Add popular chocolate candies to your batter. For instance, consider throwing in pieces of Snickers, Baby Ruth, Heath Bar, or other chocolate candies. Drop sugar candies into the batter. Consider dropping gummy worms or peppermint pieces into your batter. If you want something simple, add chocolate or butterscotch chips to your batter. Try to tailor your creation to the season. [1] X Research source
Half of a cup of sour cream to make your vanilla boxed cake richer A couple of tablespoons of peanut butter Pumpkin puree Nuts Coconut flakes or even coconut milk Fruits like strawberries, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, or even pineapple. [2] X Research source
Add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract to your batter. Think about adding some lemon extract to a yellow boxed cake to turn it into a lemon cake. Start with a couple of teaspoons and add more based on your preference. Add between two and three teaspoons of spices for one boxed cake. Some popular spices include: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Adjust your ingredients appropriately. For instance, if you are adding pieces of candy to your boxed cake, you may want to add less spices. Start with a smaller amount of spices, and taste the batter to see if it needs more.
Coloring your batter works best with vanilla cakes. Use food coloring to transform your batter. Think of blue, red, yellow, green, or other colors. Dye your batter based on the holiday. Try dying your batter green for St. Patrick’s Day, red for Valentine’s Day, or even green and red for Christmas. [3] X Research source
Breaking up Oreos and sprinkling them on top of the frosting. Putting whip cream on top of the frosting. Adding blueberries or another type of berry to the top of a boxed cake. [4] X Research source
Adding several tablespoons of cream cheese to the pre-packaged frosting and putting it on top of the cake. Whipping up a chocolate frosting (or applying store-bought pre-prepared chocolate frosting) and topping your boxed vanilla cake with it. Substituting frosting for whip cream and adding strawberries or another fruit to the top of the cake. [5] X Research source
Bake your cake as the box instructs. Slice the cake into two layers. Do this by cutting the cake halfway up. For instance, if the cake is two inches tall, cut it at one inch. Remove the top layer. Add your frosting and toppings to the bottom layer. Place the top layer back on the cake and add frosting to it. [6] X Research source
Substitute milk for water. Switch out low fat milk for cream or whole milk Use coffee instead of water in chocolate cakes. This will add a richer and more complex flavor to your cake. [7] X Research source
Add more eggs. For instance, if the box calls for two eggs, add a third. This will make the cake taste richer. Increase the amount of sugar. Do this carefully, though. Consider adding maybe 10% or 20% more than the box calls for. Pour in more vanilla. More vanilla may add more flavor and enrich your boxed cake. Like with sugar, only add 10% or 20% more. [8] X Research source
Double the ingredients. For instance, if it calls for two eggs, use four. You may need to add extra ingredients like flour, sugar, baking powder, and more. Make sure you adjust all your ingredients proportionately. For example, don’t add more flour unless you add more sugar, eggs, milk, and everything else. [9] X Research source
