Get A More Tender Result From Your Boxed Cake Mix With One Extra Addition

Chances are you've had at least one boxed cake in your life. It may not have tasted terrible, but it also probably could have been better. There are plenty of tips and tricks out there for upgrading a boxed cake trying to pass it off as homemade, and some of them are actually pretty effective. But if you want an easy-to-use hack that is sure to make your dessert more tender and moist, you'll want to grab a container of ricotta.

This technique works with any type of boxed cake, whether your favorite flavor is chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or even a combination like a marble cake. But unlike some boxed cake hacks that essentially follow a "you've been doing it all wrong approach" and have you make changes to the all the listed ingredients, this trick simply involves combining ricotta with what you already have. Simply add a half-cup to your wet ingredients (and be sure to use full-fat ricotta to make sure you get the desired moisture effect) and bake your cake until done. Once it's done, it will be moist, tender, and more delicious than any average boxed cake could possibly be. Plus it will hang on to that moisture for several days. And that leftover ricotta? Well, go to town with some fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes for breakfast the next morning or a delicious, layered lasagna for dinner — a meal that definitely needs to be followed up by a moist, tender slice of cake.

Including ricotta may be a hack made in heaven, but it isn't the only way to upgrade your boxed cake mix. Experts like to weigh in on the subject. For example, celebrity chef Duff Goldman recommends adding autumn-friendly seasonings like nutmeg, cinnamon, or cloves to a boxed cake mix to give the flavor a boost. Similarly, boxed chocolate cake pairs exceptionally well with a seasonal summer ingredient. You can make boxed chocolate cake moister by incorporating some grated zucchini into the mix before baking it, and you can even mix soda into a boxed pound cake for a unique twist on a 7Up cake.

And don't forget about decorating. It isn't just the ingredients that make the foods we love enjoyable. We also eat with our eyes, and when something looks amazing, we are simply drawn to it. Once you've given your cake an extra bounce with a ricotta, you can turn it into a tiered cake, a sheet pan, a Bundt cake, or even cupcakes. And from there, the way you decorate it is only limited by your imagination. And your decorating skills. Thankfully, you don't need super fancy decorating skills, just a few ingredients and a desire to create something pretty and delicious. It just takes some light, fluffy whipped cream and fresh fruit to create something eye-catching. Moreover, those ingredients will add even more moisture to your already stellar boxed cake creation.