You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to jazz up the simple dessert! As much as I love whipping up desserts for my family, I also rely on the ever-reliable cake mix, from time to time. It makes things a lot easier without compromising flavor. Don’t believe me? That’s okay, I’ll just let these desserts speak for themselves. Today, learn about 25 ways you can use a yellow cake mix and make outrageously delicious desserts out of it. Whether you’re a fan of honey, lemon, or pineapple, there’s no dessert a yellow cake mix can’t do.
20+ Delectable Desserts Made with Yellow Cake Mix
1. Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake
Here’s a fantastic way to level up the flavor of a simple yellow cake: infuse it with cinnamon. This cinnamon roll cake is divine! Cinnamon rolls are typically made from yeasted dough, but that requires a lot of effort. So instead of slaving in the kitchen, just try this simplified version. This cake has all the flavors and gooey textures of a classic cinnamon roll, but it’s embarrassingly easy to make.
2. Gooey Butter Cookies
Just the thought of butter cookies makes my mouth water. They’re clear evidence that the simplest things are also the greatest. There’s not much involved in making these cookies – just a yellow cake batter and cream cheese. The result is nothing short of amazing. With a soft, chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth texture and a sweet, creamy, and buttery flavor, these cookies are definitely the bomb. Eat them as-is or dust them with powdered sugar for extra sweetness.
3. Honey Bun Cake
Craving something sweet for breakfast? This honey bun cake is exactly what you’ll need. It’s a moist, yellow cake kissed with brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. The cake is wonderfully sweet, but the mild spice from the cinnamon balances it out beautifully. Whether you serve this for breakfast or dessert (just add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top), it’ll be a guaranteed hit.
4. Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Caramel and apples are a perfect reminder of days spent at the country fair. If you’re feeling a little nostalgic, why not go down memory lane and bake this caramel apple dump cake? The fact that it’s a dump cake makes it a cinch to make. The result will absolutely blow your mind. So here’s how it goes: crunchy apple slices are coated with gooey caramel and covered in a buttery spiced yellow cake.
5. Yellow Cake Mix Coffee Cake
Did you know that coffee cake doesn’t contain coffee at all? Instead, it’s a dense and crumbly cake that goes perfectly with coffee, hence the name. This particular coffee cake is flavored with butter and brown sugar. It has very few ingredients, which is why the flavors of the butter and sugar really shine through. Topped with a sweet and crumbly pecan crumble, it’s packed with both wonderful flavors and textures.
6. Easy Lemon Cream Poke Cake
In need of a summer dessert to bring to your next potluck? This lemon cream cake has your name written all over it. The cake itself is flavored with lemon, drizzled with lemon pudding, and topped with fluffy whipped cream. If bright and refreshing is what you’re looking for – this cake definitely fits the bill. Because it’s a poke cake, this dessert is fool-proof. Even if your cake turns out dry (which I doubt it would), the pudding layer will moisten it right up.
7. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
I am such a sucker for pineapple upside-down cake! It’s the kind of cake I won’t ever say no to. With its tender and wonderfully dense cake and sweet and mildly crunchy cinnamon-flavored pineapple topping, this cake is simply divine. It’s what tropical dessert dreams are made of. The maraschino cherries inside the pineapple rings add a lovely pop of color and a refreshing flavor.
8. Better-Than-Anything Peanut Butter Cake
If peanut butter is your jam, this cake is a must-try. This cake is so scrumptious it’ll disappear in a snap. The cake itself is flavored with peanut butter, so it’s already loaded with peanut butter goodness in and of itself. It’s then poked and drizzled with a condensed milk and caramel sauce and topped with peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups, to boot. To say that it’s a peanut butter lover’s delight is an understatement.
9. Easy Peanut Butter Cake
Here’s another peanut butter-flavored cake that’ll surely knock your socks off. A moist peanut butter cake is finished off with chocolate buttercream frosting and chopped-up peanut butter cups for a stunning dessert. If you’re more of a peanut butter-cream cheese lover, though, feel free to nix the chocolate frosting and smear it with an easy peanut butter cream cheese frosting. It’ll be amazing, either way.
10. 7-Up Cake Recipe
Did you know that sodas are a great way to add moisture and flavor to a boxed cake mix? In this recipe, you’ll use 7-Up to make a ridiculously decadent cake. First of all, just look at how pretty it is. This bundt cake really has that rustic appeal going on. The cake is flavored with lemon pudding and drizzled with lemon glaze to give it a bright and refreshing taste. It may be simple, but it surely hits the spot.
11. Tres Leches Cake
Tres leches is one of the very first cakes I’ve made, and it did not disappoint. No matter how many blunders I made, it still turned out amazing! This dessert has a simple cake base that’s poked and drizzled with three kinds of milk – sweetened condensed milk, evaporated cream, and heavy cream. Topped with whipped cream, it’s a light and refreshing dessert you’ll want at least two slices of.
12. Cherry Dump Cake
Think cherry cake, cobbler, and pie all rolled into one! In short, it’s spectacular. This cake means serious business. There’s a sweet and fruity cherry filling at the bottom, a rich cream cheese mixture in the middle, and a golden and buttery cake on top. You’ll love how all the different flavors and textures work hand-in-hand to create one spectacular dessert. Also, despite the many components, this cake is still a breeze to make.
13. Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake
Got some fresh strawberries lying in the fridge? This poke cake is just the dessert for you. A basic yellow cake is made extra special with strawberry gelatin, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. It’s very light and refreshing, which makes it an excellent summer cake. What a delicious way to beat the heat!
14. Pumpkin Praline Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
The name of this dessert alone is enough to make you want to try it. Each component is great on its own, but it’s when they’re together that they create magic. This bundt cake is flavored with pumpkin puree, making it super tender and moist. The praline is made with pecans, butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream to create a sticky and crunchy topping that’s out-of-this-world delicious. With a decadent cream cheese frosting, to boot, this cake will absolutely make your mouth water.
15. Banana Pudding Poke Cake
If you can’t decide between banana bread and yellow cake, this epic dessert mash-up is for you. It’s a moist and tender yellow cake made even more moist and tender with banana pudding. It’s topped with whipped cream and crushed-up Nilla wafers, for good measure. From the look to the flavor to the crunch, this cake gets an A+. Serve this cake on its own, or give it an extra banana flavor with sliced-up ripe bananas.
16. Apple Pie Cake
This cake has all the flavors you want in an apple pie but is made so much easier. With a tender and fluffy, cinnamon-infused yellow cake and a sweet apple pie filling, this cake is the stuff of legends. There’s no need to make a crust, which makes it a lot simpler to make. But don’t worry, its mind-blowing flavor makes up for the lack of crust. Serve the cake with or without vanilla ice cream on top. It’ll be a hit, either way.
17. Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe
Mandarin orange and pineapple join forces to make one outrageously delectable cake! Filled with actual mandarin oranges and topped with a pineapple-infused whipped pudding, one bite of this cake will instantly whisk you away to the tropics. It’s refreshing as can be, which makes it an ideal dessert to serve at summer BBQs and picnics. The best part? It only calls for seven simple ingredients.
18. Pineapple Pudding Poke Cake
Can’t get enough of pineapples? Here’s another pineapple treat that’ll make your tastebuds go wild. It’s yet another poke cake recipe, but this one tastes like no other. With pineapple chunks both at the bottom AND on top, this cake is one of the most heavenly tropical desserts there is. You can top the cake with vanilla pudding and call it a day, or take it one notch higher by sprinkling it with toasted coconut.
19. Cake Mix Banana Bread
Banana bread is already a super-easy quick bread recipe, but you can make it all the easier with a boxed cake mix. Don’t worry, just because it uses a yellow cake mix doesn’t mean it tastes artificial. The secret is to add over-ripe bananas to the mix. This simple combination creates an incredibly moist, fluffy, and flavorful banana bread. It’s so refreshing, no one will notice it came straight out of the box.
20. Boston Cream Poke Cake
If you’re a huge fan of the Boston Cream pie, congratulations. You’ve just found the perfect cake version of your favorite dessert. This poke cake is fully loaded with a Bavarian cream-like pudding and a delectable chocolate frosting. This cake is so decadent, which is why it’s such a surprise how insanely simple it is. Just seven ingredients and you’re all set.
21. Pig Pickin’ Cake
What a fun name for an even more fun dessert! Also called mandarin orange cake, the pig pickin’ cake is a moist yellow cake studded with mandarin orange slices and topped with a pineapple whipped cream topping. While no one knows how or why it got its curious moniker, one thing’s for sure. This cake is super light, refreshing, and downright delicious.
22. Pistachio Cake
This pistachio cake is wonderfully green and scrumptious! It’s a basic yellow cake flavored with pistachio pudding topped with pistachio whipped cream. As there’s not a lot of elements to this cake, expect the flavor of the pistachios to really shine through, even if it doesn’t contain actual pistachios, per se. But of course, if you want to make it more flavorful (and if budget permits), feel free to top it with crushed toasted pistachios.
23. Lemon Cake
Nothing beats the classic flavors of a good lemon cake. This light and fluffy cake is the refreshing dessert that’s missing in your summer picnic. Infused with lemon juice, both the cake and the glaze have an incredibly lemony flavor. It’s as refreshing as can be! I use a bundt pan to bake the cake for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, a regular loaf or sheet pan will do.
24. Rhubarb Custard Cake
Rhubarb is ridiculously tart when eaten raw, but when sprinkled with sugar and baked into a cake, it’s amazing. It loses its wild, mouth-puckering taste and becomes tender, sweet, and just mildly tart. It adds such a unique flavor to any cake and makes it super refreshing.
25. Fool’s Cake
This fool-proof cake is all you’ll need if you need to produce a show-stopping cake, but can’t bake to save your life. With layers of yellow cake, pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and maraschino cherries on top, this cake is crazy delicious. Even without frosting, this cake is a masterpiece. The flavors and textures from the fruits are enough to make it extra special. Click on a star to rate it!
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