Take your gluten free cake mix to a whole new level. I am sharing some quick and easy gluten free cake mix hacks that will make your cakes taste better. If you are looking for an extraordinary cake made with a cake mix, you can doctor the cake mix with one of my hacks. I also share my favorite store-bought gluten free cake mixes.
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Gluten free box cake mixes can vary widely depending on the ingredients manufacturers use. Some gluten free mixes have a lot of rice flour because it is a cheap ingredient to use. Often people find that the texture or taste of a cake mix is not quite up to their standards, so they look for ways to help it turn out better.
If you want your cake mix to taste better, you can doctor the cake mix so that it turns out better. If you are trying to save time by using a cake mix as a base, you can easily add your own personal touch to it.
Additionally, doctoring a cake mix lets you really customize the cake. By adding different ingredients or flavors, people can get creative and create a cake that is uniquely their own and tailored to their preferences.
If you are new to gluten free, I have a ton of Gluten Free Resources to help you learn how to cook and bake gluten free. You may also love reading about my Best Kitchen Tools For Baking Cake. Having the right equipment helps you be more efficient, and can help your cakes turn out perfectly.
Best Store-Bought Gluten Free Cake Mixes:
Gluten free has come a long way over the past few years, and many different companies are offering gluten free cake mixes.
You can also easily make homemade cake mix. I have both Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix and a Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix recipes. Here are some great store-bought gluten free cake mixes to try (*affiliate links):
- King Arthur Gluten Free Cake Mix – They have three flavors of gluten free cake mix. Classic Yellow Cake Mix, Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix, and Funfetti Cake Mix.
- Betty Crocker GF Cake Mix – They make gluten free chocolate, yellow cake, and devil’s food cake mixes.
- Bob’s Red Mill – They make gluten free chocolate and vanilla cake mixes, plus they have a grain-free chocolate cake mix.
- Simple Mills – They have both gluten free chocolate and vanilla cake mixes. Note that their cake mixes contain almond flour and are unsafe for nut allergies.
- Pamela’s Products– They have two flavors of gluten free cake mix. Vanilla and chocolate.
- XOXO Baking Company – They make gluten free chocolate, vanilla, pound cake, and coffee cake mixes.
- Pillsbury GF Cake Mix – They have two flavors of gluten free cake mix available, vanilla and funfetti. (I was surprised they don’t offer a chocolate cake mix.)
- Open Nature – This is an in-house brand sold at Safeway and the other Albertson’s chain grocery stores. These are the least expensive mixes I have found at $2.99 per box. They make both gluten free vanilla and chocolate cake mixes.
- Cup4Cup Cake Mix – They make gluten-free chocolate and yellow cake mixes.
🔑 Sandi says: Always let your cake batter sit in the cake pan for at least 15 minutes before baking. This gives the rice flour in the cake mix time to soften so the cake doesn’t turn out gritty.
Ways To Doctor Gluten Free Cake Mix:
There are many ways to doctor cake mix to give it a more homemade taste and texture. Here are some common ways:
- Add an extra egg: Adding an extra egg to the cake mix will make the cake richer and softer.
- Substitute milk for water: Instead of water in the cake mix, use milk. This will make the cake more flavorful and moist.
- Add sour cream or yogurt: Adding sour cream or yogurt to the cake mix will give it a tangy flavor and moist texture. I add yogurt to these Gluten Free Lemon Yogurt Cakes.
- Use melted butter instead of oil: Melted butter adds a rich flavor and creaminess to the cake and can make it more tender.
- Add applesauce: Applesauce helps hold moisture so your cake turns out moist and delicious. Applesauce helps keep this Gluten Free Spice Cake perfectly moist.
- Add vanilla, lemon, orange, mint, or almond extract: Adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract or another extract flavor can easily vary the flavor of the cake.
- Add pudding mix: Adding a package of instant pudding mix to the cake mix will make the cake tender and more flavorful. Always check to be sure your gluten free pudding mix is gluten free! I used gluten free pudding mix to make this Gluten Free Raspberry Bundt Cake even better!
- Mix in chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit: Customizing the flavor by adding chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit to the cake mix can give it a more homemade taste and texture.
- Add spices: Adding spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger can add a warm and comforting flavor to the cake.
- Use a different liquid: Instead of water or milk, you can try using other liquids such as buttermilk, coffee, or soda to add different flavors to the cake. I used apple cider for the liquid in this Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake recipe.
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Fun Ways To Use Gluten Free Cake Mix:
Cake mix can be used for more than just making a cake! Here are some fun ways to use cake mix:
- Cake batter pancakes and waffles: Use cake mix batter instead of pancake batter to make fluffy, sweet dessert-style pancakes or waffles.
- Cake batter ice cream: Mix cake mix into your ice cream base and freeze for a delicious, cake-flavored ice cream.
- Cake batter popcorn: Mix melted white chocolate and cake mix and pour it over popped popcorn. Toss to coat your popcorn, and then let it cool down and enjoy!
- Cake batter fudge: Mix cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, and white chocolate chips and let set in the fridge for an easy and delicious fudge.
- Cake batter cookies: Mix cake mix with butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to make soft and chewy cookies.
- Cake batter donuts: Mix cake mix in your donut recipe as I did in this Gluten Free Vanilla Donuts recipe.
- Gluten Free Dump Cake: Make a fun cake with cake mix, fruit pie filling, and butter.
More Gluten Free Recipes with Cake Mix:
I am going to try to make a gluten free German chocolate cake. can I use a gf chocolate cake mix to get started
Hi April, that should be fine.
Thank you so much for these hacks. I love to bake and I recently met a couple about a year or so ago at church and we became best friends and she has a gluten allergy. I wanted to bake her a cake for her birthday and didn’t know what to do because she said she wasn’t to crazy about them, they were dry. She wanted one and doesn’t have family and sent me a recipe for the icing. I think I have the cake licked now. Thank You so much and God Bless You and I look forward to more recipes or hacks and I can invite her for a meal. lol.
You made my day with your kindness towards your friend, Melissa. She is blessed to have a friend like you.
Hi, I’m confused by the different weights of the boxed cake mixes you recommend. All (I think) say they make 2 cake layers, but they vary from 11 to 22 ounces, according to the package images, presumably due to the different flours. Are they interchangeable in the doctored recipes? I have the King Arthur mixes (the heaviest). I don’t want to have to experiment with several trial cakes before making a doctored cake for an upcoming party, so I’m hoping you can tell me what kind of adjustment they take. Thank you!
Hi Joan, You noted something that drives me crazy, and I fully agree. I wish gluten free cake mixes were the same. It is hard to know why they are so different, and I suspect it is partially the starch ratio…but without buying and baking each to see the final sizes, it is hard to know. As for doctoring a recipe, I have found the cake amount doesn’t matter too much. I like to add an extra egg or a box of pudding mix most often, and they turn out fine. Sometimes you do have to add a bit more liquid if you used pudding mix, so it is good to look at the cake batter and adjust if needed.
Hi Sandy! I was wondering if you could take a GF yellow cake mix and make a kind of pound cake loaf or Bundt?
Thanks!
Hi Susan, you probably would want to do something like this recipe: https://www.fearlessdining.com/super-moist-gluten-free-raspberry-vanilla-pudding-bundt-cake/ I haven’t doctored cake mix to be a bundt cake specifically, but pudding mix would probably help.
Hi Sandi, I’m getting a cookbook together of all your recipes. I came across your Homemade Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix. Instruction #3 says to print out the recipe linked in the post so I can make the cake. Unfortunately I didn’t print it out and can’t find it on your site. Would you be able to send it to me please?
Have a wonderful weekend.
Diane
I do not understand what you mean by you are getting a cookbook of my recipes.
I think she means she’s putting together a cookbook of your recipes, like collating them so she has them all printed out.