If you’re looking for creative ways to take a simple box of yellow cake mix and turn it into a delicious cake that’s anything but simple, this is the post for you! Keep reading, because I’m going to share some of my favorite Doctored Yellow Cake Mix recipes.
Can I Doctor a Box of Yellow Cake Mix?
If you’ve been following this blog for any time at all, you’ve probably already figured out that I’m all about doctored cake mix recipes.
I’ve spent the past couple years focused primarily on white cake mixes, but more and more I find myself turning to a simple box of yellow cake mix.
And let’s face it. A lot of the recipes you’ll find in my 20 Amazing Recipes that Start with a White Cake Mix post you’ll discover a plethora of recipes that would work just fine with a yellow cake. In so many cases you can use a yellow cake mix in place of white.
That’s not always true, of course. If you’re doing, say, a zebra striped cake, you’ll want to start with white, to get true colors when you add coloring gels.
You can Change the Flavor of a Yellow Cake
It’s so simple, y’all. Here are some of the most popular additions you might choose:
Chocolate: You can turn a yellow (or white) cake into a chocolate cake by adding 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder. You will have to add an additional egg (or a bit more milk or water) to the mix to make up for the additional dry ingredients. Another way I love to enhance my chocolate cakes is with coffee. You could use a cup of coffee in place of water or milk.
Lemon: It’s so easy to convert a yellow cake into a lemon cake. Just add the zest and juice of two lemons to the recipe, (replacing some of the water with the lemon juice). You might also choose to add a cup of lemonade (or even frozen lemonade concentrate).
Strawberry Cake: Add a package of strawberry jello or strawberry pudding mix. You can also add fresh or dehydrated strawberries to the mix. Another option is strawberry milk. Yum.
Spice Cake: Any yellow cake can become a spice cake by adding cinnamon and other spices (like apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice). Just make sure you spice combination includes cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and clove.
Carrot Cake: Start with a box of yellow cake mix, but add orange juice in place of water, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, grated carrots, and nuts (if you choose).
Butter Pecan or Brown Butter: Add browned butter to your yellow cake mix to give it a rich depth of flavor you won’t get from regular butter. Throw in some pecans for a true butter pecan cake flavor.
Tropical: You’ll find many tropical cakes listed below. Using a yellow cake as a base for a pineapple upside down cake or a coconut lime cake just makes sense!
Other Ways to Jazz up a Box of Cake Mix
Fruit, nuts, and other sweet treats can further jazz up a box of cake mix. I love these additions so much that I dedicated a whole post to them.
Any or all of those suggestions will work just as well with a yellow cake as a white one.
Doctored Yellow Cake Mix Recipes
You can make so many amazing cakes using a simple box of yellow cake mix!
Luscious Brown Butter Walnut Cake with Maple Glaze
One of my all-time favorites, this brown butter walnut cake takes a simple box of cake mix and elevates with browned butter and lots of walnuts.
Simple Coconut Pecan Pound Cake
Loaded with flavor (and crunch) this pound cake starts with a box of cake mix. . .and a can of frosting baked in!
Best Italian Cream Cake (doctored cake mix)
I hate to brag, but this is truly my favorite Italian Cream Cake. . .ever! You can use a yellow or white cake mix, or even one of each!
Caramel Butterscotch Pound Cake
This caramel butterscotch pound cake is absolutely delicious and comes together quickly, thanks to the addition of a yellow cake mix.
Easy Peach Cake with Caramel Glaze
Peach cake with caramel glaze? Yes, please! And it's super easy, when you use a box of yellow cake mix.
Mama’s Traditional Mandarin Orange Cake
This is one of my favorite cakes that Mama used to make and it's so simple! No one will know you used a cake mix!
Easy Caramel Banana Cake
This is a rich, decadent cake, loaded with homemade caramel. Best of all, you can make it with a box of yellow cake mix.
Cranberry Hummingbird Cake
Those of us in the south are very familiar with a traditional hummingbird cake. This one takes that recipe and adds a twist: cranberries!
Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake (Doctored Cake Mix)
You can turn a yellow cake into a spice cake with just a few simple tweaks! Learn more in this recipe, which starts with a box of cake mix.
Simple Tres Leches Cake (Doctored Cake Mix)
Tres Leches starts with a simple box of cake mix but add three milks (hence the name) for a rich, delicious cake you're going to love!
Easy Pineapple Coconut Cake (with Lime)
Whether you use white or yellow cake, this pineapple coconut cake with lime is going to blow your family and friends away!
Easy Hawaiian Pound Cake (with Canned Frosting in the Mix)
With a few tropical additions, you can turn a simple box of yellow cake mix into an amazing Hawaiian pound cake, sure to please those you love.
Easy Bundt Cake Pumpkins (with Hershey's Kisses)
You can add pumpkin pie spice to a yellow cake mix to create the cutest little pumpkins!
Best Cookie Butter Cupcakes (doctored cake mix)
If you love the flavor of biscoff cookies (those adorable little cookies you get on an airplane for a snack) you'll love this simple recipe!
Sweet Potato Pie Dump Cake
If you love the rich, warm flavors of fall but don’t have much time to whip up a cake from scratch this is the recipe for you! This delicious dump cake has the flavors of a sweet potato pie and it’s so easy to make!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake from a Box Mix
This is a classic, the original upside-down cake, and it starts with a box of cake mix. (Yum!)
Easy Mango Pineapple Cake with Coconut
If you love tropical flavors, this is the cake for you. It incorporates three favorites: mango, pineapple, and coconut. Best of all, it starts with a box of cake mix!
Easy Carrot Bundt Cake with Frosting in the Mix
You can use a box of yellow cake mix in place of carrot cake. Just add some pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, orange juice (in place of water) and some finely grated carrots. Delicious!
Apple Snickerdoodle Dump Cake
Y'all, this a supremely delicious dump cake that calls for apples and yellow cake mix. Divine!
Easy Banana Dump Cake
I came up with this recipe on my own and it's a real winner! Bananas, caramel, and cake? Yes, please!
Other Ways to Use a Box of Yellow Cake Mix
You don’t have to stop with traditional cakes, y’all! You can use a box of yellow cake mix to make all sorts of things, like lemon coconut bars, scones, kolaches, tea cakes, muffins, cupcakes, and much, much more.
Oh, and if you’re wondering how many boxes of cake mix to use for your project, I have a full post dedicated to that, too!
Hopefully by now you’ve figured out that a box of cake mix is the key to many, many delicious desserts. And I’m so excited to discover even more recipes as this blog continues to grow.
That’s it for this post, friends!
Thanks for stopping by! If you make any of these recipes and enjoy them, don’t forget to leave a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!
About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.