There's no doubt that boxed chocolate cake is convenient. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't taste or feel as nice as you'd like. It's possible to improve the taste and texture of your chocolate cake mix with ingredients you may already have in the house. It will only take a few extra minutes, but the flavor and moisture boost will be worth it. Best of all, you won't have to spend any extra money.
Step 1
Add 1/4 cup mayonnaise or buttermilk salad dressing to your cake batter, if you've found through experience that the finished cake is too dry. The mayonnaise or dressing helps cakes retain moisture, as well as adding a light tanginess to the flavor profile. Use low fat mayonnaise or light dressing for a healthier option.
Step 2
Mix 1 tsp. vanilla extract into the cake batter. In addition to its own flavor, vanilla boosts the other flavors in anything you put it in, giving them more depth.
Step 3
Sprinkle 1 tbsp. powdered instant coffee into your chocolate cake batter. Coffee and chocolate balance and complement each other. The coffee will enhance and add complexity to the chocolate flavor of your cake.
Step 4
Boost the chocolate flavor of your chocolate cake batter with 1 tbsp. of extra cocoa powder. If you don't have baker's cocoa in your cupboard, you can use powdered hot cocoa mix instead.