You won’t ever need a processed boxed cake mix again! This simple homemade yellow cake mix is buttery, moist and absolutely delicious!

In my efforts to eat a less processed diet, I’ve eliminated cake mixes from the lineup. It’s been painful, I can’t lie.

There’s something about the no-fail moistness of a boxed mix that is appealing, but I’ve promised myself not to give in although it’s been hard.

White bowl of yellow dry cake mix.

We’ve been through our fair share of dry homemade cakes as I’ve searched for the perfect replacements for the old boxed mixes.

You can imagine I was overjoyed when I saw this recipe for a make-ahead yellow cake mix! Not only is it  a snap to prepare, but it keeps in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Along with that – it tastes fabulous. Buttery, moist and absolutely delicious.

I can’t wait to share with you tomorrow what I made with this delectable mix. So in the meantime, whip some up.

Talk about feeling like a complete Becky-Home-Ecky, this cake mix made me happy that I’ve stuck to my guns about giving up the old kind. It is a hundred times more delicious and that’s a fact.

White bowl with dry cake mix and two eggs on the side of the bowl.

P.S. I can’t wait to use this mix for the gazillion recipes I have that call for sprinkling a dry cake mix over this or that to create cobblers and crisps, etc.

In fact, I’ll share with you a secret for one of my most favorite peach cobblers of all time.

Here it is (and please ignore the fact that I’ve just gone off on a tangent about giving up processed cake mixes since this dessert is far from organic or healthy). 

Lightly spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray.

Layer peaches (canned or fresh) on the bottom of the 9X13 pan close together in a single layer.

Sprinkle a yellow cake mix over the top of the peaches.

Dot the top of the cake mix with one stick of butter.

Open up a can of Fresca (I imagine Sprite or 7-Up would work equally well), drink half and pour the other half over the top of the cake mix and butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Relish in the fact that you are eating vitamin-laden fruit and zero-calorie soda, therefore constituting a healthy dessert. Peace out.

One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
Two Years Ago: Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

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Homemade Yellow Cake Mix

4.50 stars (12 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (171 g) cake flour
  • ½ cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Process sugar, flours (or flour and cornstarch if making the substitution for the cake flour), milk powder, baking powder, and salt in a food processor for 15 seconds to combine. Add butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal (you want this much finer than, say, a pie crust). Freeze the dry mixture in a zipper-lock bag for up to 2 months or use immediately.
  • To make the cake, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pan of choice (see the note below the recipe).
  • With an electric mixer, beat the prepared cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-27 minutes for two 9-inch layer cakes. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-27 minutes for two 9-inch layer cakes.
  • See the note for alternate cooking times with other baking pans. Cool the cake(s) in pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Notes

Flour: the recipe calls for cake flour, which I never have on hand so I substituted 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons cornstarch for the three cups of flour called for in the recipe. It worked beautifully.
Cake/Cupcakes: this recipe makes enough for two 9-inch layer cakes (bake according to recipe), or one 9X13-inch cake (bake for 30 to 35 minutes), or one 12-cup bundt pan (bake for 40 to 45 minutes), or 24 cupcakes (bake for 18 to 20 minutes).
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 321kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 372mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 29g

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Country April/May 2010