Infuse Boxed Cake Mix With Tea For An Elevated Flavor

Adding tea to a boxed cake mix is one of the easiest ways to take your boxed cake mix to another level. There are three primary ways to use tea in a boxed cake mix to create an elegant and flavorful creation. One of the best methods is to add loose-leaf tea leaves to melted or softened butter. Simply add 1½ teaspoons of tea per 1 tablespoon of butter. This creates a tea-infused butter you can use instead of whatever fat the recipe calls for. The result will be a cake that has uniform tea flavor and color. Bonus perk — you can also use the infused butter in your buttercream for another tea-packed punch.

The second way to elevate your cake is to add the contents of a tea bag or loose-leaf tea directly into the cake batter. This method creates cakes with pretty flecks of tea that provide pops of flavor. Add loose-leaf tea to the dry ingredients to prevent clumps from forming.

Finally, most boxed cakes call for liquid (typically water or milk). For a more flavorful cake, swap out the plain milk for brewed tea or milk steeped with tea. This liquid swap is a surefire way to introduce additional flavors and depth to your bakes. Remember, you may want to make the tea stronger than you would usually drink to guarantee a robust tea flavor throughout your batter.

You can incorporate many different types of tea and infusions into your boxed cake mix — each offering a unique opportunity to create a new flavor profile. Some of the most popular teas include chai, Earl Grey, chamomile, and matcha. Chai is a spiced black tea that features notes of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. These warm spices complement fall-flavored cakes like a pumpkin upside-down cake with caramelized pears.

Early Grey tea is a citrusy type of black tea, with hints of bergamot oil — it's often featured in London Fog lattes. Its bright flavors work well in vanilla, white, or yellow cake mixes. Another flavorful infusion is chamomile. This herbal tea adds traces of apples and honey, ideal for a subtle yet elegant cake flavor. Add it to a yellow cake mix to bring a rich depth of flavor and notes of honey. 

Matcha is a type of green tea powder known for its bright hue. Besides adding color to your cake, matcha provides an earthy, slightly grassy flavor that pairs well with fruits like blueberries or peaches for a sweet yet balanced flavor profile. You can also add it to a white cake mix to allow the taste of matcha to shine, or it pairs equally well with vanilla or lemon.