I Tried the Eggless Packaged Cake Mix and It Was Amazing.
There was a time not too long ago when I completely abused my right to use boxed mixes. I made a tiny cake with cake mix , a peach pie , a very convincing black and white cookie , and a very fluffy box cake with too much butter and not enough eggs . I learned a lot by tinkering with boxed mixes (for science, of course). With the recent rise in egg prices and the steady number of birthday celebrations as always, I began to wonder if there was a way for people to bake boxed cakes without using up all their precious eggs. Then I remembered that, of course, there are – you can skip them altogether.
When I was trying to use boxed cake mix to make thick, soft black and white cookies, I made this important discovery: Every boxed cake mix wants to be cake. I used Duncan Hines yellow cake mix and tried everything to change the batter. I took out the oil. I only added an egg. I only added a few tablespoons of water. All my attempts bubbled, spread and turned into a full-fledged cake. I ended up using a muffin mix to get the black and white cookie consistency just right.
When you think about it, this basic understanding (that cake mix will always become a cake) is how we know cake works. For those unfamiliar with this casually named dessert, you simply pour fruit (canned or otherwise) into a baking dish and sprinkle dry cake mix on top. Even the scant liquid from the simmering fruit is enough to moisten the dry cake mix and activate it. Boxed cake mixes, such as those from Duncan Hines, Pillsbury or Betty Crocker, are designed to be virtually foolproof. You just need to add liquid – egg or not – and it’s a cake.
Don’t get me wrong, in a side-by-side comparison (see below) you’ll notice a difference in layering and color, but the flavor is consistently good. It’s really difficult to spoil them to the point where they become tasteless. I tried for years and couldn’t ruin the taste. Changing the proportions, especially the butter, can actually give you the cake texture you prefer (more on this later).
Two, one or zero eggs make a cake.
I wanted to see how far I could push the cake mix, so I did the Funfetti test. The dough, prepared according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, requires a glass of water, half a glass of oil and three eggs. I did several iterations. One test with one egg and double the amount of butter, one test without eggs and double the butter, and one with the required amount of butter but no eggs.
Although the mixture, when properly prepared according to package directions, had a more puffy top than other egg-reduced versions, absolutely all of them turned into fluffy, soft and delicious cakes. I think I liked the one egg and double press best because one egg was enough as an emulsifier to hold in the excess fat. It wasn’t heavy, but it was decadent and moist.
But I digress: the real win here is that the completely eggless cake turned out fantastic. It wasn’t domed, which is actually preferable if you’re layering a cake with frosting, the texture was loose and moist, and the flavor was as interesting as it gets. By the way, there was no need to replace the egg with anything. No extra water. No banana. Simply mix the specified amount of water and oil into the dry mixture. Pour it into the molds and smooth the tops. Keep in mind that you can do whatever you want in between, too. Add one egg. You may have two egg whites left. Got a yolk lost in your refrigerator? Add this instead of the recommended three whole eggs.
Not all boxed mixes are so forgiving
While boxed cake mixes are fine without eggs, not all boxed cake mixes are as forgiving. I tried not to add an egg to the boxed Ghirardelli Walnut Brownie Mix and oh my. It was absolutely disgusting. To be honest, I was surprised; I thought that since the recipe only called for one egg, what harm would omitting it do? Many. I made six brownie pieces: three from the eggless mix and three from the batter made according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You have three guesses as to which is which.
After all, eggs are an emulsifier, and it seems like the brownie mix really needs the help of that one egg to integrate the fats and produce a moist, non-greasy end product. Brownie mix is ​​not where you want to skip the eggs. Make it with a boxed cake mix instead.