Drizzle Your Boxed Mix Cake With Condensed Milk For Next-Level Texture
Perfectly moist texture and a crave-worthy caramelized flavor are just a can away. Sweetened condensed milk is one of those ingredients that will take your boxed cake mix to another level. This simple, affordable, and delicious addition turns a regular dessert into a luscious and creamy special treat. There is no way that your cake will be dry and boring.
All you have to do is bake the boxed cake according to the package directions. Allow it to cool off until it is warm but not hot. Depending on how you want the slices to look, poke the whole thing with the end of a wooden spoon handle, a fork, or a wooden or metal skewer. The spoon will make noticeable holes that will later get filled if you are using a frosting of some sort, but the holes from something thinner won't really be noticeable. Just take care not to poke all the way to the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the whole thing in rich and sticky sweetened condensed milk. Some of it may pool on the top or corners but just spread it around to help it along. By the time the cake cools, it will be fully soaked in.
The result is an impossibly moist cake with an incredible depth of flavor. Stop there for a simple take, or finish with frosting, whipped cream, and fun toppings.
How to balance sweetness in a cake with a condensed milk finish
The textural benefit of incorporating sweetened condensed milk in a regular boxed cake is undeniable, but depending on your preferences, it may be a little too sweet. Going for a classic French, Swiss, or Italian buttercream may tip your cake over the sugary edge. Instead, opt for something like lightly sweetened whipped cream or a cream cheese or sour cream frosting that introduces some tanginess. You can even mix Cool Whip and cream cheese for an easy, decadent frosting that still has some necessary brightness. A bitter chocolate or coffee frosting would also be delicious.
Fresh fruit is another way to cut through some sweetness by introducing acid, and fruit pairs really well with sweetened condensed milk. Use a thin layer of your frosting of choice, and then decorate the top of your cake with mangoes, pineapple, strawberries, cherries, kiwis, raspberries, or blackberries. Try a condensed milk-soaked chocolate cake with a dark chocolate frosting and lots of fresh raspberries, or go for a strawberry cake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Adding some tart lemon juice or curd to a sweet cream or vanilla frosting would be zippy and delightful, and it would be excellent when paired with vanilla, yellow, white, pineapple, orange, strawberry, and, of course, lemon boxed cakes.