Doctored Cake Mix Recipes - Sugared Productions Blog (2025)

Hi sugar friends!

Today let’s talk about a sometimes controversial topic: doctored cake mixes. There is quite adebateabout thisin the cake decorating world.

Some folks feel that using box mixes is not real baking nor are they real cakes. Well, as a big boxed mix gal myself, I wholeheartedlydisagree. Agood box mix cake is just as worthy as a great scratch recipe. Using amix does not make you any less of a baker or a decorator, and don’t let anyone make you feel differently. I embrace all types of cakes (homemade and mix), icings (shortening based American and butter based meringues), and fondant (commercial, homemade and marshmallow based.) Everything has its place in cake decorating, and you should use what works for you and your customers, and don’t feel bad about it!

Scratch baking will never go out of style, and there’s nothing quite like a great homemade cake. But doctored mixes offer the best of both worlds. You get the consistency and reliability of a box mix, and thetexture of homemade cake. Scratch baking is indeed a science, and requires the proper mixing technique and temperature of ingredients to get the right result. Sometimes you just want things to be a little easier 🙂

Feel free to bake whatever way you are comfortable with (or both). There are nowrong answers.

Here are my favoritedoctored recipes. We’ll start with the most basic and work up to the more involved.

Basic Doctored Cake Mix

Result: the addition of the extra egg and pudding will give you a just slightly more dense cake than the normal fluffiness of a plain box mix. Great for cupcakes, buttercream cakes; but not recommended for carving, structured cakes, or under buttercream/fondant cakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 box desired flavor cake mix
  • ingredients listed on box
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 small box instant pudding in a coordinating flavor

Directions

Use one box mix and prepare according to instructions, adding the extra ingredients listed above.
Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 until it tests done.

Cake Mix Extender

Result: This is great for when one box is not enough and 2 boxes are too much for your needs. It will give you a texture very close to regular box mix.Great for cupcakes, buttercream cakes; but not recommended for carving, structured cakes, or under buttercream/fondant cakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Sift dry ingredients together with cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the ingredients called for on the box (eggs, oil and water), adding the extra egg and water from this recipe.

2. Mix on medium/low speed until smooth and no lumps remain, being careful not to over mix. (No more than 2 minutes.)

3. Pour into prepared pans and bake per instructions on box. (I bake at 325 for more even baking.)


Pound Cake From a Mix

Result: A fairly dense cake, close to a scratchpoundcake, but not quite that dense. Good for carving, buttercream orfondant cakes. A little too heavy for cupcakes and dessert style cakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg (18 oz) favorite cake mix
  • 1 pkg (4 serving size) instant pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil; beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
2. Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans; 35-40 minutes sheet pan. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling grid and cool completely.


White Almond Sour Cream Cake by Rebecca Sutterby (WASC)

Result: This recipe is world famous. Probably the most common doctored recipe out there. This makes a super moist cake with good density. Not quite as dense as pound cake but a tight crumb. This cake can be a bit soft and “wet” and might form acrystallizedsugar “shell” on the top when baking; that is normal. This will also extend the volume vs a regular box recipe.Good for dessert cakes, cupcakes, carving, buttercream orfondant cakes. Makes great cake balls with no binder needed. Seriously a wonderful recipe. (The carrot cake version is to die for.)

Ingredients

  • 1 box cake mix 15.25 ounces
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1-1/8 cup water
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp. clear vanilla flavoring
  • 1 tsp. clear almond flavoring
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 4 large egg whites or 3 whole eggs

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl and mix well with whip attachment. Add remaining ingredients and mix with beater attachment on speed 1 – 2 until smooth and incorporated. Do not overmix.
2. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 until done. Baking times will vary, but a 10 inch round cake will take approx. 60 to 65 minutes.
3. You can make this into any flavor by starting with a flavored cake mix, and adjust the flavorings as desired. May be doubled.

— NOTE: The water is reduced to 1 1/8 cup per mix for the now smaller 15 oz cake mixes. — I do not recommend Pillsbury for this recipe.

— NOTE: You can create almost any flavor cake with this recipe by starting with that flavored cake mix and changing the additional flavorings.

Sharon’s Sturdy Cake Recipe:

Result: This is my go to and most used recipe. Makes a very sturdy cake, dense but not quite a pound cake, tight crumb, and super moist. Not as soft and wet as the WASC.Good for dessert cakes, cupcakes, carving, buttercream orfondant cakes. Makes great cake balls with no binder needed. A great multi purpose recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 box cake mix (Sharon uses Betty Crocker)
  • 1 small box instant pudding in a coordinating flavor
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 whole large egg
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring (optional)
  • 1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)
  • 1 tsp. butter flavoring (optional)
  • other flavorings as desired

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in mixer at speed one or two, scraping down the sides, until just incorporated. Batter will be very thick. Fill pans just a little over half full.
2. Bake at 325 until center bounces back and toothpick is clean. Be careful not to underbake. The will take longer to bake than an undoctored mix due to the added ingredients.

— NOTE: you can create almost any flavor cake with this recipe by starting with that flavored cake mix, a coordinating pudding flavor, and changing the additional flavorings.
— NOTE:white chocolate flavored pudding will keep the batter more white in color, and vanilla will make it more yellow. Recipe may be doubled.

So that’s my top doctored mix recipes and I use them proudly! I hope you find them helpful. Let me know if you try anyand how you like ’em.Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite doctored mix recipe.

AND…… as a thank you for stopping by my blog, I’ve got a freevideo for you on how to make the WASC, probably the most popular doctored recipe out there:

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

Happy Caking!
Sharon

Doctored Cake Mix Recipes - Sugared Productions Blog (2025)

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