How to Make Cupcakes with Cake Mix

Co-authored by Maha Mohamed

Last Updated: November 20, 2024 References

Many people don't have the time or patience to make cupcake batter from scratch. So why not use cake mix? It tastes the same and cuts down on the time. This article will show you how to bake cupcakes using boxed cake mix. It will also give you some ideas on how to decorate them, and make them more flavorful.

Things You Should Know

Preheat the oven before mixing together cupcake batter as directed on the box, bake them, and let them cool.
Frost the cupcakes and add sprinkles once they’re cool; you can use pre-made frosting, make your own buttercream, make glacé icing, or even use Nutella.
Experiment with cupcakes; use food dye and sprinkles to add color, blend white and chocolate mix for marble cake, and add pudding for a fluffier cake.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Mixing and Baking

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1
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (176.67°C) then prepare the cake mix according to the instructions on the box. Most cake mixes will also require additional wet ingredients, such as water, oil, and an egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your whisk or spatula while mixing. This will help the batter come out more even. You will also want to "fold" the batter every now and then; this will give you a smoother batter.
- If you are going to be using dark or nonstick baking pans, lower the temperature to 325°F (162.78°C).
- How much water, oil, and eggs you will need will depend on what brand of cake mix you are using. If you lost the box, try finding the instructions on the company website; they often will have them posted there. Plan on using about 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water, ½ cup (120 milliliters) of oil, and 2 to 3 eggs.
2
Choose and prepare a cupcake pan. You can bake the batter in the cupcake wells directly, or you can place cupcake liners into the wells first. The liners are not necessary, but they will make cleaning up easier; they will also make the cupcakes look prettier. You can use a regular, mini, or jumbo sized cupcake pan.
- If you want to fill the wells with batter directly, you will need to wipe them down using a paper towel soaked with vegetable or canola oil first.
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3
Fill the cupcake wells two-thirds to three-fourths of the way with batter. Do not over-fill the cupcake wells. The batter will rise as it bakes. A quick and easy way to fill the cupcake wells is to use a large spoon or an ice cream scooper.
- A box of cake mix will be enough to make 24 to 30 regular-sized cupcakes. It will make even more mini-sized cupcakes, but fewer of the jumbo-sized ones.
- Cover and refrigerate any leftover batter. When you are done baking the first batch, let the pan cool for 15 minutes, then fill it with the rest of the batter. You may need to bake this new batch 1 to 2 minutes longer than the first one. ^{[1]
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4
Bake the cupcakes depending on pan size. Check the cupcakes for done-ness after the lowest-baking time listed, and bake them longer, if necessary. If you have a convection oven, check the cupcakes after 8 minutes. You can tell when they are done if a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Well-done cupcakes will also "spring" back when touched on the top.
- Regular-sized cupcakes will need 15 to 20 minutes.
- Mini cupcakes will need 10 to 15 minutes.
- Jumbo cupcakes will need 20 to 30 minutes.
Let the cupcakes cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan first. After that, pop them out, and let them finish cooling on a flat surface. ^{[2]
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Part 2

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Frosting and Decorating

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If they are not completely cool, any icing or frosting you put on will melt and turn runny.
2
Use pre-make frosting for quick and easy decorating. When you open the tub, give the frosting a quick stir with a fork or whisk. This will help make it softer and fluffier. Then, dip the top of each cupcake into the frosting. Give the cupcake a slight twist as you pull it back out.
- To make your frosting colored, add a few drops of liquid food coloring, and give it a quick stir with a fork or whisk.
- To make the cupcakes more interesting, dip them into a bowl filled with chopped walnuts, colored sugar, or sprinkles. ^{[3]
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- Mix and match the frosting. Try chocolate frosting on white cupcakes, and white frosting on chocolate cupcakes.
3
Make some homemade buttercream frosting for a rich treat. Beat 3 cups (375 grams) of confectioner's/icing sugar and 1/3 cup (75 grams) of softened butter in an electric mixer until you get a smooth consistency. Add in 1½ teaspoons of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Keep stirring until the frosting is smooth. If it is too thick, add in a little bit more milk. If it is too thin, add some more confectioner's/icing sugar. ^{[4]
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- To make colored buttercream, stir in a few drops of food coloring.
- You can use a spatula to spread the buttercream on, or an icing bag to pipe it on.
- If you want to create a swirling effect with more than one color, just stack the colored buttercreams on a piece of cling film and roll it, sandwiching them before applying.
4
Make some glacé icing for a more delicate treat. Sift 10½ ounces (300 grams) of confectioners/icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of boiling water, or until you get a smooth, thick texture. Drizzle this over the cupcakes, and let it set. Here are some more ideas for variations: ^{[5]
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- To make colored icing, add 2 to 3 drops of liquid food coloring.
- To make the icing flavored, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of orange juice or lemon juice instead of water.
- For a hint of chocolaty flavor, add 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder into the icing sugar before you add the water.
- Add some sprinkles or a Maraschino cherry for a burst of color.
Get a tub of chocolate-hazelnut spread, and spread about 1 tablespoon on top of each cupcake. It is great on cupcakes made from yellow cake mixes.
6
Add some toppings. Frosting and icing can make cupcakes look pretty, but it is the toppings that can make them look really colorful. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- A Maraschino cherry is a classic topping atop white icing.
- Sprinkles, colored sugar, sugar strands are great for swirled on buttercream frosting.
- Flower-shaped sugar/candy are dainty, and perfect for spring or girlish cupcakes.
- Chopped walnuts are great for chocolate frosting.
7
Match the frosting color and decorations to the upcoming holiday, season, or the event.
- If it is near Saint Patrick's Day, try using green icing. You can also use white frosting and add some green sprinkles instead.
- If the cupcakes are for a baby shower, use pink frosting if it is a girl, and blue frosting if it is a boy.
- If it is around spring, try using white icing and flower-shaped sprinkles. If it is around winter, try using blue icing and snowflake-shaped sprinkles.
8
Match the cupcake liners to the cupcakes, the upcoming holiday, or the event.
- If it is near Valentine's Day, try finding some liners with hearts on them. You can also use pink or red lines.
- If your cupcakes have a Halloween theme to them, consider using some matching Halloween-themed liners. You can also use orange or black ones.
- If the cupcakes are for a birthday party, try finding some liners that say "Happy Birthday" on them, or have balloons and streamers printed on them. You can also use liners that match the colors of the party.
- If it is around spring, try using liners with flowers on them. If it is around winter, try using liners with snowflakes on them.

Part 3

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Adding Variations

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1
Experiment with different cake mixes. There are more varieties than just white cake mix and chocolate cake mix. Here are some other options:
- Red-velvet is great when paired with cream cheese frosting.
- Yellow is great when paired with chocolate frosting.
- Birthday or Funfetti cake mixes are a basic white or yellow cake, but with sprinkles.
2
Consider adding some food coloring to a white cake mix. Stir the food coloring into the batter before you pour it into the cupcake wells. The more color you use, the brighter/darker your cupcakes will be. You can use either gel, paste, or liquid food coloring, but liquid food coloring will be less intense. ^{[7]
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- Consider matching the color to the upcoming holiday. For example, if it is February, you can make the cupcakes red or pink in honor of Valentine's Day. If it is March, you can make them green in honor of Saint Patrick's Day.
3
Add some fun to a plain white or yellow cake mix with sprinkles. Once you have stirred your batter together, add about ¼ cup (55 grams) of sprinkles into the batter and give it a final stir. Transfer the batter into the cupcake wells. Note that the color from the sprinkles may bleed a little bit into the cupcake itself.
- You can use more sprinkles if you want.
Prepare the two cake mixes separately. Pour enough of each one to fill the cupcake wells two-thirds to three-fourths of the way. Give the batters one or two quick stirs with a toothpick before popping the pan into the oven.
5
Add a packet of instant pudding for moist and fluffy cupcakes. Be sure to use the same pudding flavor as the cake mix. For example, if you are using vanilla cake mix, use vanilla pudding; if you are using lemon cake mix, use lemon pudding. Add the pudding into the cake mix before you stir in the wet ingredients.
- If you are adding chocolate pudding, consider adding some instant coffee as well. This will help intensify the chocolate flavor.
Add 1 more egg than what the box instructs along with the rest of your wet ingredients. Once the batter is blended, stir it for 3 more minutes.

Community Q&A

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Question

What is a good color of frosting for a boy baby shower and simple decorations to go on it?

Rabiah Miller

Community Answer

A good color of frosting to use for a boy would be blue, as well as the gender-neutral colors of green and yellow. Just add different varieties of sprinkles and cake decorations to the top of the cupcake to decorate. You could also spell out the baby's name or the parents' names in candles on top of the cupcakes when they are arranged together.

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How many cupcakes do I need to make?

Qamar

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You can make as many as you desire - the choice is yours.

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Can I substitute milk for water when using a cake mix?

Community Answer

You can, but it will change the taste and consistency of the final product.

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Tips

Consider baking one or two cupcakes with different amounts of batters first. This will allow you to figure out how much batter you really want to use before making a whole batch. ^{[8]
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Use a toothpick once the cupcakes get out of the oven. Poke the toothpick all the way into the cupcake, and then pull it out. If the toothpick had goop on it, the cupcakes are not fully baked and need more baking. If the toothpick comes out clean, they're ready.

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Buy the moist variety of cake mix. On most boxes, it will advertise this.

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Warnings

Do not open the oven door while the cupcakes are baking—unless it is to check for doneness. Opening the oven door repeatedly may keep the cupcakes from baking all the way.

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Do not leave the oven light on. This may cause the cupcakes to bake unevenly.

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Do not eat raw cake mix.

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Things You'll Need

Cake mix
Additional ingredients per box (water, oil, eggs)
Mixing bowl
Whisk or spoon
Oven
Cupcake pan
Cupcake liners (optional)
Frosting or icing
Toppings (sprinkles, candy, chopped nuts, etc)

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How to Make Cupcakes with Cake Mix

Things You Should Know

Steps

Mixing and Baking

Frosting and Decorating

Adding Variations

Community Q&A

Tips

Warnings

Things You'll Need

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References

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