Something Magical Happens When You Add Sour Cream To Boxed Cake Mix

If you're too short on time to whip up a homemade cake with creamy frosting, boxed cakes prove to be a convenient and tasty alternative. And there are several baking tips to make boxed cake taste homemade, like creative frostings and fillings or upgrading your boxed cake mix with simple ingredient swaps. But you'll quickly realize sour cream is the only bonus ingredient you need.

Sour cream improves the texture of boxed cakes. That's because sour cream contains lactic acid, which softens the gluten in baked goods. Better yet, sour cream's naturally thick consistency adds extra moisture to boxed cakes without adding extra liquid that would compromise the structure. Additionally, sour cream is high in fat, which makes for a richer end result with a tender, more uniform crumb. 

To effectively use sour cream to enhance your next cake, start by adding ½ cup of sour cream along with the usual water, oil, and eggs. But that's just a starting point. You can add more for a richer-tasting dessert. But before you incorporate this simple ingredient, there are a few pointers worth considering.

Always opt for full-fat sour cream varieties. Part of what helps the sour cream improve boxed cakes is the extra fat. While there are almost 6 grams of fat in a 2-tablespoon serving of regular sour cream, the same amount of certain brands of full-fat Greek yogurt or light sour cream contain only 2 or 3 grams of fat.

Also, before assembling your batter, bring your sour cream to room temperature. Ensuring all your ingredients are a similar temperature reduces your chances of overmixing. Ingredients at similar temperatures blend more easily,  leading to a better-mixed, lump-free batter. 

Lastly, as you gear up to frost your cake, keep in mind sour cream is one of a few effective ways to cut the sweetness of store-bought frosting. You can also add a little citrus zest or cocktail bitters.