Bisquick Berry Cake

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a quick and easy cake, one made with the ingredients you already have on hand. This is that recipe. Instead of starting with a box of cake mix, this one uses Bisquick as its base! 

Can I turn Bisquick into Cake? 

I confess, I wasn’t sure. I stared at a box of bisquick that I had used in my Bisquick Banana Muffins and my Bisquick Breakfast Casserole. With only 2 1/2 cups of mix left in the box, I decided to use it up. 

But, on what? 

I thought about turning it into a coffee cake. There are several recipes for those online. But I wasn’t really in the mood for that. I happened to have a lot of frozen berries on hand and I remembered my Lemon-Berry Bundt Cake. I love that cake so much. 

Could I do something similar, but with Bisquick? 

How is Bisquick Like a Cake Mix? 

Bisquick has similar ingredients to cake mix. (If you’ve read my DIY Bisquick recipe, you already know this.) It’s got flour and baking powder. My homemade version also has crisco. But, it’s missing one key ingredient you always find in abundance in cake mixes: sugar. There are trace amounts of sugar in Bisquick but not enough to pull off a sweet cake. 

So, I knew I would have to add sugar to the Bisquick in order to make this cake work. And because I only had 2 1/2 cups of Bisquick, I would have to guess at the amount of liquid. (If I’d been really savvy, I would have weighed the dry ingredients before adding the wet to see if they came close to the usual 15.25 ounces found in a box of cake mix. 

But, I didn’t. Alas. 

So, I did what I usually do in cases like these: I guessed. What I came up with was a delicious, tender, and fruity cake, sweet and delicious. And now that I know I can use Bisquick for cakes, you can bet I’ll be making it again and again! 

Note: I made mine in a bundt cake but it was the tiniest bundt cake I’ve ever made! Next time I’ll bake it in a 9″ round or maybe a loaf pan.

Bisquick Berry Cake Ingredients

You’re going to find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a glance at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients. And, if you don’t have berries, you can always add other ingredients—like cinnamon, spice, and nuts. 

• 2 1/4 cups Bisquick mix
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup melted (and cooled) butter (salted or salted, your choice)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups frozen berries

If your batter is too thick you can add a couple tablespoons more milk or even heavy cream. 

How to Make Bisquick Berry Cake 

This is so simple, y’all! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prepare a bundt pan with Baker’s Joy or other non-stick spray. Set aside. 

Place butter in a small bowl and microwave for thirty seconds. Set aside to cool. 

Place Bisquick and sugar into a large bowl and whisk together. 

Add milk, lemon, and eggs. Whisk until fully combined. 

Stir in the melted butter and mix well. 

Add berries, stirring well before they stick together, (which frozen berries tend to do). You don’t want to over-mix because you’re not looking for a bright purple batter. 

Spoon into prepared pan. As I mentioned above, next time I’ll use a different pan.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Time will vary, depending on the type of pan you choose.

Remove and place on a wire rack to cool. 

After half an hour, turn the cake out directly onto the wire rack. 

Allow to continue to cool. 

Serve and enjoy. 

Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for 2 – 3 days. I like to refrigerate mine. It stays good up to 4 – 5 days that way. You can always freeze these cake slices and eat them later. Allow to thaw naturally. 

What to Expect from this Recipe

As I said, I wasn’t sure what to expect! Would it be biscuit-like? After all, I most often use Bisquick for biscuits! Of, would it have the tough texture of a pancake, (another thing Bisquick is good for). I honestly couldn’t guess. 

In the end, guess what it looked and tasted like? A lemon berry coffee cake! A delicious one, at that. Thanks to the addition of the sugar and the cup and a half of berries, this cake had a sweet and delicious flavor and texture. I loved that it was both flaky and moist. And even though it didn’t photograph well, (thanks to my boo-boo of using a bundt pan) it sure tasted yummy!

I think this would be good as a breakfast cake, but it’s also sweet and lovely enough to serve as a dessert or an afternoon snack. You could even make it for a high tea! No matter when you serve it, you’ll be glad you did! 

Variations on this Recipe

If you like this idea but you’re not into frozen blueberries, there are so many other ways to change it up! Here are some ideas that come to mind: 

Fresh berries: Choose from raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or even diced strawberries. No matter which one you pick, you’ll love them in this recipe. 

Cinnamon, sugar, spice, and nuts: I mentioned this idea above. Add half of the batter to the pan, Sprinkle in the nut mixture, then add the rest of the batter on top. 

Chocolate Cake: Skip the lemon and add a third cup of melted chocolate. If you go this route, you might choose raspberries or strawberries because they taste really good with chocolate. 

Glaze: This would be really delicious with a simple lemon glaze on top. Mix together a cup of powdered sugar and a bit of lemon juice, then drizzle it over the cake. Yum! 

Serve with fresh berries: I think this cake would be even more delicious with fresh berries and whipped cream. (Sounds delicious!) 

Other Bundt Cakes from Out of the Box Baking

If you like Bundts, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of our top recipes. 

Easy Carrot Bundt Cake: If you love carrot cake but you don’e have time to make one from scratch, this doctored cake mix is going to blow you away. There are some very surprising ingredients in the mix, and they all come together to form the best carrot cake ever! 

Butter Pecan Bundt Cake with Praline Topping: If you’re crazy about brown butter and pecans you’re going to love this easy cake. It’s topped with a crunchy praline topping and rich with flavor. Best of all, it starts with a boxed mix! Easy-breezy!

Luscious Lemon Pound Cake: If you love a delicious pound cake with a lemony twist, this is the recipe for you! You’re going to love this new cake from Out of the Box Baking!

Banana Spice Cake: If you love a yummy spice cake and you’re also a fan of banana bread, this is the perfect simple treat for you. It comes together quickly and starts with a box of yellow cake mix. 

Cranberry Sourdough Coffee Cake: If you happen to have sourdough starter on hand, you’re going to want to whip up this simple but delicious cake, which is loosely based on an Amish Friendship Bread. It’s packed full of delicious ingredients and so easy to make! 

Kentucky Butter Cake: If you love a rich golden butter cake but prefer a homemade one, this is the recipe for you! In this post I’m going to show you how to make a simple and delicious Kentucky Butter Cake. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

See this recipe at  

Full Plate Thursday 

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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.