Cake mixes. While we don’t always admit to using them, let’s quit beating around the bush — pre-prepped dry ingredients are a surefire way to whip up a dessert in a pinch. And honestly, there’s no shame in using a cake mix but what cake mix to use is a problem in and of itself. The best cake mix out there is definitely debatable, but before you turn your kitchen into a laboratory, we did the difficult work for you and uncovered which cake mix beats out all other competitors on your local supermarket shelves.
What We Looked For In A Boxed Cake Mix
Now, finding a singular, similar flavor to compare was really the biggest hurdle out there. The closest flavor among the top brands was a classic white vanilla cake mix. So why white cake mix? This flavor is, honestly, the most crucial one out on the shelves because you can add and mix in a whole bunch of other flavors, so having a good solid white cake is our idea of an excellent baseline. We categorized the mixes’ characteristics into four pinnacle categories:
Crumb: Was the cake crumb tender and delicate?
Texture: Texture does have a lot of similar characteristics to crumb quality, but a delicate cake crumb doesn’t correlate 100% with a good overall texture.
Vanilla Intensity: Despite the mixes being white cake mixes, we still are expecting some flavor other than sweet sugar.
Price: The cost of both the mix and the required ingredients need to be factored in. Even if a mix tastes good, does the cost make it unaffordable?
Note: For consistency purposes, all cakes were produced according to package instructions. If there was a whole egg option, that option was used (because who’s gonna keep three egg yolks hanging around in their refrigerator afterward?) and all were baked in greased 8-inch cake pans. The frosting wasn’t tested with the cakes, it was simply used for decorative purposes.
4. European Gourmet Bakery — For The Most Homemade Flavor But At A Cost
Outside of the top three brands, it was certainly hard to find a fourth cake mix to test that was both readily available and fell into the white cake mix category. European Gourmet Bakery has not been around for as long as the other latter-reviewed brands, but they are one of the few companies that use and source organic ingredients. The one caveat of this cake mix is that it is not technically white cake mix, it’s just vanilla cake mix. So yes, it’s not technically white cake, but this mix is the closest alternative made by another company.
Crumb: This cake mix had the thickest crumb that bordered on almost bready. As it baked, the water from the melted butter evaporated, leaving not a lot of moisture.
Texture: The crumb had a dense and heavy weight to it. This stronger crumb isn’t a bad thing; it could be good if you wanted to bake up a special-shaped cake or serve up cupcakes with crumbs that don’t go everywhere.
Vanilla Intensity: Out of all the four cakes, this mix had the strongest, cleanest vanilla taste without an aftertaste. This cake has the appearance and flavor that was the closest to homemade you could get.
Price: 1 box (15.25 oz, 432g) ($9.59), 1 stick butter ($1.48), 2 eggs ($0.84), ¾ whole milk ($0.35) Total of $12.26
3. Duncan Hines — Full of Vanilla But Extra Mushy
By the 1950s there was a fair share of cake mixes in the American market, but the sales had flattened, that is, until food chemist Arlee Andre reworked the Duncan Hines’ cake mix, not going for the powdered eggs like most companies and opting for bakers to add in fresh eggs. Along with some other tweaks, Duncan Hines’ cake mixes were an immediate success, and their popularity in sales saw the company take over a lot of the cake mix market.
Crumb: Like the Betty Crocker cake mix, Duncan Hines’ version had a fine crumb, but it bordered almost on a little mushy and mealy.
Texture: This one is one of the only cake mixes that requires you to use only egg whites (no whole egg alternative in the directions). It makes some of the lighter textures of the cake and has a dried angel food-like feel. However, even with only egg whites, the Duncan Hines cake was moist and surprisingly tender.
Vanilla Intensity: This cake had some of the strongest vanilla flavors, though, after a few bites, it did have a bit of an aftertaste.
Price: 1 box (15.25 oz, 432g) ($2.99), 1 cup water (N/A), 3 egg whites ($1.26, priced like whole eggs because whole eggs were used), ⅓ cup vegetable oil ($0.21) Total of $4.46
2. Betty Crocker — Thickest Layers For Your Buck
Though there were almost 200 different regional companies producing cake mixes in 1940s American retail markets, Betty Crocker was one of the earliest original makers of cake mixes that are still in production. Starting in 1947 with simple flavors like Devil’s food, white, yellow, and spice cake flavors, the cake mix lineup has expanded to almost thirty-plus flavors on the market today.
Crumb: This cake is baked up with the thickest layers and creates the most stunning visual height. The crumb is very fine, almost having a melting sugar cookie quality to it. It does not have a sturdier crumb from complex cake designs or plans.
Texture: Betty Crocker’s cake baked up on the drier side, adding frosting to the cake certainly will help the cake go down with more ease.
Vanilla Intensity: This cake mix had a pretty neutral flavor, with no particular strong notes of vanilla at the beginning or end of each bite. But since the cake was so neutral, it was perfect for add-in ingredients or using other extracts.
Price: 1 box (16.25 oz, 460g) ($2.09), 1 cup water (N/A), 3 eggs ($1.26), ½ cup oil ($0.32) Total of $3.67
1. Pillsbury — The Best Flavor And Texture
Besides Duff Cake Mixes, Pillsbury was one of the first big brands to release cake mixes onto the retail market. Their first hit, chocolate cake mix, was a success, but does their modern-day white cake hit the same high notes?
Crumb: Pillsbury cake mix had the goldilocks of crumbs, not too fine, not too heavy, hitting the perfect sweet spot perfect for a tender cake.
Texture: Again, this cake mix was moist with a little bit of springiness
Vanilla Intensity: The vanilla was prominent and fragrant, outshining the other two leading national brands.
Price: 1 box (15.25 oz, 432g) ($1.99), 1 cup water (N/A), 3 eggs ($1.26), ½ cup oil ($0.32) Total of $3.57
Crumb: Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, European Gourmet Bakery
Texture: Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, European Gourmet Bakery
Vanilla Intensity: European Gourmet Bakery, Pillsbury, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker
Price (Cheapest to Most Expensive): Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, European Gourmet Bakery