Durable Cake for 3D and Wedding Cakes

This cake is moist yet very durable and will hold up to many shapes and designs. It is light in taste and stays moist if making a day or two ahead.

Durable Cake for 3D and Wedding Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 Duncan Hines Yellow (or White) cake mix
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 small pkg of instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Incorporate all ingredients together one by one on low speed.
  3. Make sure to mix thoroughly between each ingredient.
  4. Once all ingredients are mixed turn mixer to medium and mix for approximately 2 minutes.
  5. Bake at 350 for 30 – 35 minutes

Comments (237)

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it is thick, but i've had rave reviews on cake. I also have done to make flavors of cakes by using different flavor mixes of pudding and cake :)

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This was a great recipe - especially for a beginner like me! :) I used it to make a red velvet cake for my brother. He really liked it. I covered it with mmf and it held up very well. Thanks for sharing!

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Donnamariep - II "cheated" using DH red velvet mix. Also added a little red food color and a little cocoa powderl to get a richer red color. The cake I did was a "Zombie" theme, so the inside had to be that color. This recipe was great, cut really nice too. Not crumbly at all.

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This cake is delicious. Moist and rich. I used it to build a baby shower cake and it held up to the weight of a cake bear on top of the main cake very well. Got lots of complements. Will definitely use again.

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I used this for the first time last week and will use it often. The cake was moist and delicious and it's a versatile recipe. I'm using lemon flavored pudding with a lemon cake for my daughter's birthday. It's also got a nice dense (but not too dense) composition. Awesome!

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Every time I make this cake it gets rave reviews. I have heard over and over: "This is the best cake I have ever tasted". And I agree. It is a very thick batter and makes a dense cake, but it is super moist. It cuts beautifully -- very smooth interior, not crumbly. I have covered it in fondant, buttercream and ganache, all with superior results. I have stacked it as high as three tiers with no problems -- you just need to support it well because it is a heavy cake. I often make a chocolate version of this using Duncan Hines chocolate fudge mix with chocolate pudding. It's wonderful! Just the perfect amount of chocolate flavor without being overpowering.

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What size pan should one batch fit into? I have to make a double layer full-sheet cake. I have a half-sheet size pan, so I have to make four cakes. Would four batches be enough?

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Have used this cake for a couple of years as my base for many cakes. It holds up well to tiering, sculpting, and it always get's the best comments----try mix/match flavors of pudding/mixes. Yum!

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Hi, i'm living in Australia and we don't have Duncan Hines' cake mix here...sobs! Does it really matter if it's of a different brand?!? Thanks!

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johoko, I have also used Betty Crocker cake mix, and it turns out just as good. You could do a small test cake to see what you think, but I think any cake mix that you normally enjoy would be great.

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just made this one tonight, a small 6in round, as a test. Perfect! Tastes great, good texture, and heavy! 1 recipe made 2 -6in rounds, 1 -8 in round, and 2 recipes will make 1 -10in round.

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Just want to make sure i make this right....this is not a cake mix extender? You don't add these ingredients along with the ingredients on the cake mix instructions? Instead you replace them with these?

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Hi Anna, I've made this too - you replace them, so you'de use the actual mix, then the following listed ingredients - ignore the box instructions and just follow the instructions that Heartsfire lists. :)

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This recipe is wonderful. I made it for a baby shower. I used strawberry mix and vanilla pudding. Everyone loved it. Thank u so much!

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Hi. I usually use the Super Enhanced Cake recipe on this website. Has anyone used this recipe for a carved cake? Please let me know. :)

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I used this recipe this weekend to make a penguin. It still crumbled while carving but I wonder if the high altitude here in Colorado has something to do with it...anyone run into this?

Anyhow, it was still super DELICIOUS!! As a beginner, I really appreciated finding this recipe!

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thebakedlingwalls, I was wondering the same thing as I am also in high altitude Colorado. I hope the idea of freezing it will work. I have no event any time soon, so I will have wait and try it later.

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So for chocolate, can I replace the gold mix with a chocolate cake mix and the pudding with chocolate pudding? Just worried cause on the box there are differences in how you make the two. Thank you so much for sharing... i look forward to making this and a chocolatey one!

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I have used this for chocolate numerous times with chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding mix. I get rave reviews from the people who eat it. Works great.

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This sounds great from all of the reviews. I was curious if you are supposed to beat the egg whites to soft peaks separately, and then fold it into the batter? Thanks for your help!

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arleney84, I just made this recipe.No need to pre beat your egg whites,it is so simple and tastes great. It is a very thick batter making it hard to spread around the pan but well worth the effort. I made a french vanilla cake mix with vanilla pudding.....very tasty

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Okay...I'm trying out the recipe for a dump truck cake I have coming up next week. I'm excited to try after reading all the reviews. I'll be sure to let you know how it works in the Texas heat! :)

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How many grams of cake mix do you need? i'm from wales in great britain and it's all different here! which is a nightmare! also can you make different flavour cakes using a plain cake mix then adding lemon, coffee etc?....ooo and is pudding mix alot different from cake mix...not sure if they see this in my local supermarket!

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I made this with the butter recipe cake mix and used the vanilla pudding. Got compliments on the taste... was wonderful. Used the same recipe with the chocolate as well.. held togeather nicely for the dinosaur cake that made for my grandson... WONDERFUL RECIPE !!!!

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I just made the chocolate version and put it into a 3d bear pan. I put what the bear pan said to put in there and now praying that it does what it is supposed to do.

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I love this recipe,I have made the yellow and chocolate versions. I made the chocolate version into mini cupcakes and injected them with almond flavoured whipped cream. Everybody loved them and wanted the recipe!

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I have been curious about that too.I know in white cakes its a must but I am thinking that 3 whole eggs should work fine in the chocolate or yellow versions.

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I am making this cake right now! I have my fingers crossed and hope that it will turn out as well as everyone states!! I will let everyone know. Thanks for sharing!!

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This cake was a HUGE hit. I made the cake on Friday and froze it Sat. covered in MMF and had it for a birthday party today. It was super moist and the taste was excellent. I had to make two batches in order to get 1 10x10 - 2 8 in round - 1 6 in round.

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I used this recipe to make a marbled cake used to construct a 3D Thomas the Tank Engine birthday cake. This recipe was the key to a successful project. It was easy to cut square edges and held up to the weight of stacked layers. And it was absolutely delicious! I had lots of comments about that. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!

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i've got a double batch (10") in the oven right now. i took a taste of the batter before i washed the mixing bowl and if that's any indication, this cake is going to be delicious. thank you for the great recipe!

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I have been searching so long for a moist yellow cake. Even tried one with 8 egg yolks.. and it was just okay. (that was not with a box at all) Looking forward to trying this one. The nice comments and good ratings are very encouraging. Will let you know how it turns out :)

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I'm making red velvet cupcakes with this recipe as I am writing this. I mixed french vanilla pudding in with it. I didn't have any chocolate pudding so I had to use what I had. I will let everyone know how they turn out.

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So i'm back with a review and everyone loved them. my husband said they were light and fluffy. Thank you for this recipe.

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I made this cake for my decorating class, but first I made a practice cake and took it to work and they loved it. They could not get enough. This recipe is easy, durable and delicious. I will be using it again and again.

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I have made this receipe a few times now. The first was for a 3d standing cuddly bear. My only suggestion with this mix is to NOT use the core and cook for 2 hours. Then only cool during the time it takes you to trim the bottom, because if you cool much longer the shrinkage will make the head begin to seperate from the body, so turn him on his butt to cool. I have done it with Dark Chocolate cake/Chocolate Fudge Pudding, French Vanilla Cake and pudding (this one my best friend shared 2 slices with one with her husband and one with her daughter and ate the rest of the cake in a day and a half. LOL

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This cake is so amazing, I love how moist and sturdy it is. I just have one problem, I always plan to use egg yolks for something else which never happens and I have to throw those away. Does anyone know if I can use 2 whole eggs instead of 4 egg whites or not? If yes, what size egg is better, large or jumbo? (I am asking about the size because normally 1 large egg white weights 33 g, 1 large egg is 53 g, and 1 jumbo egg is 63 g.)

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This might be a silly question, but what size box of the pudding am I supposed to use? I went to buy the ingredients and saw two small size. One was like a 3.4oz and the other was a 1oz. I was just wondering which one everyone else is using. Thanks!

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PERFECT! I made this cake without a trial and followed the recipe for the yellow and chocolate cake. I was a HIT! I was a little worried, but trusted the good folks at CC. Follow the recipe to the letter and you will have a great cake. Thank you Thank you to everyone who rated this GREAT cake.

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Shanney 54,I use one that is Jello brand and says 4 oz,but it may be different here in canada.It is the box that says it makes 4 servings and if you were making pudding with it you would use 2 cups of milk.hth

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This was the BEST cake mix (yes, I love to lick the bowl) and cake that I have tasted....and definitly ever made. I just used the generic meijer mix/pudding. SO YUMMY!!!!

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Thank you so much for posting this and all the comments. I have been using DH cake mixes for years and always get rave reviews, however I was needing a better cake for 3D sculpting. Can't wait to try it!

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I made this for my daughter's 2nd birthday party. One layer chocolate and another strawberry! It was a HUGE hit! I use the egg yolks in French Butter cream Icing so I don't waste them. I'm making a red velvet recipe right now for cup cakes! Hope they turn out good! :)

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GREAT RECIPE!! I used this last week to make my bosses baby shower cake (with cream cheese pie filling!) and it was a HUGE success! everyone loved it. I used a butter mix. the cake was soo moist yet firm enough to withstand stacking. i also made them wednesday night for a friday morning decorating and they were still sooo yummy so they hold up nicely to refridgeration. so glad i found it! I even had someone ask me to make their wedding cake it was soo good! :) thanks for sharing it!

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I'm going to use this recipe for my first purse cake. I will also cover the cake with MMF that I already made.(really tasted gooood!) This will be a double first for me. Will report back later.

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I wish I would have stummbled upon this recipe sooner, I just made my first building, empire state, and the cake was too moist*cake still held u, just had a hard time). I will try this on my next cake on the red velvet, I can't wait! I will keep youu all posted, can't wait to try! Thank you all

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hi i made this cake very very good but i need to make for a 16" cake does anyone know how much batter i will need and feel that pan up how full im also using like 4 flower nails in center

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If i'm using betty crocker mix with pudding already in it, should i reduce the amount of instant pudding to add to it, or nix the pudding all together? Thanks..so excited to have found a delicious yellow cake recipe...I've just about given up on scratch yellow cakes!

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does anybody know what size this pan will make i need to make a 16" round pan and a cap cake for graduation the cap cake calls for 1 2 layer box cake so i gues one recipe would do for that but im questioning the 16 in.

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does anybody know what size this pan will make i need to make a 16" round pan and a cap cake for graduation the cap cake calls for 1 2 layer box cake so i guess one recipe would do for that but im questioning the 16 in.

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rsweety2, i think you should plan for at least 3 batches for a 16inch round...knowing how I worry, I'd probably do 3 1/2 or 4 and use leftovers for cupcakes, but that's just me : )

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i actually bougt a reduced sugar boxed cake and it had pudding in the mix and i just used this recipe as it is and it came out great i thought first time i made it with a bake strip and it came out so flat and iced with no crumbs

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Im back, I posted a comment a few days ago. I tried strawberry cake mix with vanilla pudding and red velvet with chocolate. I used this to build a sex and the city cake. Everyone at worked loved it! This is a great recipe for stacking cakes, when sliceing this cake, beautiful! rsweety2 for a 10 in cake i used one box and it baked right to the very tip of the cake pan, so for a 16 i would suggest 1 3/4 any more and it might bake over. As Boscakes said you can make a few cupcakes on the side. You should be fine with three boxes.

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I am confused with the pudding mix do I have to put the pudding mix dry with the cake mix or mix the pudding instruction before mixing it w/ the rest of the mixture....

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how many boxes would I need to make 2- 11x13in, 1-8 in round and a ball cake? This recipe sounds great I am going to try to convert to an organic recipe. Has anyone tried that?

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I used a 8X3 pan and it took forever to cook (about an hour) and it wasnt as moist as I think it sounds like it should be. I just bought this pan and have had problems before.....do I need to do something different with this type of pan or should I go back to using two pans?

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Absolutely amazingly yummy cake! Made this into cupcakes last night for a wedding tasting. I've never been a big fan of yellow cake, but this is delicious! I did add just a tad bit more water to make the batter not quite as thick. Love, love, love it. This will be my go-to yellow cake recipe!

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I had to make my first baby shower cake and it was 2 tiered, so I tried this recipe and it turned out FANTASTIC! Everyone raved on how delicious this cake was!

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I'm going to try to carve a bird out of this cake (not standing, but laying on its side). It's for a baby shower. I assume my best bet is to make a few sheet cakes and stack them, then carve out the shape. Does anyone know what size sheet cake this recipe will make and what adjustements, if any, I should make if I need to double or triple the recipe? THANKS!!

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Would I still have to use a simple syrup on the cake? I have been using a scracht vanilla recipe I got in one of my classes, it is good but I have heard so much of this recipe that I am thinking of trying it! Thank you in advance. CIAO

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What a great tasting cake. It did not make as much batter as I thought it would, next time I will double it. I used 1 package of cream cheese instead of sour cream, only because I forgot to get the sour cream and had the cream cheese. This is definitely a keeper.

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I will try this recipe next week. I am making my first quinceañera cake ( 4 tiers) and was looking for someting simple and that holds for a tiered cake since it's going to be my present for my niece. Don't want to spend much in the cake.

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OMG,I`m new to the baking world. I tried this recipe on a shaped pan ( teddy bear) my KIDS ate no devoured him in about two hours. RECIPE is a keeper.I like the weight and flavor of it.

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I made this cake for my daughters 1st Birthday cake, using BC strawberry mix with vanilla pudding mix (Angel Delight for those in the UK) for one layer, and BC Devils Food cake mix and butterscotch pudding for the second layer. Each batch filled a perfect 9" square pan. This turned out PERFECT after about 45-50 mins cooking and stayed moist and tasty for nearly a week all in!! Will be using this again- someone at work even commented that they would pay for this cake!!

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I made this cake in a 12x18 sheet and it was excellent! All my friends loved it and it really does stay moist after 2 days. I found that if you are using a sheet pan of this size, double the recipe, and be sure to smooth the cake out before baking as it will maintain any lumps and bumps that you see in the batter because it is so thick. This cake carves beautifully and it is fantastic.

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Has anyone tried cream cheese instead of sour cream?? If you have w/ to pm me and let me know how it tasted?? I'm doing my first wedding cake for the 28th of Aug. So I am wanting to try this but I'm thinking I want to use cream cheese since I will be buying alot for cream cheese buttercream!

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I have'nt seen an answer about the eggs. Has anyone tried 2 whole eggs instead of 4 whites? I will be making multiple cakes this week and do hate to waste.

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This is the best cake I have ever made!!! I used it for a very large 3d "Despicable Me" Minion cake for my daughter. I made the cakes on Wednesday and I had two layers left over that I didn't frost and when we had her party on Saturday they were still really moist. In fact more people wanted to eat just the plain cake, then the one with all the frosting on it. I used a 8 x 3 inch round pan.

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sorry to ask but i just want to know do u make the instant pudding and the mix it in or do u just add the powder in with the whole thing????

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still no answers about the eggs then ... I think I'm just going to try using 3 small eggs and see what happens. Hope to post a result...

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If you look on the side of the DH box it lists the recipe for a pound cake version and it lists whole eggs not egg whites. Ive seen it on the devils food chocolate cake box. I don't have a box on hand or else I would list the recipe here but its pretty much similar. HTH

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ok found it: 1 DH devils food cake mix, 1 small pkg choc pudding, 4 large eggs, 1 1/4 c water, 1/2 c vegetable oil.....combine , everything in large bowl, beat on medium for 2 minutes, pour into pans and bake on 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes

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tried this tonight and it was so yummy, i used a box of butter pecan cake mix and vanilla pudding! =) i made 18 cupcakes and 21 mini cupcakes.

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I just tried this!! I used Betty Crocker White Cake w/ French Vanilla pudding! It was fantastic! I mixed 4 batches & made 2-8"round, 2-12"round, 12reg cupcakes, & 24 mini cupcakes! Then I used Ducan Hines Red Velvet w/ Chocolate pudding! It was great too! It has more of a chocolate flavor than usual but it was good. I mixed 3 batches (at the same time) & made 2-6"round, 2-10"round, & 12reg cupcakes!! Next time I make more than one batch of Red Velvet I'm going to try 1 chocolate pudding & 1 french vanilla pudding!! Can't wait! Now I'm off to make 5 batches of carrot cake! I'll let you know how they turn out!!

O & my only negative comment....is that I hate wasting all those egg yolks...but you can buy just the egg whites at a store! Wish I would have thought of that before I bought 5dz eggs!

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I'm going to try this recipe today, need it for Sunday, just want to make sure that this cake can stay out at room temp because of the sour cream and stuff until then because i will be covering it with fondant. Anyway, it sounds delicious! Any ideas on how many batches i will need, its for one 12in and two 9in pans. i guessed about 3-4 batches?

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For those of you asking about about what to do with the egg yolks I thought I would pass this along. I have been buying the cartons of egg whites and they have been working just fine. I have even done MB with them and they were wonderful even though it said on the carton "not good for meringues". Hope that helps someone.

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Sooo...I tried this recipe two days ago. It was fantastic! I tried it with yellow cake and vanilla pudding and I also tried it with devils food cake and chocolate pudding. I will never go back to the regular cake mix recipe again. 10 stars from me.

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Babyblue..using the egg whites instead of the whole eggs give it an airy, spongy texture. Not to mention its healthier.

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Do you have to use 1 box of inst. pudding and sour cream for each cake or can you do like a 2 to 1 ratio ( like 3 cake mixes and 2 inst. pudding and 2 sour cream) hope this makes sence

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I used this recipe for cupcakes and switched out 1/2 of the water for amaretto liquor (Disaronno) and topped them with cherry frosting and they were a HIT! They had such a great, sturdy texture and didn't fall apart like every other cupcake I've made:) Next time, I'm going to substitute ALL of the water for Disaronno...hopefully they won't be too sweet. I also made a chocolate cake by switching the yellow cake mix and vanilla pudding mix with chocolate butter cake mix and chocolate pudding mix and, although I didn't get to taste it for myself, the response was AMAZING! Thank you for this recipe!!!

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Ahhh MollyK, thank you!!! I was reading all the comments to see if someone has made cupcakes with this recipe and there's your comment!! :) awesome thank you. I will make cupcakes, but I won't add any liquor since these are for kids.

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Absolutely wonderful in every way!! Tried it this past weekend with dark chocolate fudge cake and chocolate pudding. Was very durable and more "spongey" than any other cake I have made! Very Very tasty too! I was so excited to have cake scraps! I would recommend this recipe to anyone!

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I just made this cake have to say that it was toooo sweet for me. Love the idea of the recipe, but I had to put salt in my chocolate buttercream to try to keep the sweetness of the cake as a whole down. It baked up perfectly, though....

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This is absolutely amazing! I use this for all of my cakes now. Even the ones NOT flavored vanilla or chocolate! The cakes are so moist and delicious, and they get rave reviews every time!! Thank you for posting!

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does anyone know if this cake needs to be refrigerated (like do i need to tell my customer to keep it in the fridge)??

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This is now my go-to cake. I'm using it for an anniversary stacked cake this weekend. I did try it with BC cake mix and it didn't turn out nearly as well as when I used the DH. It crumbled quite easily.

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Hi All, I'm going to be making a 3D Thomas the Train cake for my little boys 2nd birthday. Does anyone know how many batches I need to make for a 3D train cake?

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This sounds great, want to make this for the 20th of November. But can anyone share the frosting they used on these different types of cakes? (chocolate, vanilla, red velvet etc). Found a cream cheese frosting here on cc that I would like to try on this cake but would like to know what eveyrone else has used. Also, have a question, if I make this cake this weekend (11/6/10) and freeze it until the 17th when I get ready to decotate the cake for the 20th, will it be ok left out for that long?

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After reading all the possitive comments i cant wait to try this. Iam making a 3d replica cake of my boyfriends mustang next week. I am probably going to be making a double batch using 9x13in pans. I was curious of the type of pan mattered. I plan of making the chocolate version with chocolate pudding. But using a peanutbutter buttercream frosting. Has anyone tried it? I wouldl appreciate all the tips and advise I can get. This is my first time doing this!!

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I used the vanilla version to carve my husbands car.I froze the cakes and then carved them while partly frozen.It worked great.I have used all the varieties of this cake recipe and they are all so good.

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I live very far away from the states, and in my country there is no Duncan Hines cake mix, please tell me what can I substitute it with?

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Love this recipe! For those that want to know, one recipe made 6.5 cups of batter when I used a DH French Vanilla mix.

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Used 3x the recipe in Betty Crocker mix for 1 12x3 and 1 8x3 round. Turned out a liitle short, but still my fav go-to recipe!!

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I'm from the uk and i need a recipe that i can get all the ingredients from here! Arethere any uk people on this site that a good recipe that i can sculpt with please?

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Okay. I think I am going to use this recipe for my sisters wedding cake. My first wedding cake at that, after so many birthday cakes. But I need help ASAP. The date is the 8th of January 2010. The size cake she needs/wants that her and I designed is 3 tier, with MMF and Black ribbon at base of each tier and real or silk red roses in certain areas of the cake and as the topper. All pans I have are 2" deep and right now I only have 1 except the 6". Bottom tier is 14" round; middle 10" round; top 6" round. Should I do 2 or 3 layers on each tier? And How many batches for each pan? thanks

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Okay. I think I am going to use this recipe for my sisters wedding cake. My first wedding cake at that, after so many birthday cakes. But I need help ASAP. The date is the 8th of January 2010. The size cake she needs/wants that her and I designed is 3 tier, with MMF and Black ribbon at base of each tier and real or silk red roses in certain areas of the cake and as the topper. All pans I have are 2" deep and right now I only have 1 except the 6". Bottom tier is 14" round; middle 10" round; top 6" round. Should I do 2 or 3 layers on each tier? And How many batches for each pan? thanks a bunch

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Has anyone ever used this recipe with the Wilton Sports Ball Pan? The directions for the pan say to use a pound cake...will this recipe hold up?

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One batch made a 13 x 9 pyrex pan. It did not come up to the top of the pan - so its a thinner cake (which is what I needed anyway)

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Loved Loved Loved the cake I just made with your recipe ( did devils food and chocolate pudding) was moist and the flavor was delicious. I just have on question how do I get a white cake? I tried it with white cake mix and french vanilla pudding and its a a pretty yellow. How can I if possible get a white one? Oh by the way it was also delicious and so moist!!!

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grannasmith, for white cake instead of the vanila pudding i use white chocolate pudding..there's no obvious change in flavor and it's certainly not as yellow! can't remember who originally suggested this, but it works

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love this recipe i have used it with every flavor so far and it has come out great when im making cupcakes for my daughter school i use the entire 4 eggs not just the white and they r great for 3d cake i definetly go with just the egg whites jcrew i have used this recipe for the ball pan and it work so u shouldnt have a problem just make sure u fill the pan almost to the top hope it helps

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Hi. I have read all the comments and would love to try this recipe. I live in Botswana and can't get the cake mixes mentioned. Can anyone please let me have a similar recipe but without the cake mixes?

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Made my sisters wedding cake. white and red velvet. Oh my josh! This turned out so good. It was a tough cake to make. Glad I cut the tops off to level because the 14" round was really hard to bake (especially when the oven I was using heated uneven and I had to turn the cake pan in oven to get it to bake right) the top got a little crispy and burnt on the edges it took like 1hr and 10 min to bake. But the 10" and the 6" we easy. I actually had some red velvet left and needed more for a layer of the white so marbled it. That was an awesome pairing. The cake stacked very nicely. look great too. as soon I can get my sister's pic's of it I will post it. Next I am making my youngest son his transformer cake in March. I think I am going to use this in chocolate with a peanut butter filling. Have to be sure none of his guests have a peanut allergy first.

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I want to try this in chocolate and also in strawberry, does anyone know if i would still use the same amount of oil, water, eggs, since its different flavors?

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I love this recipe and, more importantly, EVERYONE loves it. This weekend for Valentines, I've sliced marachino cherries, about a 1/4 c with a little red coloring and cherry flavoring to make a V-Day heart cake. I'm in Denver, so I've adjusted the recipe for high altitude as follows: Add 1/8 c flour, 1/8 c meringue pwdr, increase water to 2/3c, increase oil to 1/2 c and bake at 325.

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For the people asking: You do NOT follow the box ingrediant instructions. You add the box's powder and the above ingrediants INSTEAD! :)

I made this yesterday for a sheet cake (12x18) and it was wonderful: double the recipe suited the pan perfectly. It was so sturdy and I was able to flip, shimmy, and move around that big sucker with no cracking: what a dream! I made one layer vanilla and one layer chocolate. The vanilla tasted lovely but the chocolate wasn't chocolate-y enough (though still tastey).

Right now I have another chocolate cake in my oven: used this recipe proportions, except with chocolate, but this time added half of a bag of chocolate chips. Lets see how this works!

The above recipe, doubled, with 3/4 a bag of chocolate chips yielded enough mix to make two 10" round pans and a 6".

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I made this cake again for a friends surprise birthday. I made a tool box. I used the Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge cake mix with chocolate pudding. It turned out really well. Has any one used this with the carrot cake? How did it turn out?

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thanks for this recipe! i made a 3 tier cake with this recipe and it was a hit! all 120 people loved the light, fluffy and moist sponge. i will always use this recipe for all my future cakes.

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this is a great recipe, and I love it. But I have someone that wants a 3d cake, and they hate sour cream, is there anything I could put in, in its place? Thanks! :-)

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Calikoecat - you cannot taste sour cream in the cake. They will never know. If you're still really worried about upsetting them though, you can use plain yogurt instead.

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If I want to use this receipe for a strawberry cake, I will substitute the box mix to a strawberry mix. What about the pudding? I don't eat instant pudding that much therefore I am not sure if there is strawberry instant pudding in the market. Input please! Thanks.

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@nl3--- I just went shopping for all of the ingredients to make my daughter's 1st birthday cake, and our local Wal-Mart carries a strawberry creme Jell-o brand instant pudding mix. We live in a pretty small town that time has seemed to have forgotten, so I'm sure it should be fairly easy for you to be able to find a strawberry pudding mix. Of course, like mkelso said, vanilla or white chocolate woud be yummy too! Good luck! =]

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Thank U for posting this recipe. I made this cake for my tall cakes class over the weekend. Excellent. It was super easy to make and my kids loved it. Oh it taste good too. I will be using this recipe from here on out.

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I used this recipe for the base for my lemon cake with a few added things and it turned out AWESOME!!!!! great recipe. Took the cupcakes to all my neighbors whom I dont know since we just moved and they all loved them.

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does it have to be instant pudding? i have a cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix i want to try but it isnt instant. would it work the same way or does it have to be instant pudding?

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I made this cake using the lemon mix and lemon pudding mix it didnt taste very lemony so i did another mix with adding fresh squeezed lemon juice and the xest from both of the lemons and it came out AWESOME!!!

then i tried to make a Chocolate with DH chocolate mix and chocolate pudding. it didnt taste very chocolaty did it with DH red velvet and chocolate pudding it was ok but wasnt that great maybe needed chocolate added

tried it with french vanilla mix and french vanilla pudding it tasted wierd and did strawberry mix with vanilla pudding and strawberry extract and it needed more strawberry also.

do you have to add flavoring addings to cakes other than a white cake ?????

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I like this cake and have had success making it in many varied flavors.........I have learned to bake it at 325 degrees.........the cake comes out more evenly baked to the outer edges. Otherwise at 350 the cake would form a thick crust. Maybe my ovens off or something but if your getting a thick outer crust try a lower temp. I just make the yellow cake with the vanilla pudding. Im wondering if adding some vanilla would give it a bit more flavor.......this cake comes out wonderful in lemon and chocolate too. I made a scratch lemon cake for an event and ended up tossing it away and making one of these cakes in lemon it was so much better and I got so many compliments on it. The chocolate cake is yummy and comes out very moist.....you can add chocolate chips and dried coffee to punch up the flavor......

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OMG I made this in the Wilton Giant Cupcake pan, and it worked out awesome!! Not only did it work out, but the cake itself is ridiculously fabulous tasting!! My husband and daughter were so very disappointed that the cake was given away, and all they were able to snag were the cut off pieces! Thank you so very much for sharing the recipe!

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I just used this recipe for my son's 4th Birthday cake and everyone loved it. They kept asking me where I got it and they couldn't believe I made it myself. Everyone took have leftover cake. My sister-in-law wants me to make her son's birthday cake now. I will use this all the time and I can't wait to try different flavors. YUMMY!

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I've tried this recipe and for some reason can't get the center to cook all the way without baking for over 45 min. I'm following the recipe to the T, any suggestions on whet I could do differently ??

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Thanks to this recipe, I just got my first cake order today! I am so excited. I usually just make cakes for my sons birthday or other family events. Now I get to make one for someone else.

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I made this cake as a red velvet and it turned out great! But now I just made one as a white cake only, following the receipe to a T and it completely flopped!! I had to bake it for a long time extra, it outgrew the pan, and had crispy edges???? I don't know what went wrong.....any suggestions???

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I made this cake using DH devil's food cake and chocolate pudding, and using three whole eggs. It came out as moist as ever, tasted delicious and rose perfectly. As it was so moist and light, I'm not sure how it would hold up under fondant, but as I haven't tried that yet, I couldn't say for sure. I will certainly be trying the white cake version. Unfortunately here in Australia I can only find plain chocolate and vanilla puddings...so that'll have to do. I was very happy with the result.

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FYI,, IF U DO NOT have the Box of Pudding for the recipe above U Can use a cup of Flour added to the cake mix instead & it helps make it a little denser & less crumbly as plain ole box mix would be. I read this on web few weeks ago when i was making my 1st 7 layer cake & IT WORKED perfectly,, yeaaa ! & flour is cheaper than pudding mix if u are on a budget ,, i was in a hurry & didnt have pudding :) thx

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How does that work by adding more dry ingredients to make the cake dense and moist? Geee I wish I was a chemist :) I'll have to give this a whirl to see what happens. Thanks for the info!

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I just tried this recipe and it was AWESOME!!!!!! I received so many compliments. I had a lot of cake to make so I did this 11 times! But each time it came out PERFECT. Thanks for sharing.

** Also, those who turned this recipe into Red Velvet, what kind of pudding did you use? Chocolate? Thanks

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Hi. I'm from the UK, and i have to make use of whatever ingredients that i think resembles from what's listed above...i used shops' own brand of victoria sponge cake mix and vanilla flavour angel delight mix. For sour milk, i made my own, I mixed 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tbsp of distilled vinegar...and guess what...IT WORKED!! it tasted absolutely gorgeous! i have made some more since then, and i have experimented by mixing flavours, and it worked everytime without fail...

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I going to make my first two tier cake, two 9" and two 12", yellow cake and vanilla pudding, for a graduation cake I found on CC. I'm guessing I will need at least 4 recipes? Does anyone have any tips on using fondant and gum paste with this recipe. I tried this recipe using flour instead of pudding and did not care for it very much. I notice one posting used cream cheese instead of sour cream any more comments on switching that particular ingredient.

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Can anyone explain why only egg whites? I want to use the whole egg but I'm a stickler for following a recipe to a T. Yes, it is delicious - just wondering why only whites.

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From my understanding, using the whites only keeps the cake looking snowy white. Just as using clear vanilla does.

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Tried and true recipe for me. Made a strawberry version and substituted strawberry daquiri mix for water and came out YUMMY! Made a chocolate version and added shaved baker's chocolate for an extra chocolate flavor. I have tried other recipes and I always go back to this one. Stacks and carves very well. For larger cakes, 10" and up, I use the flower nail in the pan to get the center to cook evenly. Also makes wonderful cupcakes.

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MandaMoh3 I use to have this problem... now I always put a rose nail in the center of my bigger cakes when I bake them. They always bake up beautifully.

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Okay, I just made 2 recipes with devils food cake and chocolate pudding.

To give other users a point of reference: 1. 2 recipes filled a 15 x 11 x 2 pan and it baked up to the top. 2. I used parchment paper and 2 rose nails and the cake took approximately 45 minutes to bake. The edges got slightly over cooked even with the 2 nails. So i'm thinking of using the bake even strips for next time. Does anyone know the answer to this: since I used parchment paper and poked the flower nails through it, did it nullify the value of having the nails in there and that is why the edges cooked so much faster than the middle? Or should I only cook one recipe in that pan at a time so it only bakes up to one inch high?

The cake is fluffy and durable. Thanks for this recipe!

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I have used 3 rose nails for a pan size of 15 x 11 x 2, and reduced the oven temperature by 25 degrees. It takes longer to bake, however, it seems to help the cake to bake more evenly with the edges not over baking. Hope that helps :) I am not certain if the parchment paper would cause a problem with the heat transfer. I am thinking if the rose nail is against the pan itself, the heat will conduct through the post part. I guess it is an experiment that is in need of pursuing :)

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Thanks NJ - I actually did experiment a little last night. I baked with the flat part of the nail on either side of the paper, one time with it against the pan and poking through the paper, the other time with it over the paper so it wasn't actually touching the pan. I think it may have baked more evenly with the nail over the paper which is weird. I have to bake 4 more 11 x 15s so I'll try one today without the paper and see if that made a difference.

My bake time on the 2nd go round last night was 65 minutes!

Thanks for the help!

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Hi I was just wondering how much this recipe will rise in the oven? How much would I fill my pans so that it won't boil over or burn the top?

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I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOVE THIS RECIPE!!! I made my first wedding cake with this last weekend and it held up perfectly! I cuts perfectly and held up very well. I had to make 9x the amount for it to make a 16", 14", and 12" round and the cake were each 3.25" high -minus the filling. I also like that you can mix up the flavors with the pudding mixes as well! Everyone loved it and I will be looking forward to using is recipe again very soon! Thanks!

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So I just made 4 16x16 in cakes with this recipe and it is awesome to work with! This is my go to recipe from now on! I did change one small thing that many people have been asking about, I used 3 whole eggs instead of the egg whites and I don't notice any ill effects (as of yet). We haven't tasted the cake yet but I will report back soon. Heartsfire thanks so much for such an awesome recipe!

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Ks_kakes...did you use rose nails or did it bake fine in a 16x16 pan? I am doing 3 12x12 pans and I am not sure if it will bake evenly.

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@Skalke HI!!! Sorry I haven't responded sooner I have been having some internet issues. I did not use a rose nail, I just baked it for 40 mins and I put two cake mixes in the pan. Like it says above it is really think so you will have to spread it out well to get it even but that is easy. You can put 3 cake mixes in a 16x16 but it takes closer to an hour and then you may want to use a rose nail. For a 12 x 12 I think you can just do one cake mix and get a pretty good size cake. I would bake it for about 15-20 mins and then adjust it accordingly. The cake itself does not rise very much (which is nice, not alot of waste ;)). Good Luck ~Liz

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@Skalke I miss typed, it does rise some but it rises evenly so there isnt alot of waste. lol. Sorry about that!!!

~Liz

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So glad I found this recipie. I just made 2 mixes to fill one 10" x 2". it filled to the top - Is this right or do I need to use a 10" x 3" for 2 mixes.

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For some reason when I made this cake it shrank and became misformed. One side flattened a lot and the other didn't. I followed the recipe exaclty. Is no one else having this issue?

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With all these good reviews I want to use this recipe ASAP! Question.... What's with the rose nails? What does it do? How many to use? Thanks!

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Rose nails help distribute the heat evenly so that the cake doesn't cook the outer area and not the middle. Most people use them when baking larger size cakes (anything over an 8 in.) You simple turn them upside down in the middle of the pan and pour your batter. When the cake has cooled, you pull the nail out from the bottom and it only leaves a small hole in the cake. If you are baking a really big cake, you might want to use 2 nails spaced evenly. Some people use baking cores or baking strips. I hope that explains it!

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For those wondering what the difference is with egg whites only vs. the whole egg...I have tried it both ways and I definitely prefer it with the egg whites only. It's not that it's bad with the whole egg, it's just that the texture is a bit different -- It's more like a traditional crumb texture vs. the smooth, moist pound cake texture.

This really is a wonderfully versatile recipe. I have made it dozens of ways and love it each time. My favorite is still the yellow cake with cheesecake pudding mix.

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Oh...and for the leftover egg yolks, I just toss them in a container in the fridge and make homemade egg noodles or creme brulee later in the week.

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I tired this cake out to bring to a class, I made a 8" layer and 6 cupcakes (that I froze). We had the cake in the house for 4 days sitting on the counter in a cake carrier and it was as moist and delicous as it was the first day. I used a yellow cake mix and just added the 3 whole eggs the box required. And used a instant french vanilla pudding. The frozen cupcakes were great!

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I made this cake and after taking it out of the oven it seemed to shrink in the pan while it was cooling. Then when I flipped it out of the pan, it didn't have nice straight sides, more of a "bell bottom" shape. I followed the recipe exactly. And I used one batch to bake a 10" round. I wonder what happened??? Someone else above mentioned a mis-shaped cake. Has anyone else had trouble?

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I made 2 different batches (both DH) last week. One was white cake with french vanilla pudding mix and it was DELICIOUS! The 2nd was devils food cake with chocolate pudding mix. SO GOOD.

For the white cake, I used both strips and flower nails. The cake was gorgeous and I don't think I even had to level it. For the chocolate cake, I used only the flower nails as I forgot to use the strips and the cake did shrink a bit but again, it was nice and even and no leveling necessary. Both were very moist. I used the white to carve and it worked great!! Will be using this again and again.

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This cake looks so delicious!!! I am making 3 6" squares for a baby clock cake. How full do I fill the pans and how mnay boxes should I use? Can't wait to try it : )

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Oh my goodness, this is so awesome! I made my son's Toy Story cake with it and it was gone in no time flat. I used yellow cake mix and butterscotch pudding because I love butterscotch. It was amazing. Thank you for the recipe.

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this souds great, has anyone substituted the water for buttercream? I like using buttercream and don't know if I change it if it will still taste as great as everyone says. I want to try this for my daughters sweet 16 cake Saturday.

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If your cake is shrinking from the sides too much, typically you are over baking. Using only egg whites gives a more stable sponge type cake. Whole eggs = crumbly cake. Pans should only be filled 1/2 to 2/3 and not to the top. For high altitude 5000 feet and above, I always add 3 table spoons to any cake I make. Seems to help the cake keep its's shape better.

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I made this for a 3-tier Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake; it was incredibly moist, durable and delicious. I followed the directions exactly, using a yellow cake mix, but baked the cakes on 325 instead of 350 so they wouldn't get too dark. I baked and torted the cakes on Thursday night, covered them in buttercream and fondant on Friday night then decorated them on Saturday before the party. I still can't get over how moist it was! This will definitely be my go-to recipe for tiered cakes from now on. Can't wait to try it with different flavors, Thank you for sharing!

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I am wondering how far to fill pans with this recipe. I generally follow the directions on a box mix and add a box of pudding and a packet of dream whip, but I need a carveable cake. I have learned that different recipes rise more or less than others, so would you say pans should be 1/2 way, 2/3 or 3/4 full? Will be making a Lightnint McQueen and a Tow Mater cake in a couple of weeks and need to start planning!

Thanks!

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I see the comment about staying moist for a couple days. I need to do a 14 and 18" layer for a wedding cake. Will do ahead, tort and fill, crumb-coast and freeze a week ahead. The cake will be covered and fondant and draped. I will need to do this 3 to 4 days ahead. If I use simple syrup and have it covered in fondant will it stay moist?

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Made a test cake using this reciipie: used white chocolate instant pudding mix, filled and placed in freezer for 2 weeks. It was a hit. Everyone raved about how moist it was and it carved easily for the top of a hamburger cake. Definite keeper!

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I too would like to know how many cups one batch makes and if it is ok to double for mixing. Also would love to know about using simple syrup as I will be making an 18", 14" 10" and 6" tow weeks ahead, filling with rasberry filling, Icing and freezing.

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I've been using this recipe for 40 years. I always use whole eggs with yellow cake mix and whites only with white cake mix. I always get a moist, great tasting cake and my customers absolutely rave over it. This cake freezes well, too. I've had brides freezing the top tier for their 1st anniversary and they've said it tastes as good as it did on the wedding day.

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This is the recipe that I absolutely love!!!!! I am a very picky person when it comes to taste and this one is great. The only thing I do is put a tbsp of magic line buttered vanilla flavoring. I have had fantastic reviews. And even had someone ask me to do their wedding cake even though I am not apro decorator and just make cakes for fun this cake is fantastic for stacking and carving just be sure ro freeze a little while about 15 -20 minutes first before carving. Take a look at my pictures and see the Lego guy. I carved him and used this recipe. He has detail carving so you can see it holds up. All this week I have tried new recipes but they all turn out bad I would like a scratch recipe I love but can't find one. I'm just sticking to this recipe

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Oh and I have done. Vanilla cake vanilla pudding. Double chocolate with chocolate pudding. Strawberry cake with vanilla pudding and I add a littl strawberry flavor oil. Done lemon cake with some lemon zest added. And used the Duncan Hines fancy carrot cake that comes with shredded dried carrots with vanilla pudding and that on be was a huge hit.

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To the person that asked about therainbow cake. I have done a zebra cake and it worked. And have colored a vanilla cake hot pink so I assume it would work

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I'm getting ready to give this a whirl with a Thomas 3D cake... Any suggestions on a butter cream icing i should use..I have the coloring already and the tips. First time cake maker should be fun!

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I am doing at tester cake right now with chocolate and vanilla and its in the oven right now! The only problem i am experiencing is it is taking a very long to time to bake i put it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes but its not cooking at thing i should try thanks

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I am wondering if this recipe can be converted to a Shortcake? I'm needing a Strawberry Shortcake recipe or a 3D cake at he end of the month. Please help!

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This recipe is AMAZING !!! its very moist and taste great while it is GREAT for carving didnt see one crumb. best scratch cake recipe i have found. Only problem i still cannot fix it cooking in the middle. I baked it for 30-40 minutes and it would not cook in the center enough so it would cave in. How can i resist this ? Thanks for the recipe!

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Does anyone know if using sugarfree pudding would affect the consistency of the cake? Someone mentioned it was abit too sweet. I thought that might counter balance the sweetness. Thanks.

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Can someone suggest how many batches I would need to make 14", 10", and 6" round cakes? I have both 3" and 2" deep pans and can't decide which pans to use to make a wedding cake with. I would love some suggestions please!!! Sooo excited to use this recipe...sounds yummy!

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I love this recipe for carved cakes so much better than the WASC! I doubled this recipe for a 12x18 sheet cake, and it took ~35 minutes on the middle rack of my oven at 350.

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Anyone know if the sour cream can just simply be omitted or replaced with something else?

I have someone with dietary restrictions and sour cream is on the list.

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The cake is the best ever! I made this for a two tiered cake for my sisters mother in law for her 60th birthday and she said it was the best cake she's ever eaten in her 60 years! Excellent recipe!

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I carved a Beyblade cake from this recipe. After baking the cake, I let it cool and then froze it overnight before working with it. It held up to the carving and crumb coating beautifully, MUCH better than the disastrous standard box cake attempt that I used last time. I used the Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix and Jell-O's chocolate pudding mix. I used the entire mix in one 10" round pan, which took about 40 minutes to bake. One batch ended up baking up to a perfect 10" x 2" round cake. Any larger in diameter and you will need to buy something to help conduct heat toward the middle of the cake so the cake bakes evenly. Great recipe, will use again and again!

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How does this work with the new 16.5 oz. DH classic yellow cake mix? I've used it before with the old 18.25 oz.& it was fabulous. Do adjustments need to be made now that DH has shrunk their mixes?

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I love DH cake mixes. I noticed they did shrink their mix. I have never tried adding pudding or sour cream (going to have to try this). I am assuming that the pudding is added in its powder form? I always use 4 whole eggs, substitute the water for 1/2 portion of buttercream milk and the other 1/2 milk and use the amount of oil stated on the box. It comes out very moist and dense but will try this one.

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Just made this today with the BC reduced box size. It came out great, moist and tasty. My only problem is it is a very small yield vs cost to make this. From this recipe I only for a 6" square cake x 3"H but we licked up all the sample cupcakes and wanted more! Love this recipe.

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I made this cake, because I needed a recipe I could carve. When it came out of the tin, it split lengthays and accross the width. Has anybody else had this happen with this recipe?

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I am going to attempt my first wedding cake and this seems to be a hit of a recipe. Does anyone know if the new DH mix sizes work with the original recipe or if it needs to be tweeked at all? Also, I will be using 14, 10, and 6 in round pans, all 2 in height. Can anyone tell me how much I would need for the 14? I saw where someone said it makes a perfect 10.. How much do you fill the pan? 2/3 full? Or how many cups would you put in the pan? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi there, has anyone tried this cake for a 3 tier Topsy Turvey cake?  How did it handle the slope?  I'm planning on using chocolate ganache and fondant.

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Cn anyone plz suggest sumthing like this from scratch ??I need a recipe for my 3d cakes too , but cant find such a good recipe .this sounds so delish but Boxed cake mixes are quite expensive here where I live !!

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When making this in the chocolate version do you use the egg yolks too or just the whites still?! I already made my vanilla layers now need to work on chocolate but don't want to mess it up! Thanks!

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Thanks @heartsfire for this recipe which has had so many rave reviews!

I hope to use this for my first attempt at serious cupcake decorating (using fondant shaped things which I'll make ahead) for my daughter's 'doctor's party'.

If I use the ingredients above, how long should I bake cupcakes for please?  I will be using muffin tins which each hold 12 large cupcakes.  For example, sould it be 15 min or 20?

If anyone else has used the ingredients above just for cupcakes, any comments on number made and baking time would be most appreciated... as well as any comments on decorations!

Thanks in advance!

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This recipe is amazing!  I used this recipe to make my daughter's Sweet 16 cake.  Not only did it hold up well (4 double-layer tiers!) but it tasted GREAT!  Everyone complimented it!  The best part?  This recipe created the most level cakes I have ever baked!  There were absolutely no domes/crowning on any of the 8 layers.  Trust me, I did a happy dance!  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/183240278571380351/

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This recipe is also great for freezing.  Due to time restraints, I had to bake my cakes a little over a week before the party.  Once they cooled to room temperature, I wrapped them tightly in cling wrap, then again in aluminum foil and popped them in the freezer. The morning before the party, I took them out of the freezer and let them thaw for about 20 minutes before crumb-coating. The cake tasted great and was so moist.  You'd never guess that it had been frozen!

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This is not working with the new box mix size from Duncan Hines, they confirmed a change in the formula but could only offer a recommendation of adding 2-4 TBLS of flour for each box mix you use...has anyone found anything that works well with the new size boxes?



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Has anyone had a problem with the cake being too yellow? I followed the recipe: DH white cake mix, egg whites, and I made sure I got vanilla pudding and not French vanilla (tends to be yellow) and everything else the same. It turned out pale yellow not white. Any suggestions?

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I know this is an old thread, just wanted to add another believer :D I can't believe it took me so long to try this. I've been adding pudding to cakes for a long time, but I was never able to quite get the texture I wanted. This cake has a great texture, good weight that holds up to decorating and the combination of the cake and pudding means you can make a ton of combinations. Just finished making this and a double batch was perfect to fill a 9x13 pan, so I'm thinking a triple batch would likely be good for a half-slab. It rose evenly with no doming and released beautifully from pans. 

For this batch, I used a chocolate mix with chocolate pudding and stuck to using just the egg whites exactly as the recipe states and it turned out perfectly.