What to Make With White Cake Mix (Besides Cake!)

Got a box of white cake mix? Turn it into cakes, cookies, muffins, bars, cinnamon rolls, cake bites, petit fours, fudge, and more easy desserts.

If you’ve got a box of white cake mix sitting in your pantry and you’re wondering what to make with it, you’ve come to the right place. From beautiful cakes and cupcakes to cookies, muffins, dessert bars, cinnamon rolls, petit fours, scones, cake bites, and even fudge, that simple little box can become almost anything.

And I should know. I am never without white cake mix.

Seriously.

If I notice my supply getting low, I start feeling a tiny bit panicky. Some people need to know there’s milk in the refrigerator, bread in the pantry, or coffee waiting for the morning. Apparently my personal sense of well-being depends upon knowing there are several boxes of white cake mix somewhere in this house.

Because if I have a box of white cake mix, I have dessert. Period.

And I’m not necessarily talking about white cake.

Got a box of white cake mix? Here's what to make with it.

Give me that little box and I can make cookies. Muffins. Bars. Cupcakes. Quick breads. Pound cakes. Cake bites. Scones. Cinnamon rolls. Petit fours. Poke cakes. Dump cakes. Fancy celebration cakes. And an alarming number of other things I’ve dreamed up over the years.

I can change the flavor completely. I can make it taste like strawberry, coconut, almond, cinnamon, spice, lemon, or practically anything else that strikes my fancy.

And if you think a boxed mix is only for quick-and-easy family desserts, let me tell you what was sitting in my refrigerator while I was putting this post together: a three-tier wedding cake.

Yep. White cake mix.

Of course, I doctored it. I added pudding, milk, extra eggs, and vanilla, then filled the layers generously with strawberry filling before frosting and decorating the whole thing. That’s what I do.

Give me a box of white cake mix, let me roll up my sleeves, and we’re going to make something good.

The best part? That little box probably cost less than two dollars.

So don’t look at the picture on the front and assume that’s what you have to make.

That box hasn’t decided what it wants to be yet.

Let’s give it some options.

Why White Cake Mix Is My Favorite Cake Mix

I use all sorts of boxed cake mixes, but white has always been my workhorse because it doesn’t boss me around.

Chocolate cake mix has opinions. Spice cake mix definitely has opinions. Strawberry cake mix has already chosen a direction before I even open the box.

White cake mix just stands there and says, “What are we making?” That’s exactly what I want.

Its mild flavor gives me room to add extracts, spices, fruit, pudding, flavored liquids, nuts, fillings, chocolate, coconut, cinnamon, caramel, or whatever else I happen to be craving.

Its pale color is another advantage. If I’m making a brightly colored birthday cake, a checkerboard cake, pink velvet cupcakes, or another dessert where color matters, white cake mix gives me a clean starting point.

And then there’s reliability.

I’ve baked professionally and semi-professionally for years. I’ve made wedding cakes, birthday cakes, cupcakes by the hundreds, desserts for church events, ministry gatherings, family celebrations, bake sales, and more occasions than I could possibly count.

When I’m baking for other people, I don’t just need creativity. I need consistency.

A good cake mix gives me that foundation. Then I take it from there.

If you’re new to this whole idea, start with my Ultimate Guide to Doctoring a Boxed Cake Mix. That post will help you understand how changing the liquid, fat, eggs, extracts, pudding, and other additions can completely change the finished dessert.

What Can I Add to White Cake Mix to Make It Better?

Almost anything.

That’s the short answer.

For a richer, more bakery-style cake, I often replace the water with milk, add pudding, use extra eggs, add good vanilla or another extract, or otherwise doctor the batter to suit the dessert I’m making. But “better” doesn’t always mean richer. Sometimes I want to change the cake completely.

Add almond extract and suddenly you’re headed toward a lovely tea cake or wedding-cake flavor. Add coconut and you’re going somewhere tropical. Add cinnamon and brown sugar and you’ve got something warm and cozy. Fruit can provide both moisture and flavor. Pie filling can change the whole personality of the cake. A different liquid can send the recipe in yet another direction.

And sometimes I don’t make cake batter at all.

Reduce the liquid and suddenly you have something closer to cookie dough. Change the ratios again and you can make a buttery crust for dessert bars. Cake mix can even become part of a yeast dough for cinnamon rolls. My cake-mix transformation guides use this same basic principle over and over: change the ingredients and you change the result.Out of the Box Baking

That’s when things get really interesting.

First Things First: What If I Actually Want Cake?

Perfect. We can certainly make cake.

In fact, one of the funny things about this post is that we’re going to spend a lot of time turning white cake mix into things that aren’t white cake, but it’s also a terrific foundation for a really good cake.

I'm going to start with my all-time favorite, the one my kids know me best for: Italian Cream Cake. A couple boxes of white cake mix, a few add-ins, and you've got one of the most delicious cakes on the planet. No kidding.

My Mock Angel Food Cake from White Cake Mix is a great example of taking an ordinary mix in a completely different direction.

For something warm and cozy, try my Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake. Poke cakes are especially good when you want something luscious without spending half the day decorating.

Then there’s my Strawberry Pie Filling Cake, which perfectly illustrates the way recipes tend to happen in my kitchen.

I had white cake mix. I had strawberry pie filling.

And I thought, “What if?”

Around here, “what if?” has produced an awful lot of dessert.

If You Love a Good Old-Fashioned Cake

Now we need to talk about coconut cake. Specifically, my Traditional Coconut Cake from a Doctored Cake Mix.

I’m not going to pretend to be impartial about this one. I absolutely love it.

This is exactly the kind of dessert that demonstrates why I refuse to apologize for starting with a mix. The box is the foundation. What you do with it determines where you end up.

A traditional coconut cake feels like something Grandma might have carried into a church fellowship hall or placed proudly in the center of the Easter dessert table. It’s familiar, celebratory, and special without being fussy.

And it started with a box. That’s not a flaw in the story. That’s part of the magic.

If You Need Something Impressive

Here is where white cake mix really starts showing off.

Because sometimes you need more than dessert. You need people to walk into the room and say, “You MADE that?”

Try my Easy Cake Roll from a Doctored Cake Mix if you want something that looks far more complicated than it really is.

My Checkerboard Cake is another terrific use for white cake mix because that pale batter is so easy to color. The same is true of my Zebra Stripe Cake.

For a themed birthday or sports celebration, there’s my Colorful Baseball Party Cake.

Same basic starting point.

Completely different destinations.

Yes, I Use White Cake Mix for Wedding Cakes

I certainly do.

As I mentioned earlier, while I was working on this very post, I had a three-tier wedding cake in my refrigerator waiting to be delivered. I made the cake with doctored white cake mix, using pudding, milk, extra eggs, and vanilla, then added plenty of strawberry filling between the layers.

By the time it was stacked, filled, frosted, and decorated, nobody was standing there thinking about a cardboard box from the grocery store. They were looking at a wedding cake.

I’ve made enough cakes over the years to know that when you’re baking something large or important, reliability matters. You need layers that behave themselves. You need predictable results. You need a system you understand.

My Easy DIY Wedding Cake walks you through much more of that process.

And this is an important point for newer bakers: using a mix and knowing how to bake are not opposites.

A cake mix is an ingredient and a tool. Experience teaches you what to do with it.

If You’re Hosting Something Pretty

White cake mix can put on its Sunday best, too.

My Simple Cake Mix Petit Fours are lovely for showers, teas, weddings, luncheons, and other celebrations where you want something dainty. Petit fours may look like they came from a fancy bakery, but cake mix makes a wonderfully practical foundation for these little layered treats.

For Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a shower, or a birthday, my Easy Valentine Cupcake Bouquet turns simple cupcakes into a centerpiece.

If a full-sized decorated cake sounds like more than you want to tackle, make Mini Layer Cakes from Doctored Cake Mixes instead.

And don’t overlook Wedding Cake Bites. Cake bites are one of my favorite ways to make something festive without taking on a full layer cake. They’re baked in miniature portions, which makes them easy to serve and decorate for parties and dessert tables.

White cake mix can be practical. It can also be downright fancy.

If Cupcakes Are Calling Your Name

White cake mix and cupcakes were made for each other.

And after baking literally thousands of cupcakes over the years—for weddings, birthdays, church events, graduations, school functions, bake sales, showers, and community events—I’ve learned that the difference between an ordinary cupcake and one people remember often comes down to the little things you add along the way.

My Snickerdoodle Cupcakes take that neutral white mix and move it into a warm cinnamon direction.

For something whimsical, try Sugar Cookie Cupcakes with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting.

And my Pink Velvet Cupcakes are another perfect example of why I love starting with white. The pale batter is just waiting for you to give it a new color and personality.

If you want to invent your own version, my How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix into Cupcakes guide will help you get started.

What If I Want Muffins Instead?

Then make muffins.

Remember: the words “cake mix” on the box are not instructions. They’re information.

Cake batter is usually thinner and designed to bake up light and fluffy. Muffin batter needs more body. By adjusting the eggs, liquid, and fat, you can create a thicker, scoopable batter and a heartier texture. Don't believe it? Well, you haven't tried my cake mix muffins!

My Cake Mix Banana Muffins specifically start with white cake mix and turn it into something that feels completely at home on the breakfast table.

You can also go cozy with cinnamon and sugar. My Cinnamon Sugar Muffins started with a white cake mix and a simple question: could I adjust the ingredients enough to create a thicker, more muffin-like batter? The answer was yes.

And white cake mix is terrific with fruit. These Cinnamon Apple Cake Mix Muffins with Streusel Topping combine white mix, apples, warm spices, and buttery streusel.

Once you understand the technique, you’re no longer limited to recipes I’ve already invented. You can start inventing your own.

That’s the fun part.

If You Want Cookies

Oh, friend.

We can make cookies.

Reducing the liquid in a cake mix changes everything. Instead of pourable batter, you end up with a thick dough that can be scooped, shaped, filled, sandwiched, or otherwise turned into something the picture on the cake-mix box never saw coming.

Rather than trying to squeeze every cake-mix cookie I’ve ever made into this post, head over to my How to Turn Cake Mix into Cookies.

White cake mix is especially fun here because you can take the cookie flavor in practically any direction you like. Like delicious chocolate chip cookies, for instance.

This is where I want you to start thinking less like someone following a recipe and more like someone building one.

What flavor do you want? What do you have in the pantry? What could you add? What kind of texture are you after?

Roll up your sleeves. We have work to do.

If You Want Dessert Bars

This is another place where cake mix earns its keep.

One of my favorite dessert-bar formulas begins with cake mix, butter, and an egg. Instead of a pourable batter, you get a buttery mixture that can be pressed into the pan and used as the foundation for fruit, cheesecake, nuts, chocolate, caramel, or whatever else you decide to pile on top.

It’s quick. It’s inexpensive. It’s reliable. And you don’t have to make a separate pastry crust.

White cake mix works especially well when I want the filling to take center stage.

My How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix into Dessert Bars explains the basic technique so you can start dreaming up your own combinations.

Fruit? Absolutely.
Cheesecake? Of course.
Caramel? Nuts? Coconut?

Now you’re thinking like me.

When You Don’t Actually Want Cake at All

This might be my favorite section.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped looking at the words “cake mix” as instructions. Apparently I regard them as more of a loose suggestion.

Because I’ve turned cake mix into cookies.
And dessert bars.
And muffins.
And quick breads.
And scones.
And Cake Box Kolaches.
And Cake Mix Cherry Pies.
And yes, cinnamon rolls. My How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix into Cinnamon Rolls takes us right out of cake territory and into soft yeast dough.

At this point I’m not sure the cake mix knows what it’s supposed to be, either.

Wait. You Can Make Fudge With It?

Apparently so. Because eventually even cinnamon rolls, kolaches, scones, and cherry pies weren’t enough for me.

Enter Birthday Cake Fudge.

This one uses heat-treated white cake mix to bring cake-batter flavor to a completely different kind of sweet treat.

And I think this is the appropriate point to admit that we have now stopped pretending the words “cake mix” are instructions at all.

They’re just two words printed on a box. We have plans.

Turn Cake Mix Into Pound Cake

Pound cake deserves its own mention because changing a light cake mix into a dense, rich pound cake is one of the most useful transformations you can learn.

My How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix into a Pound Cake walks you through the process.

This is another good example of why I want you to understand what ingredients do, rather than merely collect recipes.

Once you understand how to make the batter richer and denser, you have a formula you can use again and again.

That’s when the box really becomes useful.

White Cake Mix Is a Blank Canvas for Flavor

Here’s a question I hear often: Does everything I make from white cake mix taste like white cake? Absolutely not. That's one of the primary reasons I keep so much of it on hand.

White cake mix gives you flour, sugar, leavening, and the beginnings of a baking formula without forcing a strong flavor onto the finished product. From there, you can decide where you’re going.

Want strawberry? Add strawberry flavors or fillings.
Want almond? Reach for almond extract.
Want coconut? Bring in coconut flavors and textures.
Want cinnamon and brown sugar? Go right ahead.
Want something tropical? My Hawaiian Poke Cake will give you an idea of just how far that little box can travel.

The cake mix is doing some of the measuring and foundational work for you.

You’re still in charge of the destination.

Can I Turn White Cake Mix Into Other Cake Flavors?

Yes, and this is where having white cake mix in the pantry becomes especially handy.

Think about the flavors you’re trying to create rather than worrying about the name printed on the box. Extracts, spices, fruit, flavored liquids, pudding, citrus, cocoa, fillings, and other additions can push a neutral white mix in all sorts of directions.

This is also why I sometimes reach for white cake mix even when the finished dessert isn't white. I don’t need twelve different cake-mix flavors in the pantry to have twelve different options. I need a versatile starting point and a plan.

Learn more by checking out this post: 20 Amazing Recipes that Start with White Cake Mix!

What About Cake Bites?

Absolutely.

Cake bites are especially useful when you’re feeding a crowd, building a dessert table, packing treat boxes, or making something for kids.

Instead of committing to a whole cake, you can make little individual treats and decorate them according to the occasion.

Start with my Wedding Cake Bites, then visit my How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix into Cake Bites and start thinking about flavors of your own.

One box. Lots of little desserts.

What If I Have Kids Helping Me?

Hand them the sprinkles.

White cake mix is especially good for baking with children because the starting flavor is familiar and you can make the finished dessert as simple or colorful as you like.

Cupcakes are an obvious choice, but cookies and cake bites are terrific, too. You can set out frostings, sprinkles, cookie crumbs, mini candies, or other toppings and let the kids create their own.

And if you have leftover cupcakes—or simply want a different way to serve them—take a look at my Cupcake Trifles.

Kids don't care that we started with an inexpensive box of mix.

Frankly, neither do I.

They care that dessert is fun.

I care that it works.

Everybody wins.

The Cake Mix Transformation Station

If you’ve made it this far and still haven't decided what your box of white cake mix wants to become, this is where I send you deeper into the Out of the Box Baking rabbit hole.

My Cake Mix Creations hub brings together the larger transformation series. You'll find guides for turning boxed mixes into pound cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, dessert bars, pastries, muffins, quick breads, cinnamon rolls, cake bites, petit fours, whoopie pies, and more.

You can also browse my Doctored Cake Mix Recipes Master List and 80 Boxed Cake Mix Recipes when you simply want to see how far this obsession has gone.

Spoiler alert: pretty far.

And because I've been experimenting specifically with white cake mix for years, don't miss my earlier collections: 20 Amazing Recipes That Start With a White Cake Mix and More White Cake Mix Recipes.

Those older collections helped get us here.

This post is what happens after years of continuing to ask:

What else can I make with this thing?

How Do I Decide What to Make?

This is probably the most useful advice I could give you: Don’t start with the box. Start with yourself.

What am I craving?

Do I want something fruity? Gooey? Buttery? Cinnamon-y? Rich? Light? Fancy? Nostalgic?

Then ask: Where am I taking it?

A church potluck calls for something different from a wedding shower. A bake sale isn't a formal tea. Dessert for the family doesn't need to be decorated like a birthday cake.

Next: Who am I feeding?

Kids? Grandchildren? Wedding guests? A small group? Someone who needs a little cheering up? Just me standing at the kitchen counter at ten o'clock at night?

And finally: How much work do I feel like doing?

This matters. Some days I’m perfectly happy to stack, fill, crumb-coat, frost, and pipe a three-tier cake. Other days? Press some cake-mix dough into a pan, throw something delicious on top, and call me when the timer goes off.

Both count.

Resourcefulness isn't about making everything difficult.

It’s about knowing how to use what you have to get where you want to go.

Frequently Asked Questions About White Cake Mix

frequently asked question about white cake mix recipes

Can I use yellow cake mix instead of white cake mix?

Often, yes. White and yellow mixes can work interchangeably in many recipes, particularly when the finished dessert doesn't depend upon having a pale-colored batter. Just remember that yellow cake mix has a slightly richer flavor and deeper color, so the final result may look or taste a little different.

What is the difference between white cake mix and yellow cake mix?

White cake is generally lighter in both flavor and color, while yellow cake tends to have a richer, more buttery personality. For my purposes, the most important distinction is that white cake mix gives me a more neutral starting point. That's why I love it when I'm planning to change the flavor or color substantially.

Can I use white cake mix to make cookies?

Absolutely. The trick is using much less liquid so that you create a thick, scoopable dough instead of cake batter. My cake-mix cookie guide walks you through the process.

Can I make muffins with white cake mix?

Yes. I do it all the time. Muffin batter should be thicker than ordinary cake batter, so the ratios need to change. You want something scoopable rather than easily pourable. Out of the Box Baking

Can I make dessert bars with white cake mix?

Definitely. White cake mix makes a terrific neutral base for fruit bars, cheesecake bars, and other desserts where you want the filling to provide most of the flavor. Cake mix combined with butter and egg can create an easy press-in crust. Out of the Box Baking

Can I turn white cake mix into quick bread?

Yes. By adjusting the liquid and incorporating moisture-rich ingredients such as fruit, sour cream, or other additions, you can create a thicker batter and a tender quick bread. Out of the Box Baking

Can I make pound cake from white cake mix?

You certainly can. The goal is to enrich the batter and create a denser crumb than you would want in a traditional layer cake. That's why ingredients such as additional eggs, butter or oil, milk, and pudding often come into play in cake-mix pound cakes. Out of the Box Baking

Is white cake mix good for wedding cakes?

I certainly think so—and I've put that belief to the test many times.

A doctored white mix gives me the consistency I need while still leaving plenty of room to customize the flavor, filling, and finish. I've used boxed mixes for cakes that were anything but ordinary, including the three-tier wedding cake I was delivering as I worked on this post.

Do I have to use the brand of cake mix you used?

Usually not. Standard boxed cake mixes can generally be substituted for one another, although package sizes and formulas can vary. If you're making one of my specific recipes, check the recipe itself for any notes about quantities or adjustments.

Can I add pudding to white cake mix?

Yes. Pudding is one of the ingredients I sometimes use when I want a richer, sturdier cake, including special-occasion cakes. Just remember that you're changing the formula, so follow the particular recipe you're making rather than adding random amounts of several moisture-rich ingredients at once.

Can I replace the water with milk?

Often, yes. Milk can add richness and is one of my favorite ways to doctor certain cake recipes. Again, let the dessert you're making determine the formula.

Can I freeze desserts made from cake mix?

Many cakes, cupcakes, cookies, bars, quick breads, and other cake-mix desserts freeze beautifully. The exact method will depend upon the finished dessert and particularly its fillings or frostings, so check the individual recipe for storage instructions.

How long does boxed cake mix last?

Use the date and storage guidance printed on your particular box. I keep mine in a cool, dry pantry and rotate through my stash regularly.

And trust me.

White cake mix does not have much opportunity to grow old in this house.

A Little Advice From Someone Who Has Baked a Lot of Cakes

Don’t be intimidated by a box.

And don't be intimidated by people who think there is only one “right” way to bake.

There is tremendous value in learning scratch techniques. There is also tremendous value in knowing how to take an inexpensive, reliable pantry ingredient and make it work hard.

I believe in both.

I’ve baked enough over the years to know that good baking is not measured by how many ingredients you personally combined before you turned on the mixer.

Good baking is knowing your ingredients.
It’s understanding texture.
It’s recognizing when a batter is too thin or too thick.
It’s knowing what flavors belong together.
It’s solving problems when something doesn't go according to plan.
It’s figuring out how to make 300 cupcakes when people are counting on you.
It’s looking at a $1.50 box of mix and seeing possibilities instead of limitations.

That's baking, too.

About the Baker

If this post hasn't already made it obvious, I'm Janice, the baker behind Out of the Box Baking, and I have a long-standing relationship with white cake mix.

I’ve spent years baking for weddings, birthdays, church gatherings, family celebrations, ministry events, showers, bake sales, and ordinary Tuesdays when somebody simply needed something sweet. Along the way, I've learned that some of the most useful things in a baker's kitchen aren't necessarily the fanciest or most expensive.

Sometimes they're the things that work.

White cake mix works.

I keep it on hand because I know what I can do with it. I can doctor it, transform it, dress it up, change its flavor, change its texture, or turn it into something that doesn't resemble cake at all.

And that's really the philosophy behind this entire site.

I like rolling up my sleeves, looking at what I've got, and figuring out how to make something wonderful from it.

Thanks for Stopping By!

I hope I've convinced you to look at that box of white cake mix in your pantry a little differently.

Maybe you came here expecting to find another cake recipe. Instead, you've discovered that you could make cookies, muffins, pound cake, quick bread, dessert bars, cake bites, petit fours, cupcakes, scones, kolaches, cinnamon rolls, cherry pies, fudge, or even a three-tier wedding cake.

And we're probably not finished yet. Because that's the thing about white cake mix. It doesn't tell me what I'm making. It asks me what I want to make.

So grab the box.
Roll up your sleeves.
Take a look around the pantry.
And let's make something amazing.

Please leave a comment or review if you bake any of the cakes, cookies, scones, or other sweet treats mentioned in this post. And before you go, please pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!