Have you ever found a recipe that had “just 3 ingredients,” but one of those ingredients was a box of cake mix? Did you know that there are 26 ingredients in a box of yellow cake mix?
And did you know that 4 of the top 5 ingredients to avoid in food are included in that list?
Did you know you can make your own homemade yellow cake mix instead?
And not only can you make homemade yellow cake mix, but it only requires 4 ingredients AND you likely already have everything you need to make it in your pantry!
Why You Should Consider Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
Before I quit couponing, I had quite the stash of boxed cake mixes. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that there were at least 10 boxes of cake mix in my kitchen, but I have no doubt there were probably several more.
Then the fateful day came when we eliminated hydrogenated oils from the kitchen and the cake mixes (among other processed favorites) went in the trash.
That was nearly 4 years ago, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve bought boxed cake mix since then.
It’s not that I don’t know how to make cake from scratch. I can read a recipe and my favorite cookbook has PLENTY of recipes to choose from.
But sometimes I don’t want to mess with cake flour and separating egg yolks and whipping egg whites. Sometimes I just want to mix up the wet and the dry and call it done, you know what I mean?
Plus, there are tons of really great (and easy) recipes that start with a box of yellow cake mix. I usually have no problem adjusting recipes to use whole foods and to suit our preferences. Minor changes like reducing the sugar or substituting melted butter for vegetable oil have very little, if any effect on the outcome of the recipe.
But substituting a from-scratch cake recipe for a boxed yellow cake mix? Nope. Not going to happen.
There are too many factors that could go wrong there for me to even bother making the attempt. Besides, can you imagine how irritating it would be if you went through all that work and then the recipe didn’t turn out?!
Friends, that’s when it’s handy to have homemade yellow cake mix ready for you in the pantry.
But what if you’re gluten-free?
Making Homemade Yellow Cake Mix Gluten-free
One of the biggest issues that gluten-free families deal with is the cost of gluten-free foods.
I’m not talking about items that are naturally gluten-free like eggs, beans, meat and produce. I’m talking about the convenience foods that make life a little bit easier – like a box of yellow cake mix.
I’ve seen boxes of gluten-free cake mix on store shelves and one word crosses my mind: EXPENSIVE!
I don’t think I’ve seen a single box of gluten-free yellow cake mix that costs less than $4, and most boxes cost closer to $5. I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot of money to spend on just ONE portion of a recipe. That doesn’t include the other things you have to add to turn it into a cake or whatever recipe you’re making that calls for a box of yellow cake mix!
Make Homemade Yellow Cake Mix Using Pantry Staples
Fortunately, making a batch of homemade yellow cake mix is just like homemade bisquick – REALLY easy and you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry.
Like mini chocolate chip scones and homemade soft pretzels, this homemade yellow cake mix recipe starts with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free flour. This flour is designed to be able to use in lieu of wheat-based flours in your favorite baking recipes and it does not disappoint!
Not only does this gluten-free flour blend make an excellent yellow cake, but it also works wonderfully in recipes that call for yellow cake mix, like slow cooker peach cobbler!
Quite possibly the best part though, is that you SAVE money when you start with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free flour and make your own homemade yellow cake mix instead of buying a pre-made box of cake mix.
When you compare to the most popular box of gluten-free cake mix on Amazon, you save nearly 35% when you make it from scratch!
Making a Cake with Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
However you want to use this homemade yellow cake mix is up to you. Either keep this recipe handy and make it on the spot when you need a yellow cake mix, or you can mix it up ahead of time and keep it labeled in your pantry.
You can even make this yellow cake mix right this moment and make a cake!
Homemade Yellow Cake Ingredients
- 1 batch of homemade yellow cake mix (recipe below)
- 8 Tbsp butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, soft
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
Homemade Yellow Cake Instructions
In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and coconut oil in a bowl on medium for 2 minutes. Add the homemade yellow cake mix and mix on low until the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low until all the ingredients are incorporated well, about 30 seconds.
Butter and flour your pan(s) and bake at 350F:
- for a 9″x13″ glass pan, bake 25-30 minutes
- for a 9″ round pan, bake 20-25 minutes
- for cupcakes, bake 12-15 minutes
The cake is done when a toothpick or butter knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Homemade Yellow Cake Mix Recipe
- 2¼ cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour*
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Layer ingredients in the order listed in a quart-sized mason jar.
- Recipe makes the equivalent of one 18.25 oz box of yellow cake mix.
Could I just use 10 Tablespoons of butter instead of the coconut oil? I’m allergic to anything coconut.
You could Diana, but the coconut oil helps keep the cake moister, longer. If you know you’ll eat it quick (like for a birthday party), then go for the sub. If yo know it’ll be around a few days, try extra light olive oil.
Thank you so much! I’m so sick of dealing with food allergies, I just want to EAT! LOL
Thanks for asking this Diana E – coconut oil is everywhere these days, due to it’s health benefits (or maybe it’s just cheap too) – but my daughter has a coconut allergy so we’re ever watchful.
It’s great to see a recipe with an alternative to that, extra light olive oil! Will definitely have to try that!
Thanks all!
Is the amount of sugar flexible? Typically when I bake I will cut back the sugar by up to half (I find most recipes to be too sweet and you’re adding more sugar when you frost cakes on top of it all!). Could I cut the sugar back to 1 cup and still achieve similar results? And I LOVE the flour from Bob’s Red Mill – I’ve used it successfully in all of my regular recipes so far!
Hi Kelly! This recipe is already lower in sugar than the typical box by 1/4 cup, so if you’re going to lower it more, I’d tread lightly. Sugar does help baked goods rise and helps with that fluffiness we know in cakes. I haven’t tested it myself, but cutting back to 1 cup might be okay. I didn’t think this cake was overly sweet at 1 1/4 cups sugar, but everyone has different tastes!
This is great! Looking forward to making it this weekend!
Thanks again Tiffany 🙂
I love this, because I never buy cake mixes for obvious reasons, but then I can’t use recipes that use cake mixes! Can I use regular unbleached flour or whole wheat flour instead of gluten free flour? Also, what are your thoughts on the Kodiak mixes? Any plans on coming up with a DIY for those? Thanks for all your hard work.
Hi Rebecca! Yes, you can sub any all-purpose flour for the GF flour. I haven’t tried a whole wheat flour sub, but if you do, stick with a white whole wheat since it’s lighter. I’d also maybe start with just 50% sub to ensure the cake still rises enough with the extra weigh.
Kodiak mixes – I haven’t even heard of those before! Google says they’re “whole grain breakfast and dessert” mixes. Is that what you were thinking?
I have a couple of cakes to make this weekend, and I’ve made homemade before. Big problem is that they always seem too dense and don’t rise properly. So,I get discouraged and switch back to box. Have you had these issues with this recipe?
My mother-in-law thought this cake wasn’t “airy” like some cakes turn out to be, but she didn’t think it was dense either. She and I both thought it was a good balance between the two. It filled a fork and held up frosting, but didn’t make you feel like you were eating bricks, LOL. Does that help?
Any recipe that calls for yogurt or sour cream is meant to be a dense cake. For any cake recipe, try separating the eggs and only add the yokes. Add one more egg white to your saved whites and whip them and fold in at the end. This makes such a difference. The reason box cakes are lighter is that they are a very simple version of a chiffon cake
It does help. Thanks Tiffany! If the cake is the one in the pic, it looks delicious! Guess I’ll have to fall on my sword and give it a try 🙂 lol!
Please share recipe for that chocolate frosting.
We are allergic to milk, too. Can we sub non dairy buttery spread (like Earth Balance) without affecting quality?
Donna, I haven’t tried a non-dairy spread in this recipe, but if you’ve used it in similar recipes with success, then it should work here too. Another option is palm shortening, but I haven’t tested that either.
Could this be used as a cake mix substitution in a dump cake recipe? I have one I love to do, but I don’t always like to buy the cake mix (and usually by a brand from my health food store so I can avoid trans fats that Betty Crocker, etc, use.
Yes! This is the cake mix I use when I make my dump cake peach cobbler: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2016/06/slow-cooker-peach-cobbler/
My favorite “Yellow Cake” use is “Blueberries in Lemon-Yellow Cake Muffins”! Delicious for breakfast, delighful for a snack and refreshing for a dessert!!!
Ooh, that sounds really good!
I’m looking at the pictures and I read your comment describing the texture of the cake, but do you think this recipe is dense enough on it’s own to stack and/carve for a character cake? I was going to use the box cake recipe in the other recipe I use, but I’ll use your full recipe if you thinking it would hold up well lol. It looks delicious!
For two layers Kaleigh, I think so. You’ll likely do this anyway, but let it cool completely. In fact, if you make it the day before it would be even better. Like all cakes, it settles after a few days. Good luck!!
Thanks for this. Just made two batches, one for the cupboard and one to taste. It was great and now means I no longer pass on cake recipes that use a box cake mix. I don’t suppose you have a homemade pudding mix version do you? I see a lot of recipes calling for pudding mix but here in Australia it is not something we use a lot of and the ones on the shelves in the shops are not good..
Hi Joy! I don’t have a pudding mix recipe, but you can’t go wrong with the Pioneer Woman: http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/how-to-make-chocolate-pudding/
Delicious recipe! Yesterday I made 3 jars of mix for the pantry, and about 20 cupcakes. I used 1 cup whole spelt flour + 1-1/4 cups white spelt flour, but it’s nice to know this can be gluten-free. I used organic sugar, which is a little coarser and not as white as regular granulated, and subbed almond milk.
I’ll admit the batter made me nervous. It seemed a bit thin, and I might have needed more beating time, since my sugar still seemed grainy. But the finished product was moist and delicious, and held up to a chocolate-hazelnut buttercream frosting.
With 2 of the other jars I experimented with coconut sugar and demerara sugar. I’ll let you know how those turn out! Thanks for sharing.
You’re very welcome Tess! Just a note, you can process the course sugar so it’s finer in a blender or food processor. I don’t know if that will effect the end result or not, but it’s fun to experiement!
Oh, I didn’t think of that, great idea. Since the other 3 are in jars, I’ll make do. But perhaps in future I’ll process it finer, especially if I use coconut sugar again. Thanks again, Tiffany!
Can’t wait to try this soon!
Do you have a chocolate frosting recipe to go along with the cake mix recipe? That’s my family’s fave combo. 🙂
I will soon Stephanie! We tested a couple during birthdays this summer. 😉
Out of curiosity, doesn’t a boxed mix have “butter” in it already? It’s been ages since I’ve bought or used one, but doesn’t boxed mix come out slightly clumpy (and yellow) due to having some non-dry ingredients in there? I’m absolutely going to try your recipe, just trying to understand how it can substitute into another recipe if your version only has dry ingredients?
Hi Stephanie! Here’s the ingredient list for Pillsbury Moist Supreme Yellow Cake:
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Leavening (Baking Soda, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Wheat Starch, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Canola Oil, Dextrose, Salt, Corn Starch, Propylene Glycol Esters Of Fatty Acids, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Distilled Monoglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Yellow 5, Red 40, Citric Acid And BHT (Antioxidants).
The label also says “contains milk” (although personally I’m not sure which of those ingredients is milk, LOL!).
If you’re going to make cake with my recipe, you’ll have to follow the directions in the post. However, when I mention subbing it for recipes that call for cake mix, those recipes usually call for the cake mix ONLY – not the other ingredients that you add to the mix to make actual cake. And since not all cake mixes are the same (meaning some may and some may not contain milk or butter), it’s safe to assume that the using my version to sub will work without problems as well. Does that make sense?
I’ve baked 03 cakes in the last month using this recipe in preparation for my son’s 2nd Birthday. I’m always looking for healthier, tasty alternatives and this was jackpot! I love that it’s a total of 08 ingredients for the cake and, to us, tasted the best the day after baking ☺ I tried the Gluten Free flour by Bob’s Red Mill and a Betty Crocker Gluten Free flour and the Bob’s Red Mill was MUCH better as the Betty Crocker gluten free flour made for a gooey batter and denser cake. My lo is now asking for cake breakfast, lunch and dinner! Thank You for sharing this recipe, it’s allowed me to make a cake I can feel good about giving to my family 💖
This makes my heart so happy Denise! Thank you for taking the time to share this with me, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the cake!!
Tiffany, what amount of Cocoa do I use to make this a chocolate cake?
I’m honestly not sure Linda, but my best guess would be 1/4 to 1/2 cup cocoa. Don’t forget to adjust the wet if needed, and possibly the sweetener!
Tiffany, this cake was fantastic! I just added a quick homemade chocolate icing and the whole family (6 in all)loved it!!! This will definitely become a regular for our house. Thank you so much for sharing. Have a fantastic New Year!!
Thank you so much for sharing Royal! I’m so glad you all liked it. Happy New Year!!
Hi, Tiffany!
I’m going to make what I like to call “Fun Cake Shapes”, which is a companion to my “Fun Cookie Shapes”, where I use cookie cutters to make lots of fun shapes that everybody will love. The shapes I’m going to start with are kangaroos, koalas, and Aborigines. It’s a cool theme since Australia Day is coming soon, January 26th. The hardest part is deciding whether I want to make the cake from a box of cake mix, or whether I want to use a recipe like yours. My mom says that a recipe like yours might take a little more time, since I’m still learning how to use my Kitchenaid mixer, though I’d certainly like to try it one day! Also, the flavor is another thing that’s hard for me to choose. I can’t decide whether I want to make them from yellow cake, chocolate cake, white cake, fudge cake, spicecake, vanilla cake, Angel Food Cake, Devel’s Food Cake, or even pound cake. Which one would be easy to cut into with my cookie cutters?
I think any of the options you pick will be easy to cut with – you’re doing it in a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, right? If you choose yellow cake mix, I promise my recipe is super easy! 😉
I wonder if you might make a recipe for Devil’s food cake. Is it similar to your chocolate cake mix?
Isn’t Devil’s food pretty much chocolate cake? LOL – I’d just make chocolate. 🙂
Mmmm! I’m wondering if this flour mix would work in a dump cake dessert.
It does! I used it in a slow cooker peach cobbler recipe and it was SO GOOD: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2016/06/slow-cooker-peach-cobbler/
Can you share the chocolate icing?
I’ve used it almost exclusively for dump cake recipes. It’s awesome.
Mom and I made some yellow cake this afternoon, even putting fresh homemade baking powder into the mix, and like the chocolate cake, it tastes like paradise! We even made a homemade version of chocolate frosting. I tried a piece for dessert after dinner tonight, and I’m gonna say, you’ve definitely got another winner! It tastes like Heaven in the stars! Mom says she really likes your recipes, better than other recipes she’s tried. Seems like a lot of cake recipes she tried to make, she says they’re too dense. But not these ones, oh no! They’re just right.
Thank you for the amazing review Annabelle! I’m so glad you and your mom enjoy my recipes! ♥
I wonder if the yellow cake mix would work to make a cinnamon Streusel loaf cake, like the kind they make at Albertson’s. If so, how would I make that kind? I know the cinnamon streusel loaf cake I buy at Albertson’s sort of tastes like a cross between gingerbread and coffee cake.
Hmmm… Gingerbread needs a spice mix (here: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2013/10/create-your-own-gingerbread-latte/) and molasses for that classic gingerbread flavor. To modify the yellow cake mix, I’d add all the spices in the recipe I just linked and include 1-2 tsp molasses in the wet ingredients. That would give you a good starting point, and you can tinker to your liking. Also, try to make a half-batch as you experiment so you don’t waste ingredients!
Shouldn’t those spices include ground allspice as well? That’s usually one of the spices in gingerbread.
It can, but I never have allspice on hand so I always substitute with something else. 🙂
I know I have a recipe for gingerbread cookies, which calls for 1 teaspoon of ground allspice. Would that be too much if I used it in the recipe you’re telling me about? Or would it not be enough?
I wonder how much allspice I would put in the mix.
Could I use more coconut oil and less butter.
You can Grace, but coconut oil bakes slightly differently than butter. Butter will yield a light and fluffy cake that we’re used to. Coconut oil will be as moist, just less light and fluffy.
I wonder if this kind of cake can make the classic Twinkies. Would I need a special pan to make them?
Hmm… You could get away with a donut hole pan OR a muffin pan, if you didn’t mind them not being the traditional twinkie shape. I’d use coconut oil instead of butter for a denser sponge, and then inject w/cream after they’re cooled. You’d come really close!
What does a doughnut hole pan look like? Is it sort of like a regular doughnut pan?
This is the one I have: https://amzn.to/2KQam13
If I was to make the traditional Twinky shape, what kind of pan would I have to buy?
It looks like you need a “canoe” pan: https://amzn.to/2MT8WnX
What if I don’t have coconut oil? Can I just use olive oil?
That should work!
Mom and I made homemade chocolate twinkies this past December with your Chocolate Cake Mix, even using that recipe for homemade Jello Pudding from http://www.nourishingjoy.com/homemade-pudding-cups/, the one you link to in your Homemade Lunchables recipe. However, putting the pudding in the center was a bit difficult, as the cakes were still warm,
so not only did they explode like cake bombs, but the pudding melted and absorbed in the cakes! Mom and I will try again, this time with your Yellow Cake Mix, and hopefully we’ll make it so the pudding won’t melt. What’s the best way to do that, I wonder? We even used olive oil, as you said it would work, and it actually works quite nicely. Also, since I don’t have a canoe pan (I couldn’t find one at Michaels in Springfield, Oregon), I made rectangular twinkies instead, as I had to settle for a rectangular loaf pan. Mom says that they taste like warm brownies with pudding filling.
This and it was great. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it Grace!!
I made a spicecake the other day, and I’ve got to say, it’s so amazing it’s not even funny! Mama Jane thought it would be too spicy for me, but I proved her so wrong! We even made homemade cream cheese frosting, with a little bit of Kerns mango nectar for extra zing! Mama Jane says that Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the best kind for this frosting, as it has a flavor that stands out compared to other generic brands. It’s like having gingerbread with frosting! I’m even sharing a piece with my neighbor, Dana, since today’s her birthday! So the next thing I wonder, how would I duplicate the cinnamon streusel loaf cake recipe? Or at least make something similar? I know it’s made like loaves of bread, but I’m not sure if I would use a bread machine for that, or just the oven.
Could I treat this like regular box mix and use 10 oz of soda as a binding agent?
You can certainly treat this like a regular box of cake mix! I’ve never personally used those mix + soda recipes before, but please let us know how it turns out!
I have a question in regards to making it a cake in mug format .. any suggestions using yur dry mix ? How many tablespoons would I use ?
I haven’t done this myself Franca, but this article should help! https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/coffee-mug-cake-328252
Does this recipe make just one 9 inch round pan or two? Just curious if I should plan to double it. Thanks!
You’re probably okay with a single batch, Holly. This will make a 9×13 pan, and I’ve cut that in half to make a square cake and it was perfect!