Three Ways to Transform Yellow Cake Mix Into Delicious Desserts

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The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of food in America, from the restaurant industry to farming to our food supply to the food security and cooking habits of citizens. Given that, we’ve decided to bring to you a series that explores many different facets of food in America. From a look at the chefs working hard to provide food during the pandemic, to the rich story of Southern food, to a deep dive on what it means to be a “foodie”, we’re looking at food and cooking as it relates to and affects community, comfort, joy, healing and sometimes lack thereof. And we’re topping it all off with some simple and delicious recipe ideas for summer, including cocktails made from kombucha and agua fresca. Because it’s five o’clock somewhere, right?

Bon appétit!

Behold the classic yellow cake mix. Quick, easy, and cheap, the old-school favorite boxed cake mix is a go-to for so many occasions. Maybe you even have a couple of them stashed away in your pantry — I certainly do. Though you can use it to bang out a basic birthday cake, a few simple modifications can elevate the humble yellow cake mix into completely different desserts.

The concept of modifying cake mixes has been around for a while. Dubbed by many as “semi-homemade,” when prepared right, the end results are pleasantly surprising.

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Here are three summer dessert recipes that all use a box of yellow cake mix. Without stepping into the debate about which brand is best to use, all of them contain similar basic ratios of flour to sugar to leavening agent (baking is a science after all). I personally used Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix because it’s inexpensive and reliable.

Ignore the instructions on the back of the box and follow the below recipes. I promise, no one will know they originated from a mix. Happy baking!

Strawberry Shortcake

A quintessential summertime staple made from shortcake, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream. This recipe uses a blending method where you “cut” the butter into the yellow cake mix, then add wet ingredients to create a stiff dough. The dough is folded to create layers and then cut into circles before baking. It’s a method similar to how biscuits are made.

The shortcakes are baked in a cupcake pan to retain shape and will have a sinking center, creating a buttery and flaky cavity to house the strawberries.

Prep time: 20 minutes, bake time: 13-15 minutes, yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh strawberries, diced

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 (15.5 ounce) box yellow cake mix

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes

• ¼ cup milk

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1 cup sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping

• Mint leaves for garnishing (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a cupcake pan generously with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Combine strawberries, sugar and balsamic in a bowl. Mix together with a spatula to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Place the cake mix in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse for about 45 seconds until the mixture resembles a course meal. Add the milk and pulse for another 30 seconds or until a stiff dough has formed. (No food processor? No problem. You can cut the butter into the cake mix by hand. Use two butter knives and literally cut the butter into the flour into tiny pieces until it resembles a course meal. Alternatively, you can use your fingers and press the butter into the flour. Just be sure to move quickly as the butter needs to be cold and the heat from your hands will warm it up.)

4. Dust 1 tablespoon of flour on your work surface. Place the remaining tablespoon in a pile at the top of your work surface to be used as needed. Transfer dough onto the floured surface. Cover your hands in flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Form the dough into an 8-inch square, then fold in half. Gently press the dough down to flatten slightly, and fold in half again. Repeat the folding process, then shape the dough into an 8x4 inch rectangle about ¾-inch thickness.

5. Dip your circle cutter into flour, then cut out dough. Transfer to prepared cupcake pan. Repeat, re-rolling the dough scraps if necessary until you have 12 shortcakes.

6. Bake for 13-15 minutes or edges are golden and the center begins to sink. Remove from oven and let shortcakes cool completely in the pan. Run a butter knife around the edge of the shortcakes to help loosen them before removing from the pan.

7. When ready to serve, spoon strawberries on top of shortcakes then add a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with mint if desired. Shortcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

Cherry Almond Ricotta Cake

This classic Italian cake is truly a treat. Similar to a pound cake in terms of density and moisture, but filled with fluffy and creamy texture thanks to the whole milk ricotta. Cherries, which are in season right now coupled with almond flavor, make this cake irresistible.

This ricotta cake is quick and easy because it uses a yellow cake mix as the base. But the end result is a far cry from the box it originated from. It’s also one of those cakes that taste even better the next day, so you won’t regret eating it for breakfast.

Prep time: 10 minutes, bake time: 50-55 minutes, yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

For the cake

• 3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

• 3 eggs

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup whole milk

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• 1 (15.5 ounce) box yellow cake mix

• 2 cups sweet cherries, pitted (thawed, if using frozen)

For the glaze

• ¼ cup powdered sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoons whole milk

• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan generously with non-stick coking spray.

2. Combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, butter, sugar, milk and almond extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an eclectic mixer on medium speed until combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Fold in the cake mix. Continue folding mixture until combined. Fold in the cherries, then transfer to prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to smooth top of the cake.

3. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If cake starts browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil until finished baking. Let cake cool for about 30 minutes before glazing.

4. Make the glaze: Combine powdered sugar, milk and almond extract in a bowl. Stir until fully combined and a smooth icing has formed. If the glaze seems thick, add more milk by the teaspoon. If the glaze seems thin, add more powdered sugar by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached.

5. Drizzle glaze over cake and enjoy. Store cake overnight in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Stone Fruit Cobbler

Cobbler is a summertime staple in my family. Depending on where you live, you might have a strong preference on the biscuit vs. batter cobbler. For the record, my stance is that both types are excellent. Because the cobbler base in this recipe is made from a box of yellow cake mix, it’s more of a hybrid. Though technically a batter, it’s prepared like a biscuit, just with more liquid, which creates a thick batter.

This recipe uses stone fruit, which are fruits that contain stone-like pits, such as peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots. They all have similar hardy textures, which means they bake really well together. Right now we are in peak stone fruit season and there’s nothing quite like these juicy gems baked together in a cobbler.

Prep time: 20 minutes, bake time: 40-45 minutes, yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

• 6 cups mixed stone fruit, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used 2 peaches, 2 nectarines, 2 plums, 2 apricots)

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and divided

• 1 (15.5 ounce) box yellow cake mix

• 1 egg

• ½ cup milk

Directions

1. Combine the stone fruit, brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix to combine then set aside while preparing the cobbler batter.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Place ¼ cup butter in a 9x13 pan. Transfer to the oven until melted. Remove and set aside.

3. Place the cake mix in a food processor. Cut the remaining butter into ½-inch cubes and transfer to the food processor. Pulse for about 45 seconds until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the egg and milk and pulse for another 30 seconds or until a sticky dough has formed. (If you lack a food processor, see note above about working the butter in manually.)

4. Transfer the batter on top of the melted butter in the 9x13 pan. Use a spatula to spread and cover the whole surface. Dip the spatula in some of the melted butter on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.

5. Pour the stone fruit and all the juices on top of the batter. Spread in an even layer on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cobbler is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling.

6. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. The cobbler is delicious on its own, but it also pairs amazingly well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Cobbler is best if served the day it was made, but can also be stored overnight covered at room temperature.

Adrienne Blumthal is a formally trained pastry chef, recipe developer, and food stylist based in Chicago.

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