So here’s the deal… I love baking completely from scratch. I bake at least 4-5 times a week because I love it. Taking simple ingredients and turning them into something delicious brings me joy; it gives me life. So I’m always prepared for a scratch-made baking adventure.
But I mean, let’s be honest, not all of us are baking 4-5 times a week; not all of us have our pantry stalked with all the necessary baking ingredients every day of the week because let’s face it… Baking can be hella intimidating!
The idea that you could spend a whole bunch of money on baking ingredients to try out a new recipe only to have it be a complete flop, leaving you left without the cake that you promised for your best friends birthday party is enough to scare any baking novice away! Hell, it’s enough to give ME a healthy dose of baking anxiety… the baking pressure is real people!
Be that as it may, that doesn’t mean that we all don’t want to enjoy a hefty slice of delicious, fresh, homemade cake every once in a while… amiright?
So for all of the reasons above, I’m here to tell you store bought mixes can be your best friend. That’s right – I said store bought baking mixes…
I’m the first to admit, that I have absolutely nothing against store bought baking mixes. Absolutely. Nothing. In fact, I fully support baking mixes. Heck, I use them sometimes too!
I mean… They whip up in a flash; they are cost effective; and if done right, they can taste pretty dang good… so really, what’s not to like?
There are so many simple hacks to elevate your box mixes, that I am just dying to share! So I’m starting a box mix baking series right here, right now! I swear, by the end of these tutorials nobody will even know these treats are coming from a store bought mix! You will just look like a super freaking casual, domestic AF, bad ass Betty Crocker, baking boss lady… okay maybe a tad overkill, but like also not really.
We’re kicking this series off with one of my all time favs… Confetti Cake Mix! Seriously, can I get a “hell yeah!” for confetti cake please? Because dannnggg this cake is freaking legit! It truly never gets old
So let’s do this! You can check out my full tutorial video here or follow the instructions below to make this simple, yet bomb AF cake happen in your kitchen!
Happy box mix baking lovelies <3
KP xoxo
How to make your Box Confetti Cake Mix Bomb AF!
- Swap the water for buttermilk! Or any milk for that matter; whole milk, 2%, you could even add in some extra sour cream or greek yogurt – whatever you do, just don’t use water. The fat in the buttermilk is going to make your cake wayyyy more moist and give it a much nicer flavour than water could ever do. This is such a simple step, but I swear it will make your your box confetti cake 100x better.
- Use butter instead of oil. Alright, so you guys know I have a thing for butter … I use it in pretty much everyone of my recipes because you know what… butter is just better, okay? I will admit that oil has it’s place in baking, but when it comes to a good old fashioned vanilla cake base, butter is the star and it’s going to give it sooo much more flavour (and just a straight up better flavour) than oil. DO IT UP!
- Add a splash of pure vanilla extract to your batter. Box cake mixes have vanilla flavour in them… but it’s usually artificial, and pails in comparison to pure vanilla extract. Try adding in a splash (1/2 – 1 tsp, depending on how generous you wanna be with your vanilla because that sh*t aint cheap these days.) Trust me, you will taste the difference!
- Frost your cake with homemade buttercream. Forget that store bought stuff in a can, because nothing compares to homemade buttercream. And besides buttercream is sooo simple to whip up! All you need are a few simple ingredients and BOOM! You have a bomb icing to frost your cake. It’s an extra step, but it’s worth the little bit of effort, because this will take your confetti take to the next level. By the time you frost this bad boy, nobody will even know it was made from a cake mix. My go to recipe for super fluffy buttercream is below!
Next Level Bomb Confetti Cake; Get Fancy AF with your decorating!
Okay so you’ve done it; your box mix Confetti Cake tastes like the bomb.com and you’re feeling like a boss! So If you wanna go next level… let’s get fancy AF with our decorating!
Steps to a simple naked Confetti Layer Cake
Step 1: Bake your cake into three layers as opposed to two.
Step 2: Make homemade buttercream (recipe below)
Step 3: Level off your cake layers with a sharp serrated knife to ensure they are flat. (Now you can snack on the cake domes while you work)
Step 4: Start Layering! I have a full tutorial video on how I layered and frosted this naked Confetti Cake that you can watch here!
But here are some written instructions too …
Set your bottom later onto the plate or surface you plan to serve the cake on. Make sure you place it bottom down, so you have a nice flat base. Spread about 1/2 cup of the frosting on top of the first layer, and use an offset spatula to spread to the outer edges of the cake.
Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. (this time top down so the flat bottom is on top) Lightly press it into the frosting just enough to secure it. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of frosting, spreading to the outer edges.
Place the final layer on top – again placing top down so that the flat bottom is facing up. Dollop about 1/2 cup of frosting on top of the cake and use your offset spatula to spread the frosting to the outer edges and let excess icing fall over the edge of the cake. Use the spatula to flatten out the icing on top slightly.
Next, use your offset spatula to start dolloping icing in between the layers of the cake to fill them completely – don’t worry if this looks messy right now, we will clean up the edges later.
After you have filled the layer seams, start randomly adding a few more dollops of icing all over the cake. Depending on how naked you want your cake, you can add more or less dollops. I usually start with less, and then add more if I want. You can always go back and add more icing if you feel like your cake is too naked, but it’s a bit more challenging to scrape away too much excess.
Time to clean up our cake! Take your offset spatula or a bench scraper (this is my weapon of choice) and gently run the edge of your tool along the surface of the edges of your cake. Essentially you are gently scraping excess icing off the sides of your cake to create that naked look.
Step 5: Add extra flare!
Pipe on some frosting kisses on the top or around the bottom edge of your cake; Sprinkle on some extra sprinkles; Add some fancy candles; Add some fresh florals – do you! Get as extra as you damn well please, because hey – you just made a bomb AF Confetti Cake!
Simple Homemade Vanilla Buttercream
2 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened (I like to use salted butter. Cuts the sweetness)
1 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Wow this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks for the tip!
Have a great day.
Priyanka
Omg. the tips are so good.. i will make it.. this cake looks so good and the the recipe for the buttercream its simply and looks so damn good. I will make it FOR SURE!
Greetings from México!
My 5 yr old loves the boxed confetti cake. How many boxes of cake mix did you use in your recipe?
Hi Karen! I just used 1 box 🙂
KP
OK so question. I know this kinda defeats the purpose of a box cake, but I really want to make this cake for my son’s birthday and would prefer to use my own dry ingredients. Do you have a recipe for the dry ingredients for this cake if I didn’t want to go with a box mix?
Hi Stef,
Sorry I don’t have a scratch funfetti cake recipe posted 🙂
-KP
Should I melt the butter to use in place of the oil in the batter? Yay! It’s ON!
Hi! Yes, just melt the butter and use the same amount as specified on your box mix 🙂
KP
Do you swap the oil for salted or unsalted butter? Sorry if you said this above, and I missed it! Thanks!
Hello! I always use salted butter 🙂
Hi!
Do you need to make any adjustments to turn these into cupcakes?
Thanks!
Hi Lauren!
Nope! You could just scoop them into a cupcake tin and adjust the baking time. Usually about 18-20 minutes for cupcakes 🙂
So one box can make a two tiered cake? Also, and probably a dumb question, but would this be good to sit in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving? My stepdaughter’s 13th bday is coming up and thought this would be perfect!
Hi Sarah,
Yes, one box mix will make two tiers. You could let it sit in the fridge, but it just won’t be as fresh 🙂
KP
Looks soo good! what size pan are you using for the 3 tiers?
Hi Sue!
I used 6 inch round cake pans 🙂
KP
How long do you bake the cake for with 6 inch round pans?
Anywhere from 25-30 minutes most likely. I just go by when the center is set 🙂
Ok wait I’m coming back to you because your wording entertains me so much!! Great content, great recipe tips, please continue being genuine on ur posts cause this made me laugh super hard
Aw thanks Erin! So happy you enjoyed the post 🙂
-KP
Looks great! What is “Icing” sugar?
Hi Tara,
Icing sugar is very fine sugar – AKA Powdered Sugar 🙂 Can be found in the baking aisle. It is white and powdery.
-KP
Would almond milk be a good substitute for the water?
Hi Caroline,
I have never tried with almond milk, but honestly anything is better than water 🙂
-KP
Can I use 1% milk as the water substitute?
Hi Stefani, you certainly can! Honestly any milk substitute is great and better than water 🙂
-KP
I cant find your actual recipe for this? Am I missing it somewhere in your post. How much butter vs. oil? Want to try this but need measurements for swap ingredients. Please!
Hi there,
The measurements will vary based on the box mix that you are using. But it’s just a one to one ratio for each of the ingredient swaps. Ex. if the box calls for 1/2 cup oil, you will sub 1/2 cup butter, and so on.
KP
I am so excited to make this cake for my daughter’s first birthday next weekend! I would love to watch the tutorial video but don’t see a link above.
“I have a full tutorial video on how I layered and frosted this naked Confetti Cake that you can watch here!“
Please let me know if there is another way to access this…
Hi there,
You can find this tutorial and all my others on my Instagram Story highlights 🙂
-KP
I really enjoyed reading this! You made me laugh! I’m excited to try for my daughter’s 2nd b-day next month!
Hi, me again. Where can I find the video tutorial?
Hi there! You can find this tutorial and all my others in my Instagram Story highlights @thesweetandsimplekitchen 🙂
-KP
Hi. Just found your blog today. Great job. Keep it up.
I didn’t see a bake time. My apologies if it’s there and I overlooked it. I love to bake 6 inch cakes but don’t know what bake time to apply. Does it matter the type of cake or they all bake for the same amount of time, whether it’s carrot, red velvet or this box cake. Appreciate you. Love your blog. Have a great day. Stay safe!
Hi there,
Bake time will just be the same as described on the box 🙂
-KP
Hi there!
Is there a video link to your tutorial? Also–how much butter did you sub for oil? Thanks! Cannot wait to give it a go <3
Hi there,
All my substitutions are just 1 to 1 for the box ingredients. You can find my Tutorial on my highlights on instagram 🙂
-Kristie
Would heavy whipping cream be too thick as a substitute for water??
Hi there,
I wouldn’t use heavy whipping cream as the texture won’t quite be the same. Wole milk / buttermilk is best I find.
-KP
I have a Great Value confetti box mix from Walmart that calls for only egg whites. Can I still substitute everything? And do I have to do egg whites only?
Hi there, Yes, that should work 🙂
Hi! I was wondering if you used more than one cake mix for the three layers?
Thanks!!
Hi There! You just need one cake mix. I used 6 inch cake pans though to make the three layers.
-KP