“Cake baking has to be, however innocently, one of the great culinary scams: it implies effort, it implies domestic prowess; but believe me, it’s easy.”

                                                                        -Nigella Lawson

[Check out my very first cakes below! Just start from somewhere!]

As a new baker, trying to become a professional is about building skills and experimenting with different types of cakes and desserts. One of the first kinds of cakes I made was a BOX MIX cake! Yes, a bit of a short cut some may think, but they can taste natural and homemade by doing things a bit differently from what the box suggests. Besides, they are easy to make, seeing as most of the dry ingredients you want to use have been included in the package. It also took the pressure off my shoulder about making the most perfect cake from scratch so early on in my journey.

I have experimented with several flavors of box cakes and for the most part, they require the same additional ingredients. There were so many fails and successes that finally led me to what I consider my best result and taste for any of these cake flavors (adjust as necessary), and I hope these tips and tricks could do the same for you! I even recommend heading over to the University of Youtube and see how other people changed their cake mixes, too.

You do not have to be an aspiring Professional baker to use these tips and recipes. They come in handy when you need a quick fix for birthday parties, date nights, anniversaries and more. It is also encouraged that you experiment with your flavors and designs when making box cakes. Trust me, people will never be able to tell the difference! You also get to have more time and creative license with decorations and fillings, with easy made cakes.

Recipe Changes:

1. So, one of the hugest changes I made was replacing the quantity of water required with the equivalent amount of milk. I have tried this with half the amount being water and the other half being milk, but I thought the cake came out better when I used all milk.

2. *This change is only for boxes with an oil ingredient* I did not put a lot of oil in the cake I made. Instead, I left the equivalent or so amount of butter on the counter until it became a squishy, room-temperature texture. Some people even melt their butter completely, but I don’t prefer it being so ‘liquidy’, as you may see why in the next change.

3. I add an extra egg to my batter. Every time. No matter the original amount of eggs instructed. I add another. I am not sure why this is better to me…maybe I just love cracking eggs lol.

4. Be creative! You’re probably thinking “well obviously…” lol but this change made all the difference for me. There is no pressure to follow the rules on the box of the cake! So if you want to add almond extract instead of vanilla extract, do it! You want to add sour cream or cream cheese, do that! Literally do whatever you want. The worst that can happen is that your cake does not taste as you imagined. You get to learn from your experimentation and choose different ingredients for your batter the next time around. You may even stop using box mixes altogether and make your own from scratch based on lessons learned from making the box cakes. WHO KNOWS!

~Stay Sweet, Royals

Remember to comment down below about how you implemented these changes and connect with the Fam! We all need motivation from one another! Love you Sweetly, Royals!

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Remember to follow me on Instagram! Check out my Pinterest account for some inspiration and motivation! Feel free to add your favorite uplifting music to our collaborative Spotify playlist!

35 He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver— those who do every work and those who design artistic works.

~Exodus 35:35 NKJV

#StaySweetRoyals #BakethatCake #CreativityInChrist