Best Tasting Store Bought Cake Mix for Cupcakes??

Easy Cream cheese frosting recipe...
4 ounces un salted butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar.
Let butter and cream cheese soften, mix together with vanilla extract, and slowly add powdered sugar. You can add as little or as much as you like...for us we don't use the whole 2 cups..it ends up being sweet.

To make a box of (chocolate only) cake mix moist try replacing the oil with 1 cup real mayo (add the regular amount of eggs and water). It sounds completely gross but I promise you you don't taste it and it makes the cake so moist.

Doesn't really matter the brand name. But I found that most people (whether they love chocolate, white, or yellow cake) LOVE the 'Butter Recipe'. I buy whatever is on sale for $1 or under.

People rave over my chocolate cake. It is so funny because it is from a box:) I use Betty Crocker Devils food and Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate frosting. It is so funny and kind of embarasing because people are always asking for my recipe! Have a great party!

I use any cake mix + a box of instant pudding. Moist, but doens't rise very high so fill the cups a little more than you normally would.
Since he's a boy, I'm trying to think of ideas to make it fun for him. You could do dirt cupcakes with crushed oreos and gummy worms or you could add green or blue food color to white icing and make bright colored cupcakes. Top with a little action figure, a fake hotwheel, a lego block or some other kind of little doodad.

Duncan Hines. I add a cup each of sour cream, sugar, and flour and a small packet of instant pudding mix (same flavor as the cake) and it makes it super yummy. I always get compliments at the parties and people asking where I get it.

Recipe for icing - stick of salted butter, stick of unsalted, cup of shortening, 2lbs powdered sugar, 5-6 tablespoons cold milk (more if you want to change the consistency). Yum!! Tough to clean though - you'll need to wash all your utensils in really hot water. I usually let mine soak while I clean up the rest of the kitchen.

Duncan Heinz Devils Food cake mix
Any kind of frosting -- fudge is yummy and white is great and vanilla is delicious and cream cheese is okay, too.
I always did a "decorate your own cupcake" instead of a full cake.
The kids loved it and it was easier for me.
Enjoy!
LBC

Hi, Check out the book (books) 'The Cake Mix Doctor', and 'The Cake Mix Doctor Returns', by Anne Byrn. They are probably at the library. She takes box mixes and substitutes key mix ins to make fantastic cakes that are super easy to put together. In the second book, there is an apple cider cake that is just flippin' amazing. Some great frosting recipies in there too. It's all the info you'll need to have fun while gaining weight!!!

Bake on !

Keith

I always use Duncan Hines. It seems to always come out best and stay moist longer with a richer taste. Go to allrecipes.com and myrecipes.com for tons of easy, homemade frosting ideas. Canned frosting tastes canned -there's no disguising it! There are some wonderful cupcake frosting recipes at myrecipes.com -the recipe site for Southern Living, Cooking Light, Coastal Living, etc. For birthday cupcakes, you're probably going to want a type of buttercream frosting -and they're very easy. Hand mixer, powdered sugar, soft butter and whatever flavoring agent is called for.

I usually use Betty Crocker or Pillsbury cake mix and for frosting I use a whipped frosting - same brands!! Enjoy!!

Anything by Barefoot Contessa! I know her products are sold at Crate and Barrel but you can find at other grocer's too. Simple to follow the directions on the box. Also Trader Joe's has very easy to follow box mixes that are delicious.

I find that any brand of cake mix tastes good.
I use milk instead of water though.
I use store bought frosting but always put it in the mixer.
It makes it fluffy and light and you actually get more.

Betty Crocker! Love it. I also think the Betty Crocker Whipped frosting is the best I've tasted. I like it better than any of the brands I've tried (I think it's better than Betty Crocker's regular frosting too).

Cherrybrook Kitchen hands down. I am NOT a baker (I have a history of my friends and family making fun of my baked goods!) but I made cupcakes from a Cherrybrook Kitchen box mix and my friend's husband told me that they were the best cupcakes he's had. I used their frosting mix too but if you read the ingredients, it's really just powdered sugar and cocoa (you add the butter) so it's just as easy, and a lot cheaper, to just buy the ingredients on your own and make it from scratch. You can find them at Whole Foods.

I recently made a duncun hines mix - devil's food cake, I believe. I couldn't leave it alone, though. I added some extra hersheys syrup to the batter in lieu of some water (not a lot) and then made my own frosting - seriously first time I had ever done it and it was INCREDIBLE. Tased like fudge.

some baker squares, butter and milk and then stirred in some powdered sugar later and it is delicious!!

good luck with your decision. He'll love it!
(oh, if you are doing vanilla, the mixes with the little colors in it are good too!)

I agree most of the cake brands are pretty yummy. If you add a package of pudding it really does make it better!!!! Very moist and lots of flavor....

I've had good luck with most cake mix brands. Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines. Definitely NOT store bought frosting, though. It tastes gross, although I'm sure the kids don't really care. It is SO easy to make your own. If you buy a box of powdered sugar (Domino or other) there is a simple buttercream frosting recipe listed on the back. You could add drops of food coloring if you wanted also. There are a ton of recipes online too, depending on what kind of frosting you want lemon-buttercream, chocolate, etc. I have an awesome and easy chocolate ganache frosting recipe, but I wouldn't make it for kids unless you want them bouncing all over the house! Good luck and have fun!

I really like Betty Crocker...very moist and I get lots of compliments.

I'm not a Pillsbury fan. The batter is drier and I always have to add more water than what the box says.

Hi Mamma P. In my opinion the best brand of cake mixes is Duncan Hines.As far as the store bought frosting they basically all taste the same.

Duncan Hines. My mom makes cakes on the side, has all my life. She has always used Duncan Hines and I think its the most moist cake.

As for easy and pretty. I bought the cake frosting that comes out of the tube for some cupcakes a little while ago. It looked so pretty. Probably need a couple cans of it though.

Seems to me the easy way out is to buy a boxed mix. Why not come up with your own recipe which is easily found using the internet. If you can figure out how to post to this bog, then I know you can search c-u-p-c-a-k-e r-e-c-i-p-e on google. Otherwise, I would much rather pay our pastry chef, Pierre, a king’s ransom for my beloved child to incorporate her favorite flavors: vanilla and sugar cone. The below recipes do sound yummie, however. TFN!

I bake and the best store bought cake mix, for the best value is the Duncan Hines yellow or chocolate BUTTER cake recipes. Frosting is easy. One soften stick of margarine or unsalted butter. Cream that and then add four cups of powder sugar (one at a time) slowly and a teaspoon of vamilla. You might need jsut a little milk (tablespoon or two) and mix on high once all blended for five minutes to make it light and fluffy. Maybe add some sprinkles to your cupcakes? Enjoy.

Any brand will be fine. I usually buy Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines. And the icing in a can will do just fine. The whipped in the can is good.

Just a side note - All store bought frosting has trans fat. I love Duncan Hines cake mix, but make my own icing.

My kids love the funfetti cake mix - we add some pudding to the mix and then make our own frosting. (Powdered sugar, pudding, milk and cool whip) and they are delicious!!