The Tasty Milk Swap That Gives Boxed Cakes A New Layer Of Flavor

As straightforward as the set of instructions printed on the side of a store-bought cake mix might be, there are still plenty of ways you can spruce up your easy-to-make dessert. Whether dumping in hazelnut and vanilla extracts or adding handfuls of chopped nuts and chocolate chips, the package you buy from the store isn't necessarily what you must serve. If you're lacking inspiration, a simple switch-up is thinking about the kind of milk you use to combine with the powdery mix you've dumped out of the box.

Consider using milk that has been seeped in your favorite cereal to spruce up a vanilla cake, or use chocolate milk to deepen the notes of chocolate found in your boxed chocolate cake mix. Yoo-Hoo can be added to a classic coffee cake mix, or try a strawberry-flavored Nesquik to invite more sweetness to a super moist strawberry cake mix. Once you start thinking of possible flavor combinations, there is no end to the delicious creations you can whip up without much fuss.

You don't need to think of only using flavored milks to turn up the flavor dials in your cake, either. Almond and coconut milks can add a subtle whisper of sweetness, and your favorite kinds of coffee creamers can be mixed with a milk or milk alternative to invite more complex layers of flavor into your treat.

Once your cake is cooked and cooled, let the milk alternative you used in the cake mix inspire your decorating ideas. A store-bought lemon cake made with coconut milk, for example, can be topped with toasted coconut flakes, or a spice cake mix made with almond milk can be crowned with chopped almonds. Handfuls of crunchy cereal can be placed on top of a vanilla icing-topped cake that was made with cereal milk, or powdery sprinkles of cocoa powder can decorate chocolate cakes stirred with chocolate milk for an added boost of chocolatey decadence. These delicious creations are the kinds of culinary experimentations that are guaranteed to turn out sweet.