One key step to turning store-bought cake mixes into homemade treats is choosing quality pans – they help produce straight edges and increase cake richness.
Add extra flavor to a boxed cake mix by using pudding mixes with vanilla, chocolate, cheesecake, pistachio or York peppermint flavors – these can all add up quickly.
Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker has long been recognized as an American cultural icon. Her image has stood the test of time, evolving in response to social, political, and economic shifts over generations. Today, the company continues to provide quality baking products and reliable advice; as well as offering 24/7 customer service lines that answer inquiries and concerns; their website offers recipes as well as tips for home chefs.
Betty Crocker first made an appearance in 1921 during a promotion run by Washburn Crosby Co. in The Saturday Evening Post where readers could submit jigsaw puzzles in exchange for a pincushion in the shape of a flour sack pincushion. As expected, more people than anticipated submitted requests for cooking advice – prompting their advertising department to create fictional character “Betty Crocker”, who answered customer letters with advice based on her name (Betty is intended as a friendly nickname while “Crocker” pays respect to former executive who previously held this role).
After World War II, General Mills introduced a red spoon logo featuring Betty on Gold Medal flour, Bisquick and cake mix packages. Betty quickly gained in popularity during her radio broadcasts with cooking and homemaking advice; helping American households maximize available rationed ingredients.
Husted retired in 1958 having built up her Betty Crocker brand into an international phenomenon with millions of people supporting it worldwide. Her cookbooks such as the Big Red Picture Cook Book featured approachable recipes with step-by-step photos for homemakers as well as practical advice. Betty wrote a weekly advice column published in over 700 newspapers across North America.
Today, Betty Crocker stands for several popular products under its brand, such as cereals, pancake mix and brownie mix – helping generations of families share meals and create memories through them. In response to feminist gains and health-minded eating practices promoted today by its consumers, such as including nutrient fact panels on products to provide consumers with information for making informed food choices such as listing how much of each nutrient there is in one serving as well as its caloric count – it has continued evolving alongside society over time and remains at the forefront in its focus today – featuring such features on its products which has helped generations of families share meals together and create memories over time!
Duncan Hines
No matter which cake mix you use, knowing how many cups of dry mix there are in a box can save both time and money. While there are various methods of calculating how many are present in a box, one of the most accurate is weighing it, to ensure you have exactly the amount required. If you don’t own a scale you can still measure out 3 ounces and put it into an empty container to determine how many cups there are in a box.
If you want to improve the homemade cakes you create at home, use Duncan Hines cake mixes as the basis of your recipes. They’re simple to use and produce light, fluffy cakes that will impress family and friends, plus make adding your own special touches easy – giving it more texture and taste of home baking!
For a basic cake recipe, combine cake mix with water and oil in a bowl before following the directions on your box to bake it in a pan. Depending on your recipe’s specifics, baking times may need to be adjusted; for instance if using a round or bundt pan instead, check for doneness 8 to 10 minutes earlier than indicated on the box.
Duncan Hines cake mixes can also be used to craft delicious pound cakes that make an easy and impressive dessert option for large gatherings, potlucks or parties. Simply combine the cake mix with eggs, water and oil in a mixing bowl before beating at medium speed until everything has come together smoothly before pouring it into a greased and floured pan for baking at 350 degrees until golden brown with no toothpick inserted.
If you don’t plan to use all of the cake mix in one go, store any unused portions in an airtight container in the fridge and keep it for at least a week before either refrigerating or freezing it up to three months; just remember to label each container with ingredients and instructions prior to freezing it!

Pillsbury
Pillsbury is a household name synonymous with baking. Their cake mixes, biscuit mixes and refrigerated dough are staples in American kitchens; its iconic mascot the Pillsbury Doughboy can often be seen making appearances in TV shows, movies or music videos. Furthermore, this company hosts baking contests and cookbooks while boasting brightly-colored packaging and taking its products seriously despite standing out among competitors.
Pillsbury can trace its history back to 1872 when Charles Alfred Pillsbury opened a flour mill in Minneapolis. Over time, the business quickly expanded by increasing product offerings and purchasing multiple mills across the nation.
By the early 1900s, Pillsbury had made the shift from milling flour to providing complete baking solutions for consumers. Following the success of its inaugural cake mix product, other baking mixes followed such as biscuit and pie crust mixes. Now Americans bake an estimated 17,000 batches of Pillsbury cookies an hour during Christmas season alone and four million Pillsbury biscuits daily!
Pillsbury revolutionized home baking in the mid-1960s with their refrigerated dough. Before, consumers would have had to spend hours rolling out their own dough – an extremely time-consuming and tedious task. Instead, Pillsbury’s refrigerated dough allowed consumers to simply unroll a tube of dough and add ingredients, creating an easy, more efficient method of baking delicious treats!
Pillsbury continues to innovate and broaden its product offering, such as refrigerated cookie dough and frozen pizza crust. Furthermore, Pillsbury has expanded internationally by acquiring food companies in Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala and Ghana; and today stands as one of the world’s largest food companies.
Pillsbury’s advertising campaigns have helped the company become a household name across America. Their adorable mascot, the Pillsbury Doughboy, makes appearances both on television commercials and print ads; additionally their slogan of “Nothing says love like something from the oven” has been utilized in multiple advertisements over time.
Pillsbury brand is best known for their annual Bake-Off competition, where home chefs compete to create delicious baked goods. The winner receives a prize and their recipe will be featured on their company website. Pillsbury’s vibrant colors and playful designs have quickly become an indispensable presence in American kitchens.
Wilton
One Wilton cake mix should yield enough batter for two eight-inch layers or 24 cupcakes, though this varies by brand. Care should be taken to read and follow all instructions on the package accurately when measuring water; additional ingredients could increase or decrease production as needed.
Add flavorings to the batter of a store-bought cake for an authentic homemade experience by adding flavorings. A few drops of flavored extract can impart a fresh, fruity aroma, while citrus juice gives a zesty punch. Furthermore, use quality pans when baking; shiny metal pans may produce burnt edges; instead opt for anodized aluminum ones with straighter edges that resist heat better.
Instant pudding can add another level of flavor and richness to cake mixes, giving them extra depth of texture in layer cakes. There are many flavors available, from vanilla and chocolate to butterscotch and cheesecake; and you could even opt for York Peppermint!
Unused dry cake mixes should be stored in an airtight container for no more than three months in an airtight environment, making sure they’re sealed tightly and marked with their date of purchase. Any longer and the ingredients could degrade and your cake won’t rise properly.
Not only should cake mix be stored in an airtight container, it should be consumed within several weeks to avoid degradation from air exposure. Even small amounts can start degrading it quickly – once mold or discoloration appears it should be discarded as soon as possible to ensure optimal conditions for cake making!
Wilton has long been teaching Americans how to decorate cakes and desserts using its Wilton Method of Decorating, inspired by European pastry chefs’ techniques that combine efficiency with creativity to make stunning desserts accessible for all. Classes can be found both at its headquarters, stores, and online.