The Worst Boxed Cake Mix: Why It Falls Flat While Others Rise To The Occasion

Boxed cake mixes are convenient and easy to use, especially when you're looking to bake a delicious cake, but don't necessarily have the time to make one from scratch. And if you ever want to elevate the baked good to make it appear homemade, there are different ingredients you can add to a boxed cake to produce an impossibly moist result. However, not every boxed cake mix is up to the task — while there are various mistakes you can make with boxed cake mix, one of the biggest ones is getting a brand that simply isn't that good. Luckily, we've done the heavy lifting for you by testing a dozen different brands to find out which were worth the time, and which should be left on the shelf. 

Food Republic's taste testers ranked 12 boxed cake mix brands and came out with one clear loser: Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake Mix. According to our review, Jiffy's dominance in the world of cornbread should stay there, saying that its yellow cake mix lacks in flavor and sweetness while also producing a crumbly result, which is not what anyone's looking for when it comes to baking a moist, fluffy cake. While a positive of this mix is that you only have to add water and an egg to achieve a semi-serviceable baked good, the resulting dry, cornbread-esque yellow cake leaves something to be desired, and doesn't seem to be worth it when there are plenty of other brands to choose from.

Clearly, choosing a boxed cake mix is more difficult than it may appear. You're likely looking to bake a cake that's light, fluffy, and perfectly balanced in sweetness, something that not every brand can deliver on. You don't want to spend money on an item that's supposed to be easy and convenient, only to have it produce a result that's flavorless, dry, and crumbly (we're looking at you, Jiffy's Golden Yellow Cake Mix). 

So, when you're perusing the cake mix aisle and trying to choose between the dozens of brands available, look no further than Betty Crocker's Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix. This trusty brand received the highest marks in Food Republic's ranking of 12 popular store-bought cake mixes. Betty Crocker's take on the yellow cake mix results in a confection that is perfectly balanced in sweetness, while creating an ultra-moist bite with a fluffy crumb that isn't too spongy in texture. Not only that, but its yellow color also hits the nail on the head, making a vibrant cake that, when you cut into it, is a treat for the eyes before it even reaches your mouth.