry cake mix, yellow cake mix, or any other boxed mix that has a light color. Otherwise, your finished product might look "dirty."

Once you try adding espresso powder to a boxed cake mix — particularly a chocolate boxed cake mix — you'll wonder what took you so long to discover this magical combination. If you love a deep and flavorful chocolate cake, this is the hack for you. Contrary to what you might expect, adding espresso won't make you think you're eating your morning cup of joe. Instead, when paired with chocolate, the espresso powder acts as a flavor enhancer. That delicious chocolate taste you love will be all the more rich and flavorful.

Just take caution when trying this mix-in. Espresso powder is much more concentrated than regular coffee, so it takes a lot less than you might think to bring out the deep chocolate flavor in the cake. You won't need more than a teaspoon for an entire box of cake mix. Only add more than this if your goal is to bring out more of the coffee flavor in your finished cake.

The next time you're looking for a simple way to upgrade a boring box of cake mix, open your fridge and see if you have some ricotta cheese. If you don't, you might want to buy a tub from the store just to try this recipe idea. Adding ricotta cheese to your boxed cake mix will deliver a moist and irresistible cake. Whisk all the wet ingredients called for on the box, then mix in ½ to 1 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese before adding the powdered cake mix.

You can enjoy this scrumptious cake frosting-free — it's that moist and flavorful. However, you can also pair it with a light lemon, vanilla, or chocolate frosting, depending on the occasion and what you're in the mood for. Don't forget to refrigerate the cake. Refrigeration will help ensure seamless cake slices and is also necessary because of the added ricotta cheese.

Soda is another underrated addition to consider the next time you want to bake a boxed cake mix. Beyond being underrated, using soda when making a cake mix is also a way to simplify the process. That's right. If you thought boxed cakes were already easy to make, with just a few ingredients called for in the recipe, things are about to get even more basic. All you need is a box of cake mix and a can of soda. That's it. No eggs. No oil. No water. Mix the two ingredients, grease and fill your cake pans, and pop them in the oven.

This hack works because the leavening agents (i.e. baking soda or baking powder) are already included in each box of cake mix. So, when you mix in the soda, the leavening agents are activated and ready to help the cake rise in the oven. Don't try this hack when making a cake from scratch unless you also add the baking soda or baking powder to the flour mixture; otherwise it won't work.

The cool thing about this creative idea is the many possible flavor combinations. You can use any cake mix flavor and any type of soda. Experiment with different combinations to see what strikes your fancy and get those taste buds singing! You could even try the real sugar formulation of Mexican Coke with your favorite boxed cake mix flavor.

If you like oatmeal cookies, you'll love trying an oatmeal cake. The oats enhance the cake's texture while also adding to the flavor. For this idea, you'll also be able to experiment with different combinations, such as oats and devil's food cake mix or oats and yellow cake mix. You can also consider adding different seasonings or flavors to enhance the overall taste. For example, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg could help you create a Fall-inspired treat.

When making oatmeal cake, it is essential that you use quick oats — not rolled oats or other varieties that take longer to cook. Otherwise, your finished cake will have tough oat pieces, and it just won't taste good. You'll also want to soak the quick oats in hot milk for about 10 minutes. This will ensure they are soft enough to deliver the texture you want for the finished product.

Step aside, banana bread. There's a new kid in town, and its name is banana cake. If you mistakenly thought the best way to store bananas was in a fruit bowl (spoiler alert: it's not), and you have a handful of overly ripe bananas on your hands, now is the perfect time to try this scrumptious recipe.

Before adding the bananas to the cake mix, beat them in a separate bowl until smooth. You'll need two to three bananas, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. Once you've beaten the bananas, combine them with the other ingredients listed on the back of the cake mix (consider replacing the water with milk for an even creamier and more moist cake). You can stop here, but you could also add a few more ingredients to elevate the flavor further. Consider options such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves to make more of a banana spice cake. Alternatively, you could also try adding some chopped nuts, fresh or frozen fruit, or raisins. Bake and serve with your favorite frosting flavor (a cream cheese frosting would be an excellent option to consider).

Do you love all things peanut butter? If so, you'll definitely be wondering why it took you so long to make a peanut butter cake. Adding some creamy peanut butter — or even cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter — into your cake mix will help you create a dreamy nut butter cake. Keep in mind that nut butters are thick. Because of this, you'll need to adjust the rest of the ingredients called for by the cake mix to ensure the batter has the right consistency. While the exact ratio can vary based on the amount of peanut butter you add and the cake mix brand, as a general rule, plan to add an extra egg or two along with some softened butter when preparing the batter.

Once your cakes come out of the oven, let them cool before assembling and frosting them. If you're making a layer cake, you could try spreading some strawberry preserves between the layers. This peanut butter and jelly-inspired cake is sure to be a big hit at your next gathering. A buttercream or even chocolate frosting could both provide the finishing touch for this delectable treat.

Planning an adults-only get-together? Why not spike your cake mix with some liquor? Liquor, such as vodka, rum, or even whiskey, will give your baked goods a punchy flavor. Their exact impact will depend on how heavy-handed you are with the pour, but if you've never baked with booze before, you might want to experiment to find the ratio that matches your preferences. Consider starting with just ¼ to ⅓ cup of your preferred alcohol and increasing the amount if the flavor isn't strong enough. Letting the cake cool before serving will also help reduce the strength of the alcohol flavor.

If you want an even stronger alcohol flavor, consider mixing some into your canned frosting or your favorite homemade frosting recipe. As for which types of liquor to use for your frosting or cake, go with those you like drinking straight or in mixed drinks. While the flavor in the cake won't be identical to that when drinking a shot of the booze, it will be similar. In addition to liquor, you can also consider adding other types of alcohol, such as red wine or beer.