Don’t Forget to Season the Cake Mix
I love messing around with box mixes. A dollop of whipped cream gives cake mixes rich moisture and height, and brownies instantly improve when you swap water for coffee and plain vegetable oil for something more interesting (like olive or pistachio). If you want to improve the texture (somewhat stretchy), all you have to do is omit the egg and add more butter . These are all great tricks, but perhaps the easiest thing you can do to improve your box mix is to season it.
I’m not talking about salt and pepper, although a pinch of salt is never a bad idea, I’m talking about extracts, spices and a couple of specialized powders, each of which will give your pie, quick bread, muffin or brownie a little more appeal. Not only are you adding more flavor, you’re also hiding more of the synthetic tasting notes that often come with boxed blends.
Add extracts to enhance (or change) the flavor profile.
A packaged vanilla cake is never vanilla enough, but that can be easily remedied with an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract. Of course, the taste of the cake does not have to be vanilla; you can just as easily add the extract to yellow cake mix, white cake mix, or even strawberry cake mix (strawberry and vanilla go great together).
If you want people to ask for “the recipe”, consider replacing or supplementing the vanilla extract with almonds . Just half a teaspoon will give your cake a sophisticated, more flavorful flavor that will scream “bakery” rather than “box.” Once you’re done experimenting with them, try moving on to less common passages. I’ve never had a root beer flavored vanilla cake, but I wouldn’t get mad at it.
Add spices (yeah)
No wonder they are called “spice for baking.” A pinch of cinnamon, a grater of fresh nutmeg, a small spoonful of cardamom can add a warm and interesting flavor to coffee cakes, muffins, or even a classic chocolate cake. If you’re adventurous, you can even add a pinch of cayenne pepper to spice it up.
Make an impression with powders
Two of my favorite secret weapons in baking are espresso powder and malted milk powder. A pinch of a can of instant espresso makes chocolate cakes and brownies taste more chocolatey, while malted milk powder acts as monosodium glutamate for desserts, adding a toasty, toasty, toffee and somewhat savory taste to sweets and treats. Add small spoonfuls of malt powder to taste to the batter, then continue the recipe as usual.
Get spicy
As with savory dishes, most sweets are enhanced by the addition of lemon, although here I prefer the zest over the juice. Fragrant, heady, almost floral lemon oil gives the blend a bright, fresh taste; try adding the zest of a whole lemon to your white cake mix and be prepared to be overwhelmed (or at least slightly impressed).