This delicious cake recipe comes to me via my sister, who took a cake decorating class back in college. The talented woman teaching ran a successful wedding cake business and this was her go-to cake recipe. Though it includes a boxed cake mix, you’ll actually also add more bulk and flavor with additional flour, sugar, salt and extracts. This creates a tender, yet sturdy cake that feels home made, but still has a little bit of that classic box flavor that people know and love. The texture is much denser than a standard box mix- in a good way. It holds up well to decorating and is incredibly moist! This recipe makes two 8″ round layers (or 36 cupcakes.) While the basic recipe is for white cake, this recipe will work for any flavor with a few minor adjustments.
Ingredient Notes
- One boxed cake mix – While any brand will do, Duncan Hines Super Moist was preferred in the original recipe and it’s still my go-to. I’ve tried it with other brands and it hasn’t been as good. I’m using a white funfetti mix in these photos!
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Egg whites – This recipe calls for egg whites to keep the cake white. If you don’t care about the color, or you’re making a different flavor, use two whole eggs instead. (I used whole eggs in these photos and it’s usually what I do!)
- Water
- Vegetable Oil
- Sour cream – Use full fat sour cream for best results.
- Vanilla extract – If you are making a true white cake, consider getting clear vanilla from a cake supply store. If you don’t mind the color, regular vanilla works great.
- Almond extract – Almond extract elevates the flavor of white cake. It is also great in chocolate. If experimenting with other flavors, feel free to replace the almond with something else or leave it out completely.
How to Make Easy White Cake
- The prep is about as easy as it comes. With a standard from-scratch cake it’s important to do things like alternate wet and dry ingredients, but not with our half-home-made cake. Just whisk all of the dry ingredients together (I just use the whisk attachment on my Kitchenaid and give it a whirl) and then add in all of the wet stuff. Beat it all up and you’re set!
- If making cupcakes, fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and then pop them in the oven. For cake, grease and flour two 8″ (9 inch cake pans will work as well but your layers will be slightly thinner than my photos here) and divide batter evenly between them (a food scale is helpful here).
- Bake the cake, cool, and decorate!
One thing I really like is that you get really uniform raised tops on them. Perfectly smooth and round. Try our favorite White Vanilla Frosting or this amazing Chocolate one.
Flavor Options
- Chocolate – Use a chocolate cake mix and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to your dry ingredients. Feel free to use two whole eggs instead of two egg whites. Chocolate is still super yummy with almond extract, but you can always swap it out with flavoring oils such as peppermint or orange.
- Spice Cake – Use a spice cake mix. Use two whole eggs and omit almond extract. You can sprinkle in some extra cinnamon, cloves, or other spices if desired, but it’s delicious even without adding extra. A little orange flavoring oil works great here as well!
- Lemon Cake – You know the drill: use a lemon cake mix and two whole eggs. Add some additional lemon flavoring oil if desired. This one is super yummy with blueberry filling and lemon frosting!
Frequently Asked Questions
My round cakes always get stuck in the pan. How do I prevent this?
Spray your pan with nonstick spray (or use butter or shortening) then cut a circle of parchment to cover the bottom. Grease the top of the parchment as well. Bake your cakes and then run a knife around the outside edge. Your cake should pop out beautifully and you can then peel the parchment paper off the bottom.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely! This cake works great made a day ahead of time, or you can easily freeze the layers.
Storing and Other Tips
- One great thing about this cake is that you have options after it’s baked. My sister wraps the cakes (removed from pans) in plastic wrap as soon as they are cool enough to handle in order to hold in that moisture. Once completely cooled, she pops them in the freezer overnight for easy decorating the next day (or later in the week).
- No need to freeze your cupcakes unless you made them several days early. If you aren’t ready to frost yet, simply cover and store on the counter.
- If you’d rather, go ahead and frost cakes or cupcakes as soon as they are completely cool. Cover and store on counter or refrigerator (depending on what type of frosting you use) until ready to serve.
Easy White Cake
No one will ever guess this impressive cake starts with a cake mix! A few additional ingredients and bulk and flavor, resulting in a sturdy yet tender cake perfect for decorating.
Servings Slices
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix I recommend Duncan Hines Super Moist
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 130g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ¾ tsp salt
- 4 egg whites Egg whites keep the cake white. If you don't care, or you are making a different flavor, feel free to replace with 2 whole eggs.
- 1 ⅓ cups water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup full fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract use clear vanilla if you want a pure white cake
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉ Prepare two 8" round cake pans by spraying with non-stick spray. Then cut a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom. Place parchment in bottom to stick to the nonstick spray and then spray again to coat the top of the parchment.
- To make cake, mix all dry ingredients with a whisk, then add wet ingredients. Beat for two minutes until fluffy.
- Pour into prepared cake pans. I've found the recommended baking time on the box to be a good starting point. Use that as a guide but keep and eye on your cakes, they will most likely take a little longer than the recommended time as all cake mix brands are different. Remove them when a skewer through the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10-15 minutes on wire rack. While cakes are still slightly warm, carefully remove from pans. I like to take a few paper towels to cover the pans and invert. TIP: Once cakes are out of the pans, lay two sheets of plastic wrap (in a “+” sign) and place a cake in the center and wrap up sides. Repeat with other cake. Allow to cool all wrapped up (it keeps the moisture from evaporating out). Once cooled completely you can also pop in the freezer on a cutting board to keep them flat. Once they are frozen, they are super easy to frost and defrost in about a half an hour.
- For cupcakes: fill paper liners 3/4 full and bake according to box directions.
Notes
- Chocolate – Use a chocolate cake mix and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to your dry ingredients. Feel free to use two whole eggs instead of two egg whites. Chocolate is still super yummy with almond extract, but you can always swap it out with flavoring oils such as peppermint or orange.
- Spice Cake – Use a spice cake mix. Use two whole eggs and omit almond extract. You can sprinkle in some extra cinnamon, cloves, or other spices if desired, but it’s delicious even without adding extra. A little orange flavoring oil works great here as well!
- Lemon Cake – You know the drill: use a lemon cake mix and two whole eggs. Add some additional lemon flavoring oil if desired. This one is super yummy with blueberry filling and lemon frosting!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 109kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 156mg, Potassium: 26mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 40IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Calories: 109kcal
Cost: $12
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Questions & Reviews
I know I'm late in the line-up of comments, but I wanted to tell you that I made this cake and it was really, really marvelous. It was so light and fluffy. I made it in 2 8-in. pans and put one layer in the freezer. I thawed it about two weeks later and it was still light, fluffy and delicious. I did change a couple of things–I used cake flour instead of all purpose because I had it and needed to use it up and I left out the almond flavoring because I didn't have any. I know it would have been just as good exactly as written.
I'll keep watching your blog to see if you come up with a chocolate version. Thanks for the recipe.
Future Mrs. Heim–I'm so glad they were yummy! I'd definitely freeze them until you need them.
Hope that helps! 🙂
YUM!! I just made these – they are delicious! The vanilla and almond extracts really make the flavor. I am using them to make your Tres Leches cupcakes…but I don't need them until Friday. I want to store the plain cupcakes and add the "tres leches" on Thursday night. Is it best to freeze them for a few days, or store them in a container on the counter at room temp?
Thanks for this great recipe. I made this over the weekend for birthday and the cake turned out great! Nice & moist and without that "out of the box" flavor.
Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Krista- unless you have time to test it out first, I definitely wouldn't try a new recipe for a paying client. But that's just me!
Wow, you got that up fast 🙂
A note on flavors: ANY flavor cake mix turns out great with this. The almond is a must, even if it seems weird (like in carrot cake). The great thing is that even with the chocolate mix, you don't need to add any extra chocolate flavor.
This is my favorite way to start a cake and I don't consider it a doctored cake mix… I just consider the cake mix one of the ingredients 😀
Alexis- I use a standard cookie scoop (ya know, the kind with the spring-loaded handle) to make it both clean and even. Works like a charm!
Looks dee-licious. I have a question, how do you get your cupcake batter plopped in without making a ginormous mess?
My daughter puts her cakes in the freezer too.. I think she will like your recipe. deb
Oh those are lovely. I'll have to give them a try soon. Thanks for sharing!