15 Cake Mix Desserts So Good Nobody Will Guess They Started in a Box

A box of cake mix is one of the best shortcuts in the kitchen. Grandmas have known this for decades. With a few extra eggs, some butter, sour cream or pudding, a plain cake mix turns into cookies, bars, cobblers and cakes that taste completely homemade. They are cheap, quick and perfect for busy holiday weeks. Here are the dry mix desserts people keep asking us for, and nobody will ever guess your secret..

Doctored Cake Mix Layer Cake

This is the famous bakery style hack: add an extra egg, swap the water for milk and the oil for melted butter, and add a spoon of sour cream. Suddenly your cake mix bakes up taller, richer and more moist. Frost it with a fluffy buttercream and top it with cherries, and nobody will believe it came from a box. Do you have a secret cake mix trick in your family?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box white or vanilla mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 cups buttercream, cherries.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease two 8 inch pans. 2. Beat all ingredients for 2 minutes. 3. Divide into the pans. 4. Bake 28 to 32 minutes. 5. Cool fully. 6. Stack, frost and top with cherries.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies in 15 Minutes

These might be the easiest cookies in the world. A box of chocolate cake mix, two eggs and a little oil make a fudgy dough you roll in powdered sugar. In the oven they crack open into a beautiful crinkle pattern. They are perfect for Christmas cookie trays. How many would you eat warm?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box chocolate mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 cup powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Mix the dry mix, eggs and oil into a thick dough. 2. Chill 30 minutes. 3. Roll into balls. 4. Coat well in powdered sugar. 5. Bake at 350F for 9 minutes. 6. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yellow cake mix makes chocolate chip cookies that are soft, thick and chewy, with almost no measuring. They are a great first baking project with kids. Quick poll: your perfect cookie is A) soft and chewy B) crispy C) gooey in the middle D) whatever is warm.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box yellow mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1.5 cups chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Mix the dry mix, eggs, butter and vanilla. 3. Stir in the chips. 4. Scoop onto a lined tray. 5. Bake 10 minutes. 6. Let them set on the tray.

Berry Dump Cake

Dump cake is exactly what it sounds like. Dump fruit in a pan, sprinkle dry cake mix on top, add butter and bake. The top turns golden and crunchy like a cobbler, and the fruit bubbles underneath. It is one of the most popular cake mix desserts for potlucks.

You will need: Ingredients: 2 cans cherry pie filling or 4 cups mixed berries, 1 box yellow mix, 3/4 cup cold butter, vanilla ice cream.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Spread the fruit in a 9×13 pan. 3. Sprinkle the dry mix evenly. 4. Slice the butter thin and cover the top. 5. Bake 45 minutes until golden. 6. Serve warm with ice cream.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis legend: a chewy cake mix crust topped with a rich, sweet cream cheese layer that bakes until golden on top and gooey inside. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into small squares, because it is very rich. Have you ever tried it?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box yellow mix, 1 egg, 1/2 cup melted butter. Topping: 8 oz cream cheese, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 3.5 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter.

How to make it: 1. Mix the dry mix, egg and butter and press into a 9×13 pan. 2. Beat the topping until smooth. 3. Pour over the crust. 4. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. 5. Cool fully. 6. Dust with powdered sugar and cut.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Add a box of pudding mix and a cup of sour cream to a yellow cake mix and you get a dense, buttery pound cake that tastes like it took all afternoon. It is perfect for slicing and toasting with butter, or serving with berries.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box yellow mix, 1 small box vanilla pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup water.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Grease a loaf or bundt pan. 3. Beat everything for 2 minutes. 4. Pour into the pan. 5. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. 6. Cool 15 minutes before turning out.

Easy Cake Mix Bundt Cake

The same doctored batter bakes into a beautiful bundt cake that is perfect for church suppers and holiday brunches. Dust it with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze. Try lemon, chocolate or spice cake mix for different flavors. Which flavor would you bake?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box mix (any flavor), 1 small box pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup milk, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Grease and flour a bundt pan well. 3. Beat everything for 2 minutes. 4. Pour into the pan. 5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. 6. Cool 10 minutes, turn out and dust with sugar.

Seven Layer Magic Bars

Magic bars, also called seven layer bars, are even easier with a cake mix base. Top it with chocolate chips, coconut, nuts and a can of condensed milk, and it bakes into a chewy, gooey bar. A layer of chocolate on top makes them look bakery perfect.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box chocolate mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 egg, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup coconut, 1/2 cup pecans, 1 can condensed milk.

How to make it: 1. Mix the dry mix, butter and egg and press into a 9×13 pan. 2. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. 3. Sprinkle chips, coconut and nuts. 4. Pour the condensed milk over the top. 5. Bake 25 minutes more. 6. Cool fully before cutting.

Cake Mix Cookie Bars

When you do not have time to scoop cookies, press the dough into a pan and bake bars instead. Top with colorful candy coated chocolates for a fun bake sale treat. They are soft, thick and easy to cut into neat squares.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box yellow mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup candy coated chocolates.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Mix cake mix, eggs and oil. 3. Stir in the chips. 4. Press into a 9×13 pan. 5. Press candies on top. 6. Bake 20 minutes and cool before cutting.

Baked Donuts in 10 Minutes

Yes, you can make donuts with cake mix. Pipe the batter into a donut pan, bake for 10 minutes and dip in glaze and sprinkles. They are soft and fluffy, with no frying needed. Quick poll: favorite donut topping? A) chocolate glaze B) pink frosting C) sprinkles D) cinnamon sugar.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup melted butter. Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk, sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease a donut pan. 2. Mix the batter until smooth. 3. Pipe into the pan. 4. Bake 10 minutes. 5. Cool and dip in glaze. 6. Add sprinkles right away.

Funfetti Sprinkle Cake

A white cake mix with a handful of rainbow sprinkles folded in is the happiest birthday cake there is. Use the doctored recipe for extra height, then cover it in white buttercream and more sprinkles around the bottom. It is pure joy on a plate.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box white mix, 4 egg whites, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles, 3 cups buttercream.

How to make it: 1. Beat everything except sprinkles for 2 minutes. 2. Fold in the sprinkles. 3. Divide into two 8 inch pans. 4. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. 5. Cool fully. 6. Frost and press sprinkles around the sides.

Bakery Style Cake Mix Cupcakes

Want cupcakes that taste like they came from a bakery? Use the doctored batter, fill liners two thirds full and top with a tall swirl of pastel buttercream. Add sprinkles and they are ready for any party. Would you make them in pink, blue or rainbow?

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 cups buttercream, food coloring, sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and line a muffin pan. 2. Beat the batter for 2 minutes. 3. Fill liners two thirds full. 4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. 5. Cool fully. 6. Pipe tinted buttercream and add sprinkles.

Rich Chocolate Cake Mix Cake

Add a box of chocolate pudding, sour cream and a cup of chocolate chips to a chocolate cake mix and you get the most moist chocolate cake ever. Frost it with fudge frosting and set it on a glass stand. It is one of those cake mix desserts people beg you to bring again.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box chocolate mix, 1 small box chocolate pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup warm coffee or water, 1 cup chocolate chips, chocolate frosting.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Beat everything except the chips. 3. Fold in the chips. 4. Bake in two 9 inch pans for 30 minutes. 5. Cool. 6. Fill and frost with chocolate frosting.

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cake

Red velvet cake mix with a thick cream cheese frosting is a holiday favorite, especially at Christmas and Valentine s Day. Serve slices with fresh strawberries for a pretty plate. Red velvet: A) love it B) only for the frosting C) overrated D) never had it.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box red velvet mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup oil, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Beat the dry mix, eggs, buttermilk and oil. 2. Bake in two 8 inch pans at 350F for 28 minutes. 3. Cool fully. 4. Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar. 5. Fill and frost. 6. Chill before slicing.

Cake Mix Banana Bread

Got brown bananas? Mash them into a yellow cake mix with eggs and oil and you have banana bread in minutes. A simple glaze on top makes it feel special. Which of these cake mix desserts will you make first? Hungry for more? Try our poke cakes and sheet cakes next.

You will need: Ingredients: 1 box yellow mix, 3 ripe bananas, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease a loaf pan. 2. Mash the bananas. 3. Mix in cake mix, eggs, oil and cinnamon. 4. Fold in the walnuts. 5. Bake 50 minutes. 6. Cool and drizzle with glaze.