How much dry mix comes in a normal box of cake mix? (I'm hoping 3 1/2 c, but I want to be sure.)

Also, how much oil/butter/shortening does the box say to add to the mix?

The amounts and weights are going to vary from brand to brand, even within the same brand, unfortunately. So does the amount of oil etc. used.
Hugs Squirrelly

Usually between 1/3 and 1/2 C butter or oil, 3 eggs and 1 1/4 - 1 1/2C water. It all depends ont he brand and type of mix. White cake only has egg whites rather than the whole eggs.

However when I make a cake mix I don't use these measurements at all. I add 1 small pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1/2C butter and 1 1/4 C milk. Plus extra flavorings to taste.

Euphoria, do you mind me asking which brand of cake mix you use for those measurements? I use Duncan Hines, and would like to try butter instead of oil sometime, but I want to make sure it would work. Thanks!

The reason I ask is I want to make a cake that calls for a box of yellow cake mix (thats all it says, no brand)

But my boyfriend almost always, and I sometimes have bad reactions to the chemicals in regular cake mixes. (Hence why I always do scratch cakes, and concentrate on vegan stuff, as I know a lot of people who have similar reactions.)

I've looked everywhere and I can't find a comparable recipe that does not call for a mix. But I was able to find several recipes for 'homemade cake mix' but the cake recipe I have replaces oil with other stuff, but the mix recipe doesn't even call for oil, it has a bunch of shortening/butter in the initial stage and that's it.

I'm trying to figure out how much shortening I can remove (and checking it's validity) by comparing the recipe to otc mixes.

For reference here is the best sounding cake mix I've found so far:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
7/8 tablespoon double acting baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 7/8 cups sifted flour

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder and mix well to blend. Cut in shortening with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like cornmeal and shortening is evenly distributed. Makes a portion of about 3 1/2 c
Cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Each portion of cake mix will make two 8" cakes or one 13x9" cake.

Yellow Cake

3-1/2 cups cake mix
tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk

.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2-8" round cake pans and set aside. Pour one portion of the cake mix into a large bowl. Make a well in center of mix and add eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat mixture 1 minute with electric mixer at low speed until blended. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and beat 2 minutes longer at medium speed until batter is smooth.

.  Pour into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when pressed lightly in center and begins to pull away from edges of pan.