What do you add to cake mixes to make them better?

[pooh2001]

I try to make cake mixes more healthier

I add 4 apples cut up into small pieces
1/2 a cup of plain granola
2 old smashed up bananas
cinnamon, clove & ginger
and 1/2 a cup of milk chocolate chips to add some cheating
1/2 tsp baking soda to keep the cake rising

I add 10 more minutes to bake

What do you do ?

 

[scrhsa]

I had a chuckle at this. My dd refuses to let my buy ANY kind of mix. She has decided that there will be nothing but home baked goods from now on. And she usually uses my MIL's Better Homes and Garden cook book from the 50's.

Personally, I like to use my cake mixes as cookies. And I don't make them healthy Just add all kinds of different stuff to make them taste yummy I love the pistachio ones!!!

 

[Meriweather]

no cake mixes here.

 

[Gigi22]

Well, back in the day I used to use Peg Bracken’s Soccitumi (spelling?) Cake recipe. You added sour cream, melted butter and vanilla pudding mix to a vanilla cake mix, I think. Haven’t purchased a cake mix for over 10 years now, as I find there’s a chemical taste to mixes.

 

[barkley]

we don't do much in the way of cake mixes either but we have added peanut butter chips to brownie mix to a good result, and dd's 'chocolate turtle cookies'(crazy good-gone in a minute at potlucks) are papa murphy's cookie dough (never bought-always with one of the freebie coupons) with some chopped pecans mixed in, then as they cool drizzle with toriani caramel sauce and lightly sprinkle with salt.

 

[barkley]

Well, back in the day I used to use Peg Bracken’s Soccitumi (spelling?) Cake recipe. You added sour cream, melted butter and vanilla pudding mix to a vanilla cake mix, I think. Haven’t purchased a cake mix for over 10 years now, as I find there’s a chemical taste to mixes.

OMG-i just recently found an old copy of her 'i hate to cook book' and reread it. some good tips and some really good laughs in it.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I usually only use cake mixes if I'm in a pinch (a real cake isn't much more work and just tastes so much better). But, fo example, if I'm making a chocolate cake, I like to melt down some decent chocolate and add it to it.

 

[poohfriend77]

I don't know that these actually qualify as "healthy," but I make muffins with boxed cake mix.

DD was buying pre-packaged chocolate muffins at lunch. They are 360 cal with 6g protein, and cost $1.25 each. I started experimenting with a healthier version, with my main goal to bump up the protein. I mix a devil's food cake mix with 1c plain greek yogurt, 3 eggs, 1c milk (2%), and about 1/4c. ground flax seed. I top with a couple dark chocolate chips. It takes me less than 5 minutes to mix and makes 12 large muffins for about $2.50 total.

I did the math, and they are about 180 calories each with just over 6 grams of protein and a bit more calcium. She's a picky teenage athlete with a carb-heavy diet, so I'll take any chance to get a little more protein in her, especially when she has practice or games right after school. Semi-healthy that she eats is always better than super-healthy that ends up in the garbage.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I don't know that these actually qualify as "healthy," but I make muffins with boxed cake mix.

DD was buying pre-packaged chocolate muffins at lunch. They are 360 cal with 6g protein, and cost $1.25 each. I started experimenting with a healthier version, with my main goal to bump up the protein. I mix a devil's food cake mix with 1c plain greek yogurt, 3 eggs, 1c milk (2%), and about 1/4c. ground flax seed. I top with a couple dark chocolate chips. It takes me less than 5 minutes to mix and makes 12 large muffins for about $2.50 total.

I did the math, and they are about 180 calories each with just over 6 grams of protein and a bit more calcium. She's a picky teenage athlete with a carb-heavy diet, so I'll take any chance to get a little more protein in her, especially when she has practice or games right after school. Semi-healthy that she eats is always better than super-healthy that ends up in the garbage.

I don't know if this would work for you, but you know what my kids LOVE to snack on?

These:

https://www.blessthismessplease.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-energy-bites/

Only I don't use the Chia seeds and I use sweetened coconut.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Amaretto (answering the title only, not the actual OP)

 

[Tigerlulu]

1tbsp each vanilla extract, almond extract and butter extract.

Unless it’s chocolate cake and then I add Hershey syrup.

 

[Buttercup teacup]

Nothing. Funfetti is perfection.

 

[LAB81018]

Eggs, water and oil.

Otherwise, you’ve just got a box of flavored cake flour.

Once I remember the healthy part, I add heat. Because, raw eggs.

 

[MonorailNate]

I don’t use cake mixes. You can make it from scratch in just a few minutes so why eat chemicals and artificial flavors and ingredients? It’s really simple to make a scratch cake and will be healthie simply because it has real ingredients.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I don't know if this would work for you, but you know what my kids LOVE to snack on?

These:

https://www.blessthismessplease.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-energy-bites/

Only I don't use the Chia seeds and I use sweetened coconut.

Oh that sounds so good!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I try to make cake mixes more healthier

I add 4 apples cut up into small pieces
1/2 a cup of plain granola
2 old smashed up bananas
cinnamon, clove & ginger
and 1/2 a cup of milk chocolate chips to add some cheating
1/2 tsp baking soda to keep the cake rising

I add 10 more minutes to bake

What do you do ?

When I first read your title, I thought you were looking for something I'd seen on Pinterest to make a mix taste like a bakery cake! (It's the opposite of healthier, though - more butter and eggs, I think.)

Your idea looks good, though, and I may try it.

The other thing I've been experimenting with lately is adding almond flour to things. - I want to boost the protein, and I can't just put chopped nuts in, because they get caught in DS's braces.

 

[Domo]

A dash of vanilla ftw!

 

[Cubbiecakes]

No boxed mixes... I bake everything from scratch. Box mixes are for the lazy and they taste terrible.

 

[DLgal]

I try to make cake mixes more healthier

I add 4 apples cut up into small pieces
1/2 a cup of plain granola
2 old smashed up bananas
cinnamon, clove & ginger
and 1/2 a cup of milk chocolate chips to add some cheating
1/2 tsp baking soda to keep the cake rising

I add 10 more minutes to bake

What do you do ?

So you add 1,075 calories and somewhere on the order of 90 grams of fat to make the cake HEALTHIER????

 

[disykat]

Why are there so many people clicking on a thread about using cake mixes to say they don't use cake mixes? Weird.

Anyway, I have used applesauce, pumpkin, yogurt, or whatever sometimes in place of some of the oil, water, and eggs. I also like to add almond extract. I actually prefer cake mixes to homemade cake, especially for "plain" cake like white, yellow, or chocolate. I feel the same way about brownie mix.