boxed cake mix secret

yesterday afternoon i was in the baking isle of our local grocery store when a very obviously lost man approached me.  

"so i need to make cupcakes but i can't find cupcake mix."

i kid you not, we were standing smack dab in front of rows and rows of cake mix.  i told him that you just use cake mix and he immediately questioned me on if i was sure about that.

i then proceeded to help him gather the supplies for forty-eight cupcakes for his daughter's end of year preschool party.  baptism by fire is what i call that.  i'd be lying if i didn't say i was curious how that went for him.  bless his heart.

the point of this post is that i really wanted to share with him the secret that i learned a year or so ago on how to make your boxed cake absolutely delicious and moist, but i didn't want to overwhelm him.  so then i thought, i will blog about it!  i really don't know why i hadn't shared it up to this point.  but here goes my grand, or not so grand, secret!

1 box cake mix

1 box pudding mix

1 extra egg

double the vegetable oil

reduce the water to 1 cup

tada!  that's it.  it doesn't produce your perfectly formed cupcakes for sure.  i've never much cared for that anyhow.  i kind of dig the look of imperfection when it comes to baked goods.  clearly i would be a very unsuccessful baker.  but boy will everyone love the way they taste.

p.s. when it comes to choosing your pudding mix, i've learned that you don't have to be too incredibly picky.  i've mixed strawberry with chocolate cake mix, cheesecake flavored pudding with lemon cake mix and others too i am sure.  they all were still very delicious.

happy baking!

xoxo. ash