While they’re super convenient, a lot of times, cakes made using boxed mixes will come out of the oven with a few undesirable traits, like being too dry and crumbly, or too stiff.

However, a simple solution involves whisking the mix together with sparkling water or seltzer instead of flat water. This is because every cake needs air bubbles to fluff up.

As the cake rises in the oven and the batter expands, these bubbles grow and form micro-structures within the cake, giving it that soft, airy feel that everyone craves.

By incorporating a carbonated drink, you promote the formation of additional air bubbles. For most boxed cake mixes, using sparkling water or unflavored seltzer will do the trick.

If you’re making something flavored, like a vanilla loaf cake, mix it with a flavored seltzer, such as vanilla cream to add a level of complexity and amp up the taste of the cake.