5 Flavorful Substitutes For The Water In Your Boxed Cake Mix

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The fun and convenience of preparing your favorite store-bought packaged cake mix opens up a variety of possibilities for additions, decorations, and clever ingredient swaps. While the add-ins for a basic boxed cake mix typically include eggs, water, and oil, it's worth considering what liquids you can use in place of water for a simple yet effective upgrade. 

Tasting Table spoke to expert Jerrelle Guy, author of the James Beard Award-nominated cookbook, Black Girl Baking (available on Amazon), and creator of The Dinner Ritual, a newsletter exploring the intersection of cooking and spirituality, to get her opinions on the best substitutions. Depending on the flavor of your cake mix, you can skip adding water for whole milk, buttermilk, brewed coffee, soda, or fruit juice to enhance the taste and texture of your cake.

Per Guy, you can maintain the same amount of liquid but replace it with an equal measure of your substitute ingredient. Each of these options will significantly enhance your cake by adding either a different or enriched flavor or altering the density of the cake. Some of these liquids are best suited to certain types of cake, but you can definitely get creative with different flavor combinations to determine what works best for you.

As Guy explains, whole milk "adds more richness, flavor and moisture because it has more fat." The latter will give your boxed cake mix a deeper flavor, as compared to using water or skim milk. Whole milk also affects the texture and density of your boxed cake mix, giving it a softer crumb and deeper browning in the baking process. You can use an equal measurement of whole milk in place of water for a balanced and successful swap.

Whole milk is a great substitute for water in a variety of different cake mixes that could use an extra boost. A classic white cake, yellow cake, or strawberry cake would definitely benefit from the added robustness of whole milk in lieu of water. This would also be great for achieving a perfectly moist Funfetti® cake. Save some of your leftover milk to use in a delightful vanilla buttercream frosting recipe to give your boxed mix cake an extra semi-homemade touch.

Guy notes that buttermilk is an ideal substitution for water to add a tangy taste to your favorite boxed cake mix. It also includes a similar element of fat content to give your cake a more moist consistency. The fermentation process by which buttermilk is created leaves behind a slightly thicker substance with a notably sour flavor. This can be quite the pleasant addition to many typically sweet boxed cake mixes as a playful and tasty counter. To successfully make this swap, you'll want to use approximately the same amount of buttermilk in place of water plus one to two more tablespoons to achieve proper consistency.

One of the most obvious flavors to make this buttermilk swap would be in a devil's food or pound cake mix, both of which would be made even richer and more satisfying. Buttermilk also works well in a red velvet cake mix, which would complement a topping of cream cheese frosting to tie everything together. If you feel like making a cream cheese frosting from scratch, use room temperature buttermilk for even more zing.

Brewed coffee is, in Guy's opinion, the ingredient swap needed to elevate the flavor of boxed chocolate cake mix. Use a strong brewed coffee that will naturally bring out the flavors of the cocoa in your cake without overwhelming the overall taste. Too much coffee flavor could inadvertently turn your boxed chocolate cake mix into a mocha version. Be mindful of the temperature of your liquid when adding the coffee, letting it cool if the recipe requires cooler or room temperature water. Further, you should only replace half of the water with coffee to keep the taste of your cake balanced, either mixing in water or milk for the other half.

With so many different varieties of chocolate cake mix available, you can pick and choose which ones you like the best. A dark chocolate cake, devil's food, or triple fudge cake are all perfect for mixing with coffee. The rich coconut flavors in a German chocolate cake would also go well with coffee swapped in for a portion of the water. You can even add a small amount of coffee into your chocolate frosting for a more intense flavor.

By recommending "root beer or Sprite to make something light and fluffy," Guy highlights the effectiveness of these effervescent beverages to literally lift up your boxed cake mix to new heights. The carbon dioxide bubbles present in soda can help your confection rise to the occasion and, with so many flavors to choose from, can be paired to just about any type of cake imaginable. Even plain seltzer water is an easy swap for still water, following a ratio of one 12-ounce can per boxed mix to make the substitution.

Adding cola to a chocolate cake or Devil's Food cake will make it rich and delicious. Similarly, a cherry cola would be perfect to achieve a hint of black forest-inspired flavor. Ginger ale works well with a boxed carrot or spice cake mix while your favorite lemon-lime soda can be easily added to a yellow cake or caramel cake. For an extra bold flavor, try Mountain Dew in a lemon cake mix. The possibilities are nearly infinite.

Unlike milk, fruit juice won't add any fat content to your cake, but according to Guy, this is a great way "to add complex sweetness" and a fruity twist to the boxed cake mix. While it's preferable to match up your fruit juice to a similarly flavored cake, you don't have to stop there to make the ultimate swap and upgrade. As long as your fruit juice has as thin a consistency as water, a 1:1 ratio should work for this substitution. With cake mix choices including pineapple, strawberry, and orange options, you can try using pineapple or orange juice, or go for a delightful mix of pineapple, orange, and guava juice known as "POG" juice for a fantastic burst of flavor.

There are so many complementary combinations you can make with fresh fruit juice and cake, which will be particularly fulfilling if you prefer to make your own juices at home. For store-bought, try a cranberry juice cocktail in a spice cake or your favorite brand of lemonade to enhance a lemon-flavored mix. Tart cherry juice would also make an excellent addition to a red velvet cake for a more complex overall flavor. Just remember that when it comes to decadent sweets, sharing is caring!