DIY: Homemade Yellow Cake Batter Mix
It has probably been five years since I’ve used box cake mixes with any sort of regularity. Back in the day, I would bake one up in a 9×13-inch pan and then proceed to slather a can of chocolate frosting over the top. I think I’ve made some serious kitchen strides since those days, but leave it to all of those popular “cake batter” recipes to keep me tethered to cake mixes. Between cake batter ice cream, fudge, pancakes, and the zillion other recipe variations, not to mention all of the dump cake recipes that I keep seeing, I can’t seem to escape cake mixes. I haven’t made many of those recipes, mostly because I have really made a conscious effort over the last couple of years to eliminate a large majority of overly processed products from my kitchen. Anything that I can make homemade, I do. That includes cake, of course, but what about all of those recipes that call for cake mix, straight from the box? I was left in a quandary, until I happened upon this recipe. Leave it to the people at America’s Test Kitchens to come up with the answer. This quick, homemade mix is the perfect solution!
This mix takes literally minutes to throw together, and you can keep it in a zip-top bag in your freezer for up to 2 months. I am totally thrilled at the idea of never having to skip past a recipe because it calls for cake mix.
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My plan is to use this mixture anytime a recipe calls for dry cake mix. If you’re interested in using the mix to bake a cake, be sure to check out the link in the note below for instructions.
Look out cake batter recipes, here I come!
One year ago: Garden Zucchini Pizza Casserole
DIY: Homemade Yellow Cake Batter Mix
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) cake flour
- ½ cup (64 g) nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, cut in ½-inch cubes and cold
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sugar, both flours, milk powder, baking powder and salt. Process for 15 seconds. Add the pieces of butter and lightly toss with a fork so they are coated with the flour mixture. Sprinkle the vanilla over the top. Pulse until the mixture is fine and crumbly, about 10 one-second pulses. Use immediately or store in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Love, love, LOVE that you’ve posted a recipe for a yellow cake batter ‘box’ mix without all the over processed crap. Here in the UK, box mixes are a little over priced for what they are and I always have the mentality that it’s just as simple to make your own from scratch. Love that you’ve provided a recipe for this. It’s going to make my life so much easier.
Yay! I love yellow cake out of the box but hate the idea of eating cake from a box. You have just solved my dilemma!
Brilliant! This is such a cool idea!
I’ve been on the hunt for a great homemade box mix so that I can make all those recipes I’ve shied away from in the past… I like to do all my baking from scratch. But I have a question: Is the recipe as written equivalent to 1 “box cake mix?” Most of the recipes I’ve seen don’t specify a number of cups of mix needed, rather they just say 1 box. If you could let me know whenever you get a chance. I’d REALLY appreciate it. Thanks so much!
Hi Joy, Yes, this is the equivalent of 1 box of cake mix.
I feel the same way about cake mixes. Haven’t bought one for a while now. But there is a lot of recipes that I want to make and they all use cake mix. THIS is amazing! Nothing better than a homemade! Thanks, Michelle!
Yet another reason you are my hero. I HATE using box mixes and have been looking for a recipe for yellow cake mix. I can use this for cake batter ice cream AND for my gooey butter cake cookies. I can’t wait to try it out! Thank you!!
Great post. Now there’s no need to run out and buy a cake mix if your recipe calls for one – you can just use the ingredients in your pantry.
… hmmmm … so, where are the wet ingredients?
See the link to Mels kitchen cafe.
I love this! What a great thing to have in your freezer! It has been years since I have purchased a cake mix also, but you’re right that there are so many recipes that call for funfetti mix or yellow cake mix and this will be so handy!
Thank you so much!! I’ve seen so many amazing recipes, but then when I read the ingredient list it says “box of cake mix” and I’m immediately put off, this will come in so handy :)
I really like this recipe and I plan to use it real soon with the holidays soon to be coming up. But I have a question which is do you add the other ingredients to it like it says on the cake box. I will admit that I am new at doing my some of my cooking from scratch. I like cooking that way, it makes me feel that it comes from the heart and not the box.
Hi Ruth, I posted this as an alternative to box cake mix when “cake batter” flavored recipes call for a mix. However, if you’d like to use it to make an actual cake, see the instructions here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/06/homemade-yellow-cake-mix.html (I included this link at the end of the post, but you may have missed it.)
What a great idea! I’ll definitely be stocking myself up with this! Thanks!
I love all your homemade versions of packaged ingredients. I once only made cakes with boxed mix, but now I cannot imagine a day that I would even buy it. Like you, this has left me out of the plethora of cake batter recipes. It’s nice to know there’s a homemade alternative that I can use :)
Yay! Another freezer graced with this lovely cake mix! I seriously have been obsessed with this for the last month and wanting to throw it into everything, so watch out! :)
Call me dense; maybe I skimmed the blog too quickly; but why not just make a cake from scratch, unless this is something you want to make ahead of time? It’s a pretty cool idea, but I can’t get the advantage of it . . . if I’m going to use it right away, why not just pull out the favorite “cake from scratch” recipe? I’m not being sassy or nasty, just dense . . . :-)
I also don’t own a food processor–would a good stand mixer work if I did try it?
The purpose of the recipe is not to make straight yellow cakes with the mix. Instead, this is for recipes that use “yellow box cake mix” as an ingredient–like cake mix cookies, cake batter flavored ice cream, dessert bars, etc. Many recipes call for “cake mix” with no clarification of a home-made substitute. So now you can truly use homemade, natural, less processed ingredients for each item in your recipes.
I hope this helps your confusion! =)
Thanks, Virginia! I was out of town for a couple of days, so just catching up. This does make sense to me now. In thinking about it, I was thinking about the “purity” of the cake mix over processed foods.
I appreciate your sharing your thoughts with me!
The purpose of this is that a lot of fun recipes floating around right now call for dry yellow cake mix from the box. You don’t use the whole cake mix in this recipes and you don’t make up the actual cake. It’s used to add the “birthday cake” flavor to other recipes.
You’re right, if you’re going to make it right away, why not pull out a from scratch recipe unless you want to have this ready on hand for emergencies.
This recipe is more for the purpose of adding the cake flavor to other recipes that aren’t for a cake.
Some recipes call for adding a dry cake mix batter – so to get the correct item for the recipe you need to have equal ingredients. I regular cake recipe won’t work because you use liquid igredients. I hope I am saying this correctly
I know this old but wanted to comment as well. I wanted to make a cobbler (family favorite) that is basically a “dump cake”–one that uses canned pie filling topped with one box of yellow cake mix to which extra butter has been added. I enjoy baking from scratch, so I used Michelle’s homemade pie filling and then was trying to re-create a similar topping from scratch. I wish I had found this sooner as it would have been perfect! Instead, I used a topping from another pie recipe, but it didn’t come out quite like boxed cake topping. I plan to make another cobbler soon just so I can try it with this!
This is the best thing ever! I love the idea of having this on-hand and ready to use. I’ll be making this tonight!
I’m so happy you posted this! I haven’t bought a mix in years because of all the additives. This is great to keep on hand!
Ooooh, I love this! What a great idea!
Love this idea!
Thanks for this post! I don’t like using boxed cake mixes either so I usually pass up all recipes calling for it. Now I don’t have to do that anymore.
GREAT post!
This is so awesome! I am totally going to try this!
What what a fantastic idea! I love this!! Great idea, especially when you need an emergency cake and you don’t have time to go to the store to get the boxed stuff!!!
Such a great idea!
This is perfect. Thanks.
This is great! In my place its hard to get a good cake mix,despite the fact that I don’t like to use cake mix,making one myself would be a fun change! This would definitely help to make baking a lot quicker in my home. Thanks!
What can I substitute for the milk powder? I am lactose-intolerant.
Thanks.
Hi Maria, I have heard of soy milk powder and rice milk powder. If you can find them, both would be a good substitute.
Thanks. I’ll try looking for those. Hope it comes out the same.
SO awesome! I was always wondering about trying to make my own for all those cake batter recipes I see floating around out there.
Awesome recreation! I love yellow cake mix. Ironically I just posted a from-scratch cake because I’m trying to use less cake mix – so loving this scratch version of cake mix. Dry milk powder and cake flour – nice!
What an amazing idea! So many fantastic creations come from yellow cake mix. :)