We're obsessed with Lizzy Early's latest cookbook,Make It with a Cake Mix. Every single dessert is different, but they're all made easier with a cake mix. And they're all to die for! Get all the recipes in this mouth-watering cookbook. It's perfect for any family gathering, birthday party, or as a gift for newlyweds! Get it at deseretbook.com!
S'mores Cupcakes
Chocolate Cake:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup melted butter, cooled
½ cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk or milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips
Graham Cracker Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1–3 tablespoons milk, as needed
½ cup graham crackers, finely crushed
3–5 cups powdered sugar
Decoration
Large marshmallows for decoration
Melted chocolate for decoration
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, melted butter, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Stir in cake mix and chocolate chips.
5. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 17–22 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Graham Cracker Frosting: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, 1 T. milk, and graham cracker crumbs (Note: I crush and then put my graham cracker crumbs through a strainer to make sure they are crushed enough and none is too large. It helps to give the frosting a smooth texture.) Add powdered sugar until the frosting reaches the desired consistency; add more milk if needed.
7. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place large marshmallows on the foil. Broil in the oven but watch them carefully! They should be slightly brown, which takes only 2–3 minutes; watch them like a hawk or they will burn. Let cool before using.
8. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Top with melted chocolate and toasted marshmallows.
Breakfast Bundt Cake
Cinnamon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup melted butter, cooled
¾ cup buttermilk or milk
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 3.4- to 3.9-oz. pkg. vanilla or white chocolate instant pudding mix
1 ½ cups blueberries
Maple Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
2–4 tablespoons milk
Decoration
5 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped for decoration
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a Bundt pan.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl to remove any lumps; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
4. Add cake mix, cinnamon, and instant pudding mix; stir until combined.
5. Fold in blueberries.
6. Dump batter into prepared Bundt pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake for 38–50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Let cool in pan, then turn out.
9. Maple Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, butter, maple flavoring, and 2 tablespoons milk together until smooth. If too thick to pour, add more milk.
10. Pour glaze over cooled cake and top with chopped bacon.
Banana Bundt with Chocolate Glaze and Walnuts
Banana Cake
1 box white cake mix
2 bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup melted butter, cooled
½ cup buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips, optional
Chocolate Glaze
1 cup chocolate chips
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Decoration
Walnuts for decoration
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a Bunt pan well.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl to remove any lumps; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mash bananas using a fork.
4. Add brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract; stir until combined.
5. Add cake mix and stir well. Add chocolate chips if desired.
6. Dump batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake for 35–45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Let cool in pan, then turn out.
9. Chocolate Glaze: In a double-boiler on the stove or in a medium bowl in the microwave, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream; melt. Stir until smooth.
10. Pour glaze over cooled cake and top with walnuts. If you want your glaze to be a little thicker, let it cool a little before you pour it over the cake.
Andes Mint Cake
Chocolate Cake
1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup oil
¾ cup buttermilk or milk
¾ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Green Minty Cream Filling
1 ¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
2 tablespoons milk
4–5 cups powdered sugar
Green food dye (optional)
Chocolate Mint Buttercream
1 ¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 tablespoon milk or sour cream
3–4 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache
¾ cup chocolate chips
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Decoration
Andes mints for decoration
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 8-inch pans. (You can also use only two pans; see baking time below.) I prefer to line the bottoms of my pans with foil or parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Stir in cake mix.
5. Pour equal amount of batter into each prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly. Bake for 17–22 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (If you are making only two layers, the cake will need to bake for 20–25 minutes.)
6. Let cake cool completely.
7. Green Minty Cream Filling: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add peppermint extract and milk and beat again. Gradually add powdered sugar until the filling reaches the desired consistency.
8. Chocolate Mint Buttercream: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and milk; beat again. Gradually add powdered sugar until the buttercream reaches the desired consistency.
9. Chocolate Ganache: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave in 10-second increments until smooth.
10. To assemble the cake, place one layer of chocolate cake on a cake stand; frost with the Green Minty Cream Filling. Top with a second layer of cake; frost with the rest of the filling. Top with the last layer of cake; frost the top and sides with Chocolate Mint Buttercream.
11. Use Andes mint candies to decorate the bottom of the cake.
12. Pour the Chocolate Ganache carefully over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. Finish with chopped Andes mints on top.
Cookie Dough Cake
Chocolate Chip Cake
1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup melted butter, cooled
¾ cup buttermilk or milk
¾ cup sour cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Cookie Dough Frosting
2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
5–6 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips, for filling
Decoration
1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips
8 chocolate chip cookies
1/3 cup crushed chocolate chip cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 8-inch pans. (You can make this cake with only two layers; see baking time below.) I like to line the bottoms of my pans with foil or parchment for easy removal.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, sour cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Stir in cake mix and 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
5. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and use a spatula to spread the batter evenly. Bake for 17–22 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (If you are making only two layers, bake for 20–25 minutes.)
6. Let cake cool completely.
7. Cookie Dough Frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, flour, and salt; beat again. Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting reaches the desired consistency.
8. Remove about 2 cups of frosting to use between cake layers; stir the ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips into the 2 cups frosting.
9. To assemble the cake, stack layers, frosting between each with the frosting/chocolate chip mixture. Top with the final layer of cake and cover the cake with the rest of the frosting. (Save a little frosting to pipe decorations on top of the finished cake, if desired.)
10. Use mini chocolate chips to cover the sides of the cake; decorate the top with piped frosting, cookies, and crushed cookies.
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Red Velvet Cookies
1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup granulated sugar (use powdered sugar if you want the “crinkle” look)
Cream Cheese Filling
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3–4 cups powdered sugar
Decoration
Coarse sugar or sprinkles for decoration
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
3. Scoop out pieces of dough that are about 1 tablespoon in size, or a little bigger. The dough will be gooey.
4. Drop each piece of dough into sugar and roll the dough until covered, forming a ball. Place balls on the cookie sheet 3 inches apart. Press down gently with your fingertips.
5. Bake for 6–10 minutes and let cool.
6. Cream Cheese Filling: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract and gradually add powdered sugar until the filling reaches the desired consistency.
7. Pipe filling onto the bottom of half the cookies, sandwich with another cookie, and roll the frosting rim in coarse sugar or colored sprinkles to decorate.
Chocolate Coconut Whoopie Pies
Chocolate Cookies
1 box devil’s food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coconut Cream Filling
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ teaspoons coconut extract
3–4 cups powdered sugar
Decoration
Shredded coconut for decoration
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift cake mix into a large bowl to remove any lumps.
3. Add eggs, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract; stir until combined well.
4. Form dough balls, each with 1 or 1½ tablspoon dough (depending on how large you want the finished product to be); place the balls on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Gently pat down the cookies a little with your fingertips.
5. Bake for 7–12 minutes, depending on how fudge-like or cake-like you want the cookies to be.
6. Coconut Cream Filling: Beat cream cheese and butter for 2 minutes. Add coconut extract. Gradually add powdered sugar until the filling reaches the desired consistency.
7. To assemble, frost the bottom of half of cooled cookies. Place an unfrosted cookie on top of each frosted one, creating cookie “sandwiches.” Roll exposed edges of filling in shredded coconut for added decoration.
