The Homemade Yellow Cake Mix, White Cake Mix and Homemade Brownie Mix on my site are so popular, I deciding that adding to the selection needed to be at the top of my list of things to do. (Don’t worry, chocolate is next. I am still experimenting! You will read why below.)
homemade spice cake mix
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c all purpose flour
- 1 c brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. corn starch
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. pumpkin spice*
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 c whole milk
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c butter room temperature
Instructions
- Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and sift to combine. If there are any lumps in your sugar be sure to get them out now. Pour all dry ingredients into a mason jar or air-tight storage container.
- *If you do not have pumpkin spice you can use: 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp all spice and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.
When Ready to Bake
- In a medium bowl add in eggs, milk and vanilla and beat together with fork. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer cream butter until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low, start by alternating the dry mixture and the egg mixture.
- Pour 1/3 of the dry mixture into the creamed butter, then add 1/2 of the egg mixture. Continue alternating until all ingredients used. Turn off mixer, remove bowl and continue stirring by hand if any ingredients are not fully incorporated.
- Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes in 8-inch round pans. Increase time to about 30 minutes for 9x13 pan and keep a close eye on it.
- This recipe makes 14-16 cupcakes and they should bake for about 15 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
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I have quite a few recipes that utilize spice cake mix, so instead of buying boxes I make up my own mix! It is easy peasy. And best part? Wholesome and delicious!
As with all my homemade “box mix” cake mixes, you have some dry ingredients in an airtight container and then simply add the wet ingredients when you are ready to bake. The very same process as if you were to use a box of mix you purchased at the store.
One of the main differences is of course taste (so delicious) but also quality of ingredients. You have complete control over what you are eating and what you are putting in your body.
Quick Note: You can change the spice level to your tastes. I prefer a subtle spice cake, one that does not over power a cream cheese frosting. If you prefer a bold and zany spice cake, then feel free to play around with the amounts of spies added.
Not just any recipe can be turned into a homemade cake mix. The recipe really has to be conducive to the Single Stage or All-Ingredient method of baking. If you need to harness the lightness and airiness of the Creaming Method (creaming butter and sugar together first) then the recipe will not work as well for a homemade box mix.
I recently used the Homemade Spice Cake Mix to make cupcakes with a Caramel Cream Cheese frosting. They were phenomenal! I can’t wait to make my Velvet Spice Cake Surprise-Inside Cake with it next!
Homemade cake mixes are the best! Love that you made a spice cake mix!
Thank you for the recipe. I have been trying to stay away from box cake mix .
I’m really excited about this idea, thanks so much for sharing it. I have been using a boxed spice cake mix with canned pumpkin to make pumpkin spice muffins. I don’t add anything to the box mix (no wet ingredients) other than the pumpkin.
Do you think the same method would work with just using the dry ingredients you list and adding the pumpkin? Thanks!
I used that recipe to make these: https://iambaker.net/pumpkin-rose-cookies/ 🙂
i tried this last night (dry mix + pumpkin + 2 tbsp of water) and the cake was no where near cooked when it came out….the recipe with the box mix is very moist and light — this was thick and chewy. Am I using the wrong combos somehow? Should they cook longer? I don’t want it to be a thick chewy texture. Thanks for your help! Would love to make this work 🙂
The cake batter when using the pumpkin pie is going to be extremely different from a typical spice cake! Will be very thick.
When I make pumpkin muffins with a boxed mix, I use one box spice cake, one can of pumpkin and enough plain applesauce to make it the consistency I recognize. My kids LOVE these. They are a fall staple!
Storebought box mix will usually have dried egg, sometimes dried milk, should already have vanilla, and may already have a fat. If all that’s already been included with the mix you’ve been using, then you’ll need to add it to this mix to get something similar to what you’re used to.
Of the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, vanilla, and butter), you’ll need to add whatever’s in the box mix already. Add all the wet ingredients Amanda calls for except whatever the box mix calls for adding. If it only calls for water, and it’s 1/2 cup or less, add dried milk instead of regular milk. If it’s more than 1/2 cup of water, you’ll have to apply some more thought to it.
I suspect you’re missing the eggs, primarily, if it came out very thick: eggs are a leavener, and the rise they give will make the muffins light and help them bake faster. Fat makes baked goods moist, so you might be missing the fat, too.
this recipe looks lovely is there any chance you could convert the cups to grams please
as cups vary so much ?
thank you for any help/advice 🙂
When you put in one cup of brown sugar, was that packed or loose?
Just made this and now waiting for it to cook. Not happy with how little it makes. I couldn’t put it in the 2 pans as there wasn’t enough to put in them. Was disappointed. Put it in a Streusel pan. Still wasn’t much in it so hoping it turns out ok. It smells delicious . Guess if I decide it again I will double it.
I currently make pumpkin muffins using a boxed spice cake mix and a 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree. (Yes just those 2 ingredients) Would your recipe work for this application?
Lissa, Did you try out the pumpkin muffins? I was going to do the same thing.
I made this tonight for my dad’s birthday. This is my first attempt at a homemade spice cake. I baked 2 round 8″ cakes with the intention of sending one home with him and eating one here. They turned out to be only about 1/2″ thick so now I have to stack them! I was wondering if I did something wrong. I know when I use boxed mix they are usually a little thicker!
Thank you!
Hum… did you use a 9in pan? I usually use an 8-inch cake pan. I will have to do some experimenting and see if I can determine what the issue may have been! So sorry about that.
I did use 8″ pans. It was still very good, just dense.
This was perfect doubled for a normal size carrot cake, used a cream cheese frosting for it. My co-workers ate it up like it was there last meal! Lol
Today’s cake mixes are 15.25 oz downsized from the orig 18 oz from before. Just curious how many oz would be in your mixes?