5 more ways to pimp your instant cake mix

Previously, we shared five tips for pimping your ready-made cake mix, but we can definitely add a few more good ideas! Because baking is fun, but it should above all remain fun, so if after four attempts at making macarons or a croquembouche you’re ready to throw in the towel and leave the baker’s ring, know that there’s no shame in simply picking up a box of cake mix at the store and giving it a little vavavoom…

So by now you may already know the tips we shared earlier for adding more flavor in the form of extra vanilla extract, egg yolk, and milk instead of water. But a box of cake mix is good for so much more! For example:

Turn it into ice cream

Oh yeah! Cake ice cream sounds like the ultimate bowl of happiness to keep you company on the couch during your series-binge session next Saturday night, right? This one is for the lucky people who own an ice cream maker, but if you’re inventive or have always made ice cream without a machine, you’ll probably know what to do…

In any case, first divide the cake mix in half and make a small (half) cake with one half. Leave it to cool and crumble it into coarse pieces. Meanwhile, make a basic custard for vanilla ice cream. Rutger (of those incomparable pink cakes) has a good basic recipe for vanilla ice cream custard here. Then mix some of the remaining half of the cake mix into this custard; use 125 grams of cake mix per liter of ice cream as a guideline. Make the ice cream as you normally would, but add the cake pieces just before everything is frozen/mixed. And nobody will punish you if you also mix in a few spoonfuls of sprinkles…

Turn it into a trifle

Maybe a little boring as a result, all on its own as wet (or even worse: dry) cake, but you can make a pretty fun trifle with cake mix. Bake the cake as described on the box and leave it to cool. Choose a bowl or dish in which you want to make the trifle and cut the cake into pieces that fit nicely inside. Now make layers with whatever you like: the softest whipped cream, fruit (nice and old-school, canned cherries in heavy syrup, for example), salted caramel, banana, melted chocolate, crumbled Oreos, you do you! Just make sure the flavors work well together. Refrigerate for another twenty minutes before serving to let the flavors meld, but take it out before the whole thing becomes completely soggy.

Turn it into waffles

Super simple, guaranteed wow factor. Make the batter as stated on the box, but instead of pouring it into a cake tin, scoop a large spoonful at a time into the hot, well-greased waffle iron. Golden-brown waffles, crispy edges, toppings like honey, fruit and a dollop of crème fraîche, and you win at making brunch.

Give it a nice soak

A very simple way to pimp the cake you’ve just baked with that ready-made mix is to generously spoon a simple syrup over it, giving it whatever flavor makes you happy. Put sugar and water in a saucepan in a 1:1 ratio and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved (which happens quickly). Add whatever you like; we’re big fans of the Angostura Cacao bitters that also make the most delicious espresso martini, but a splash of Baileys or rum, or honey or ginger syrup works too, of course! Gradually pour some of this pimped-up simple syrup over your cake and voilà: double pimp.

Meta-frosting

Making frosting isn’t difficult and can be done with either butter or cream cheese and plenty of powdered sugar. But for an extra cake-like flavor (you know you want it), mix one part cake mix (straight from the packet) with one part soft unsalted butter and three parts powdered sugar. What do you get? Cake on cake (which you can pimp again with, for example, citrus zest)! Yessss!

Also read:

• 5 things we’d rather buy ready-made #1
• 18 of the worst kitchen disasters
• This woman makes the most beautiful fairy-tale cakes (quickly hide your own clunky cookies)

Source: Food52