5 Easy Recipes with Cake Mix and Canned Pumpkin - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

How to hack a Betty Crocker cake mix? ›

Boxed cake mixes can take on a lot of extra flavor and a little more liquid, so don't be afraid to add a splash of vanilla or almond extract to a white cake or a little coffee extract to a chocolate cake. Fresh lemon or orange zest is wonderful in a lemon cake and also divine in a yellow or white cake.

Substitute Pumpkin for Eggs, Oil or Butter | LIBBY'S®

Add one to two teaspoons of a pure extract to make it taste like a from-scratch cake. Pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract are great options, but you could also try lemon extract or orange extract paired with fresh citrus zest.

Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. Step 4: Instead of water, use whole milk.

More Fat, More Flavor

Most box cake recipes call for vegetable or canola oil. The only trouble is, these oils have almost no flavor. Replace the oil with an equal amount of melted butter (and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter), to boost richness. For an extra decadent cake, add two tablespoons of mayonnaise.

Add Some Extra Flavor

Add a little rum, almond, or orange extract as well. If you're making a white or yellow cake, add a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or lime zest, or a bit of juice. And don't forget about all of those ingredients in your pantry that you would use in cookies, brownies, or other cakes.

Aside from giving your baked goods a seasonal touch, pumpkin puree is excellent for replacing eggs. Use 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree for each egg, says Traci Weintraub, chef and founder of Gracefully Fed, a restaurant in Los Angeles.

Can I substitute pumpkin for oil in cake mix? ›

Although canned pumpkin is a good substitute for oil and eggs, it can negatively impact the final product. So, you may need to experiment with proportions until you achieve a satisfying taste and texture.

Pumpkin Puree

For each egg, a recipe calls for, add in one quarter cup of pumpkin puree. For replacing oil add in a one-to-one ratio, so if a recipe calls for one half cup of oil, one half cup of pumpkin can be added instead.

Put some pudding in the mix: Add a small box of pudding mix in with the cake mix. (Don't make the pudding.) The mix adds additional flavor, moistness, and a denser texture.

Use milk instead of water

Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.

Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.

Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.