- Milk and butter
The instructions on the back of cake mix boxes often instruct you to add water and vegetable oil to the provided dry ingredients. Next time, use full-cream milk (in the same quantities as the water) and melted butter (in the same quantities as the oil) for a denser result with more depth of flavour.
- Eggs
To make the cake richer and moister, add an extra one or two eggs on top of what the recipe calls for. You can also use a couple of tablespoons of sour cream to achieve the same effect.
- Hot water
When you’re baking a chocolate cake from a packet mix, use the amount of water the pack calls for – but instead of using cold water from the tap, use hot water instead. The hot water allows the cocoa to “bloom”, developing its flavours and giving you a far chocolatier result.
- Add flavour
It’s easy to turn your basic cake mix into something more unique. Throw in some spices (for example, ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg), flavour extracts or citrus zest to add a new twist and create something truly special that seems made from scratch. You can also swap out the liquid for something more flavourful – such as coconut milk or fruit juice.
- Mix-ins
Whether it’s choc-chips, dried fruit, nuts, or even chopped-up chocolate bars, adding a few mix-ins will help to personalise your cake. There are so many flavour combinations you can try, but just remember to dust the small pieces in flour before you throw them in the batter. This will help to stop them sinking to the bottom during baking.
