Densed-Up Cake Mix Recipe

***NOTE*** Do NOT follow the recipe on the back of the box mix. 

(For a Full Recipe yields *about 75 cupcakes or

One 14”x2” round and one 6”x2” round or

One 16”x2” round or

One 12”x2” round and one 10”x2” round or

Two 6”x2” rounds and one 8”x2” round and one 10”x2” round or

One Half Sheet pan or

One 12”x2” round and one 8”x2” round and one 6”x2” round

For a Half Recipe yields *about 36 cupcakes or

Two 8”x2” rounds and One 6”x2” round or

Two 6”x2” rounds and 12 cupcakes or

One quarter-sheet pan or

Two 10”x2” rounds or

One 12”x2” round and 6 cupcakes)

*When I say “about” I mean that you need to measure EXACTLY or else you will get less than 36 or 75 cupcakes.  If you don’t measure each amount of cupcake batter then you end up getting more like 34 or 72 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

(Full Recipe)

2 boxes of any Cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker.  Duncan Hines is also pretty good, but I have to tweak it a little when I make some of my berry-flavored cakes or other kinds.  Pillsbury is too moist for the Key Lime, Lemonade flavored cakes, and Pumpkin Spice cakes so I have to tweak that one too and add more flour.  The choice is yours, but I also like the box tops that come on the boxes of Betty Crocker!)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoon salt

2 2/3 cups water

6 large eggs (I still use the yolks, even for my white cakes and they are still just as white)

2 cups sour cream

(Half Recipe)

1 box of any Cake Mix

2 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup water

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare pan(s).  Set aside.  In a mixer, combine Cake Mix, flour, sugar, and salt.  Mix on low speed until well combined.  Slowly add water, eggs, and sour cream.  Turn the mixer speed to medium and continue to mix until well combined.  Pour mixture into prepared pans and bake for 45-50 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.  Wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble and decorate.

**Special Additions:

**There are a lot of reasons why I love this recipe.  Probably the top reason is how moist it stays during the whole decorating process (especially for wedding cakes!!!!).  I also love how firm this cake recipe is so it is perfect for carving and stacking (again, a big PLUS for wedding cakes!!).  But another really great reason is that you can add some different ingredients to the same base recipe and get a really yummy and different flavored cake.  I have added to this recipe page some of my favorite combinations.  See Key Lime, Strawberry Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon Spice, Peanut Butter, Italian Cream, and Gingerbread.  Once you’ve made a couple of these you will see that it doesn’t take much to create your own special cake flavor, so I encourage you to try some of your own ideas!