Often the simplest things are just what we need. This 2 layer white cake recipe will win you over with its ease and enjoy the tender moist white cake.
One bite and you’ll be shocked this is made with a box cake mix This may just be the greatest box cake mix hack ever! It does not taste like it has odd ingredients, no processed aftertaste and it’s not so heavy that it seems gummy. It really is the best white cake!
Starting with a box mix ensure the crumb on this cake is super delicate, but not fluffy… think of the great texture of the best homemade baked cake, with the additions you won’t only be able to make it with ease, but you’ll be putting it in the oven before you would have gathered all your typical ingredients for a totally scratch cake.
This cake recipe is simple and delicious and is sure to become your favorite two-tier white cake that you’ll make again and again. I’ve made many white cake recipes and this takes the stress away… it all starts with a Duncan Hines White Cake Mix, then you add a few times in, and wow… you get a really great cake.
Now the flavor…
keep it simple with vanilla or add in some almond, or lemon or do what they call Princess Flavor and add all three, vanilla, almond, and lemon. You might recognize that flavor when you’ve had bakery cakes and can’t quite put your finger on the flavor it’s a combination that has plenty of great taste but not one is more overwhelming than another.
Gather the ingredients
- white cake mix (Duncan Hines)
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- water
- egg whites
- butter
- sour cream
- oil
- almond extract
- vanilla extract
- optional: lemon extract/baking emulsion
Why use baking strips?
Because it ensures the cake will bake evenly, nice a flat, no need to trim cakes, no domb, cakes won’t overbake since the edges won’t overbake quickly and the center won’t rise above them, so the cakes are nice and flat and will look great, taste great and easier to frost when stacking cakes. Baking strips can be found here.
Prepare your pans, for even baked layers with no domb, use baking strips and spray pans with a baking spray a mix of oil and flour.
Mix up the batter and pour it into your prepared pans for baking.
Be sure your oven is at the proper temperature so that cakes bake evenly and won’t be too dark.
Allow the cakes to cool for 5-10 minutes then turn them out onto a cooling rack to completely cool.
If you like a more dense cake, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze them overnight, the moisture in the cakes will be absorbed into the cake and the cake will then have a tighter crumb. The cake without freezing does have a great texture, I refrigerate the cake as I layer it with the frosting so the cake doesn’t slide.It helps to firm up the cake nicely without a super dense crumb.
How do you make a box cake taste like a bakery cake?
The addition of sour cream with the box mix gives the perfect texture of the cake to replicate a deliciously fresh baked cake from a nice bakery.
How can make white cake mix better?
The additions in this recipe somehow remove the processed flavor that can come with a box mix, it’s simple everyday ingredients and it’s so great to have a simple recipe to use anytime you want an easy white cake.
How can I make a box cake taste homemade?
The addition of sugar, flour, sour cream, and melted butter gives this cake the perfect homemade texture and taste.
The frosting I used is Sour Cream Frosting- recipe added in recipe card under cake recipe card
- this cake will also taste great with just about any of my frosting recipes,
- how about cream cheese frosting,
- chocolate swiss meringue frosting,
- strawberry buttercream,
- or how about chocolate malt frosting!
I decorated this cake with fresh camomile flowers.
You can choose to add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon extract for a fresh lemon flavor, but Id omit the almond extract in that case but still add vanilla. Or a great-tasting lemon baking emulsion, which is my favorite to the cake and the frosting recipe for a really fresh lemon flavor.
You can opt to keep it all almond flavor… then add toasted sliced almonds on top or just along the sides of the cake while the frosting is soft so they will stick. Then place it in the fridge to firm up nicely.
Or go with a classic vanilla. Use a delicious vanilla extract for the best flavor. I like THIS vanilla extract best, and their vanilla bean paste is wonderful too. All vanilla extracts are not created equal, they can actually taste very different, some taste like alcohol more than vanilla, they should smell amazing, it’ll really make a huge difference in your baked items.
- 1 box white cake mix (Duncan Hines 15.25oz) do not follow the directions on the package
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 4 egg whites, from large eggs
- 4 oz (½ cup) butter, melted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons oil (I use avocado oil, vegetable or canola would work as well)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or almond baking emulsion)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (or lemon baking emulsion)
- Prepare two 8" round cake pans. Use a baking spray or use a thin coating of shortening and flour, then wrap the pans with wet baking strips to ensure evenly baked cakes.
- In a large bowl with a mixer add all the ingredients in the order they are listed. Cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, water, egg whites, butter, sour cream, oil, almond, and vanilla flavors. For a more intense flavor cake you can use more vanilla or lemon, but with almond more is often too much.
- Mix on low speed until the mix starts blending, then turn onto medium speed and mix for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and under the beater after the first minute to be sure they combine fully, then continue mixing until well blended.
- Pour the cake batter evenly amongst the two pans and tap the pans gently on the counter so the batter is level in the pans.
- Bake at 335° (not 325° and not 350° for a well-risen cake that isn't dark in color). I have the oven rack set just above the center and it bakes evenly.
- I start timing the cakes at 30 minutes, then I test them about every 5 minutes until they are just set and a toothpick comes out clean when tested in the center of the bake.
- Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
- Then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool them completely.
- Then refrigerate or freeze the cakes so they will stack well and not slide. They don't need to be completely cold or frozen thru, you just want them to be firm so they hold up well when stacked and won't slide.
- Prepare the frosting, I used a batch of my sour cream frosting, added a thin layer of frosting in the middle, and top, and gave it a thin rough coating around the sides.
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar (add more for thicker frosting)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In the bowl of a mixer cream butter until smooth and add in the sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla, and whip until fully combined and smooth.
- Use more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting or add a little milk to make it thinner.
Looking for a chocolate cake…
Give this one a try… chocolate cake mix hack, check it out here.
If you like this or any other recipe at 
Karen Sum says
Do you have any recommendations for high altitude baking. I use Duncan Hines whit cake mixes all the time but I add 1/3 cup of flour. I also bake them at 350.
Diane says
I don’t have high-altitude baking experience, but have heard more flour and less sugar so it doesn’t sink is the trick. It sounds like adding flour or reducing some sugar would help. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. If you figure it out, let me know 🙂 I’m sure there are curious as well who bake at high altitude.
Good Luck!
Pamela says
Great cake, I just loved the texture and flavor. No one knew it came from a cake mix.
Sonya says
Could you use this recipe with any flavor cake mix? I did try lemon and it was good! Wondered about chocolate?
Diane says
I’m sure you could, I just haven’t gotten around to making more flavors. My preference for chocolate cake is this recipe with a box mix. https://www.createdby-diane.com/2023/03/chocolate-cake-mix-2-layer-cake.html
I really like the texture and richness for the chocolate cake without it having a fake flavor but I don’t like this method for other flavors.
Anitra spainhower says
I made this cake and icing for Easter and I’m just going to say this is the best cake I have ever had! I received so many compliments!
Thank you!
Diane says
I’m so happy to hear that!!!! Happy Easter 🙂
Sue says
Have you ever made this as a sheet cake?
Diane says
I haven’t yet, but it’ll fill a 9×13 plus have about 2 cups extra batter, you can make 6″ round or a few cupcakes. the cake should be baked for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick. comes out clean. If you bake it in a 9×13 let me know how it goes 🙂
Happy baking ~Diane
Paola says
Hello! Would it be ok if I use the Duncan Hines butter cake mix? I can’t find a white cake mix 😱
Diane says
I haven’t used it, and have no idea if it’ll taste more “artificial” but if you use it let me know how it turns out, also white cake uses egg whites, other varieties use whole eggs for taste/ texture, so there may be some additional differences.
Joyce Shores says
I made this cake over weekend and put devinity icing on it and then covered with coconut and it was so good, so most. I wished I had had this recipe years ago when I was decorating and selling cakes. THANKS!!
Diane says
Sounds like a delicious combo! I love this cake recipe, and yes, I wish I used it years ago as well 🙂
Donna says
I was taught in a cake decorating class years ago to add vanilla, almond, and butter extract. It’s loved by everyone, tastes just like a bakery that used to be here that was loved by all and still talked about!
Diane says
If you don’t need this to be a white cake can you use whole eggs rather than just egg whites?
Diane says
I haven’t tried it but, adding the yolks will change the texture of the cake.
Denise Mercer says
Hello! I’m tasked with baking a three tiered wedding cake with 4 layers in each tier. How high is the baked layer in each pan? Is it high enough to torte into at least 2 x one inch layers?
thank you!
Diane says
I used 8″ round cake pans that are 2″ high, the cake layers bake up to the top, so they are 2″ thick and can be cut to make thinner layers.
Lise says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Diane says
I use salted butter as I prefer it, but use the butter of your preference, if you don’t prefer salt use unsalted.
Rita DeFelice says
Can I substitute milk for the water? I’ve heard adding milk makes for a homemade cake taste.
Or will it change the texture?
Thanks, Rita
Diane says
I have not made this recipe with milk. My best suggestion is to make the recipe as written, it’s absolutely delicious, if after that you still feel it need to change then try the milk, milk will change it not only taste but texture, with the added sugar and protein in the milk, it might be “gummy” or heavy, as I mentioned I don’t use milk in this recipe. I bake a lot and have made many cakes, you’d be surprised how 1 change can alter the whole cake. It’s always best to try the recipe as written, then go ahead and test other versions if you don’t prefer the original recipe, but why change the recipe if you haven’t tried it as intended, you may not like the change but won’t know if the recipe was successful if you don’t make it as written. I hope that helps, I get asked these types of questions often. Lots of people change recipes before trying then, then think the recipe “failed” but without making it as written when it comes to baking, there are so many things that cane change with just one adjustment.
Let me know how you like that cake 🙂
Judy Sommer says
I hesitated at first until I read your recipe and saw DH cake mix, I was sold on your recipe. Over 52 yrs. ago my husband’s next door neighbor’s mother made wedding cakes and she made ours w/ fountain and all (at that time was unique). She only used DH and I started using when baking our children’s cakes. Compliments, delicious tasting, moist – a winner!!!
Diane says
YAY!!! So happy you liked it, and I love hearing stories like that!
Happy Baking ~Diane
Tarah says
If you use the lemon extract, do you leave out the almond extract?
Diane says
I don’t prefer lemon and almond together. So if adding lemon to the cake, I’d use all lemon or lemon and vanilla which is delicious.
Ellen Norris says
Do you have baking recommendations if I make this as cupcakes?
Diane says
Here is the post for this recipe for cupcakes https://www.createdby-diane.com/2023/02/white-almond-sour-cream-cupcakes-wasc.html
Maria E. Torrini says
I have serious reservations about this recipe. I have baked a ton of cakes over the years, many white using egg whites. In my experience, using butter, oil or as you call for sour cream, that won’t make the cake rise. It will fall like a pancake as the grease keeps the whites from giving rise to the batter. Adding flour and sugar will make it heavy and gritty. Is this meant to be a pound cake? It just won’t be lite the way you list those ingredients.
Diane says
This cake has a great light texture not heavy/dense like pound cake. The recipe may not be what you are used to, but that certainly doesn’t mean it won’t turn out wonderful or have a heavy texture. And many people say this is by far the best white cake they’ve ever had every single time I make it. There is leavening agents in the ingredients in the Duncan Hines Cake mix. This recipe has been tested many times before posting 🙂
Char says
Can I replace the water with milk? I’ve heard it makes the cake more moist.
Diane says
I would not adjust this recipe without making it first. This cake is moist and delicious just the way the recipe it written. If you use milk it will be heavy, it also could not rise as well. Always make a recipe as written first before adjusting so you know if you like the recipe, this recipe has been tested many times to ensure a great cake in taste and texture 🙂
Mary Saliba says
Do you use a 15.25 ounce cake mix?
Diane says
Yes, 15.25 oz is the size of the Duncan Hines cake mix box.
Rae says
I just finished making this cake and it is incredible!! Mine had a slight texture of angel food cake but it was so delicious!! I would definitely recommend this one!!! Thanks!!
Melody says
I’m happy you mentioned trying the recipe AS written first. It drives me crazy when I see people leaving reviews for recipes ( good or bad) that they added this or that or reduced this or that …”sorry but you just reviewed an entirely different recipe.” 😂 great cake btw thank you
Lauren says
Do to dietary restrictions, can apple sauce be substituted for sour cream? Do you have another recommendation aside from sour cream? Thanks
Diane says
Sorry I don’t I haven’t made it with any other options yet.
Hunny says
What do I need to do to convert this to baking in a bunt pan?
Diane says
The baking. Time will take longer to bake in a bundt, start testing at 50 minutes.
Lisa says
Made the cupcake version of this recipe, making again this week for daughter’s any shower. Loved the texture and flavor. It’s a girl! White cupcakes with pink vanilla buttercream roses, making these for that special an event proves how confident I am that they will be delicious!
Nadia Fay says
I’m excited to try this recipe, but what are “baking strips” mentioned in step one to prep the pans?
Diane says
Baking strips ensure the cakes bake evenly Ana fla, you wet them, then wrap and secure them sound outside baking pans. Here’s a link to them https://amzn.to/3wFzjVW
Alternatively you can cut strips of a terry cloth towel wet and pin them. It’s a game changer since without them cakes often get a round dome in the center and quick over bakes edges. The cake will be more evenly baked.