Ginger Ale Is Your Secret Weapon For An Easy 4-Ingredient Caramel Apple Cake

Now this might sound like a joke at first, but bear with us: Try mixing your store-bought cake mix with ginger ale instead of eggs to create the most delicious caramel apple cake. And while it might sound crazy at first, this isn't actually random chaos, it's science. Ginger ale works perfectly to replace the eggs and oil in a boxed cake mix, somehow giving an even fluffier result, with hints of spicy ginger to boot.

This trick isn't totally new. People have been swapping in cans of soda and sparkling water as baking shortcuts for years, but ginger ale is different because it doesn't just lift the batter and make it more tender, it brings a whole new taste dimension as well. That subtle sweetness and warmth of the ginger is just begging to be paired with apples, which will melt into the cake as it bakes, turning a store-bought mix into the most cozy and fall-inspired treat.

We recommend you try this hack with a butter pecan cake mix: It's rich, nutty, and is already packing some big autumn energy. Spice or yellow cake mixes would also work, but maybe just steer clear of chocolate, as that would drown out the flavor of the ginger. If you want this shortcut to really pop, then try it with one of the best ginger ale brands, ranked — you want one with real ginger. Sure, the cheap stuff could work, but the fancier sodas will make all the difference. The biggest advantage of it all, though, is just how very easy this swap is — there is no measuring, no cracking eggs, you simply pour, stir, and enjoy.

Ginger ale isn't just a quirky spicy swap, it's much more nuanced than that. The carbonation is what helps the cake rise, while the sugar adds moisture and the ginger brings some real depth of flavor. With all of this together, you can forgo the oil and eggs altogether. Just ginger ale is all you need for a mix that is even lighter, fluffier, and more tasty.

If you want to add apples, and we think you should, grate them in instead of slicing them to add a new dimension. Chunky bits of fruit could make surprise soggy pockets (yuck), whereas grating apple in throughout the mix will ensure it all melds together, giving the cake some extra sweetness and textural differences. And here's a clever tip — use parchment paper when grating apples to avoid losing half the apple in the grater holes.

As for the caramel, drizzle that on after the cake has cooled so it simply sits on top and doesn't melt away. And a little pinch of flaky sea salt on top is of course fully optional, but could be the difference between a slice of a an obvious pre-made cake mix or something that tastes professionally baked. There's even more opportunity to get creative and adjust to your preferences: Try swapping apples for pears or carrots, stir in some chopped pecans, or even add a handful of crystallized ginger — which is Ina Garten's secret ingredient for cake. Just don't swap out the ginger ale, it's the backbone of this whole operation, you'll thank us for it later.