It Will Make Your Boxed Cake Taste Better Every Time.
This gimmick, like many kitchen origin stories, came about out of necessity. My friend and I were making a Funfetti cake for a birthday and realized we only had two eggs instead of the required three. There is no time to run to the store, and the gall will give you a glass of wine, we figured out what the worst thing can happen? We omitted the egg, and with the addition of my friend’s clumsy measurement of butter, we baked a sponge cake. And the most tender, finely crumbled Funfetti cake the world has ever known went out of shape that day.
The box cake has many shades due to the artificial taste, but if you like the taste the way it is – a startling blend of overwhelming saccharin flavors topped with a splash of vanilla imitation – then you might want to turn your attention to something that really needs improvement: rubber texture. Luckily, this trick is incredibly simple and doesn’t require any suspicious applesauce tricks. The instructions on the back of the box usually include additional ingredients such as eggs, water, and oil. (I’m talking to those of us who buy Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and the like; if you’re using some kind of organic, gluten-free, gluten-free boxed mix, I can’t promise the same success.) Simply. Subtract one whole egg, add another ¼ cup of butter and continue mixing using the mixing method and baking time as indicated on the back of the box.
By omitting one of the eggs, you are depriving some of the binding power that the proteins in the egg contribute – if there are too many of them, the resulting cake can become tough and rubbery. Instead of your fork sliding over it like a cake made from scratch, the cake fights against your utensil, bouncing back and revealing its tough texture. But by removing one, you remove just enough of the elastic protein to make the cake tender and tender. The texture melts more in the mouth than chewing on the brisket. And that’s no mistake: boxed cakes are designed to be easily prepared by an amateur baker—someone who can overbake a cake, misprep a cake, lift it, layer it, and freeze it while it’s still hot—and still don’t fall apart. The egg content helps make the cake firmer.
Adding an extra ¼ cup of oil does two things. It replaces the missing amount of dough due to the missed egg and returns the wealth lost due to the missed yolk, plus an extra dab for good luck. The result is a nicely moist cake that holds together easily, cuts easily with a fork, and doesn’t feel dry on the tongue at all. You can even do without frosting altogether.
Even though I don’t make boxed cakes very often, I will do this every time to get a more homey texture. The results were too good to be ignored. However, I have experience with delicate cakes. Note that more gentle means harder to handle. If you plan to layer the cake on top of each other or cover it with sticky or hard frosting, remember to chill the cake layers thoroughly first. Even better, when the layers are removed from the mold and placed on a cooling rack, place the cooling rack in the refrigerator or freezer for an hour. They will be very hard and there will be much less risk of breakage. I’m a big fan of buns if you’re short on time. They are beautiful, unpretentious and look quite elegant if they are simply sprinkled with powdered sugar.