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We had pro bakers taste test boxed yellow cake mixes — this one reigned supreme
Pillsbury, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker or 365 by Whole Foods: Can you guess which brand takes the, well, you know.
Can I, a former professional baker, admit something to you? As much as I enjoy devouring a delicious slice of made-from-scratch cake, I don't think there's any shame in whipping up a dessert that comes out of a box. Not everyone has the time to beat butter or sift/weigh flour, and when you've got a hankering for a sweet treat, a boxed cake mix smartly stashed in the pantry can satisfy that craving pretty darn quickly. That said, I had a feeling not all cake mixes were created equally, and while convenience is nice, it has to taste good above all else. So I decided to conduct a taste test in search of the best yellow cake mix.
For my little experiment, I purchased mixes from four popular brands: Pillsbury, Duncan Hines, 365 by Whole Foods and Betty Crocker. Why yellow cake? Simply because it's my favorite (and a classic birthday cake choice). Of course, taste is subjective. That's why I invited two fellow Philadelphia-based bakers over to sample the cakes with me: Ashley Huston of DreamWorld Bakes and Christina Lower of Bake Bake Philly. (Take one look at their incredible creations and it'll be obvious that they know a thing or two about cake.)
Boxed cake mix 101
Never made cake from a mix? It couldn't be simpler — just ask my dad, an amateur home baker who makes one for nearly every party he goes to. FYI: While all of the dry ingredients come pre-measured and ready to go, you will need to provide ingredients like eggs and vegetable oil (sometimes milk, depending on the mix).
Aside from that, it really is a matter of mixing everything together, pouring the batter into your pans and baking them in the oven. See? I told you it was easy. A standard box of cake mix contains enough to fill two round cake tins if you'd like to make a layer cake, a 13" x 9" pan, a Bundt pan or about two dozen cupcakes. Quite versatile!
Time to make the cakes
In an effort to make this test as fair as possible, I chose to mix and bake all of the cakes the same morning and taste them later that day. I also used the same equipment to make each cake (more on that below), meaning I cleaned out my cake pans, mixing bowl, etc. between each cake. Did it take a long time? You bet, but I was going for consistency in every way possible! (I'm afraid to see my gas bill after having my oven on for half the day...)
I chose to use two 8-inch round cake pans for this test, as two-layer cakes are among the most common for home bakers. Because boxed cake mixes are designed to be user-friendly, I put all of my professional instincts aside and made the cakes exactly as stated in the instructions. (This made things really easy, as the process was almost identical for each one.) For the liquid ingredients, I used eggs that all came from the same carton and just one type of vegetable oil (only one cake called for milk in place of water).
Once the cakes were baked, I allowed them to cool to just a tad warmer than room temperature, then wrapped each layer in plastic wrap to help trap some of the moisture — I think we can all agree few things are as disappointing as a dry cake.
Rating system
I numbered the cakes so no one would be swayed by brand loyalty, and made scorecards so we could judge the cakes based on appearance, texture and taste. There was also a section at the bottom where we would rate each cake from 1-10, with 10 being the best.
While tasting, we wanted to keep the signature traits of yellow cake in mind: color, obviously, in addition to the custardy flavor and moist texture that sets it apart from white cake. To keep our assessments as pure as possible, I didn't add any extracts or additional flavorings to enhance the cakes, though many of the mixes offer that as a suggestion. Oh, and these cakes were naked — after all, if they tasted good alone, just imagine how delicious they'd be covered in chocolate frosting. Ready to see how these boxed mixes fared? Keep scrolling!
This was the first cake we tasted, and even though I didn't tell the other bakers which cake was which, it was obvious that this was the 365 mix, as it was noticeably more pale than the others. This was also the one cake that was made with milk instead of water.
"Light," was how Lower described its appearance, while Huston wrote, "Not yellow." This wasn't too surprising, since this mix was the only one of the bunch that didn't contain artificial food coloring. In my opinion, a yellow cake should, in fact, be yellow, but I was curious to see how it did in the taste and texture department.
My first thought upon taking a bite was that it felt a little sticky, with a somewhat dry crumb. "Light crumb, but claggy," wrote Huston. "Oily and dense," said Lower. As for flavor, we tasted some vanilla and all felt it was on the sweeter side, but maybe a bit bland. Overall, we rated it a 4.5 — a decent option for anyone looking to avoid artificial food dyes.
Baking note: This was the only mix that required scissors to cut open the bag; not a huge downside, but good to know!
- Does not contain artificial food coloring
- Hints of vanilla
- The most expensive option
- More white than yellow
- Dense texture
- Requires milk instead of water
In contrast, the second cake we tasted was the most yellow-looking — almost too yellow. The Pillsbury mix contains both yellow and red food coloring, which likely contributed to its turmeric-like color.
Golden hue aside, Huston thought the cake looked "spongey, light and airy," while Lower picked up more "oily" vibes. Regarding taste, Huston and I described the flavor as "artificial," though we all agreed it had that nostalgic boxed cake mix factor we'd remembered from childhood. (I said I thought it smelled exactly like instant vanilla pudding, and everyone agreed.) Texturally, Lower wrote, "super tender," with Huston adding, "loose, light, soft crumb."
We thought it warranted a 4.5 — a few points for texture, with some subtracted for the iffy taste and less-than-appealing appearance.
Baking note: This cake finished baking much quicker than the box said (28 minutes versus 34-38 minutes). Always check early, since all ovens are different!
- Tender crumb
- Nostalgic flavor
- Off-putting bright yellow color
- The most artificial-tasting
Betty Crocker is one of the brands most synonymous with boxed cake mix, so it's no surprise it ranked so well. Aside from the fact that it collapsed a bit in the middle, we all appreciated its more natural-looking yellow tint, which Huston named "most appealing color."
In terms of texture, we all described it as nice and light with a little bounce, though Huston did note that it was "less cohesive" and more likely to fall apart on the fork. Taste-wise, Lower and Huston wrote, "balanced" with "no forward note," and I called it "pleasant" with no aftertaste, unlike the previous two cakes.
We were a bit divided on this one, as Huston ranked it higher than the rest. Lower and I gave it an ever-so-slightly lower score, but I certainly wouldn't turn down a slice. Very solid!
Baking notes: My cake finished baking in 25-26 minutes, so on the early end of the suggested 26-31 minutes. Also, it smelled divine when I took it out of the oven!
- Nice yellow color
- Light texture
- Great flavor
- Sunk a bit
- Fell apart more easily than other cakes
Last, but certainly not least, the Duncan Hines cake had a light, uniform yellow color similar to Betty Crocker, and Lower felt it had the "best overall bake" of all the cakes. Huston also called it the "best looking," and we both commented on its loftiness, as it managed to avoid sinking down like some of the others.
I really liked its fluffy, tender texture, and Lower described it as having the "perfect crumb." Huston added, "airy crumb, but cohesive," and "moist, but holding structure." Lower and I agreed that it didn't possess a "dominating sweetness," while Huston wrote, "Good flavor, less artificial, but doesn't taste like a yellow cake; more vanilla."
Because of its standout texture and not-overwhelming sweetness, Lower and I named this our favorite (and Huston still rated it a close second). When you ask professional cake bakers to rate a boxed cake mix, chances are it'll never get a perfect score — but with an impressive 7.5, this one is likely as good as it gets.
Baking notes: I was able to take this cake out of the oven after 25 minutes, so the box's estimate of 24-28 minutes was pretty spot-on.
- Maintained height
- Closest to tasting like a homemade cake
- Not too sweet
- More vanilla-forward than a standard yellow cake
The tools I used
Nordic Ware is one of my go-to brands for baking and cooking equipment, and this cake pan is no exception. It's durable with nice, straight sides (a must for a professional look), and the aluminum cools down quickly. You'll want two of these for making a layer cake.
(Note: None of the directions said to do this, but I usually line my cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking. That said, I didn't have an issue with any of the cakes releasing during this test.)
Unless you're attempting something like, say, meringues, most home cooks can get away with a compact hand mixer rather than splurging on a bulky stand mixer. This is the one I used to make these cakes, and I've had it for about a decade. It's still going strong!
Metal mixing bowls are my favorite because they won't break if they accidentally slip off the counter — they're nice and sturdy. Plus, they're heat-safe in case I need to melt chocolate over simmering water, and I think they look really nice too.
A just-flexible-enough silicone spatula is a must in my kitchen, whether I'm mixing up cake batter or stirring a sauce (the end gets into corners better than a wooden spoon). For this test, I used it to get every last drop of batter out of my bowl and into my cake pans, then smoothed everything out.
These racks are essential for ensuring air can circulate around your cakes, which allows them to cool more quickly and evenly. I like this grid-style, since nothing aside from doll's food is likely to slip through the openings.
My Oxo oven mitt is one of my most-reached-for kitchen essentials. Its silicone upper offers excellent grip and heat protection, but it's not rigid — I can easily move my fingers when they're inside the glove.
