Planning a party or get-together?
Don’t forget about the cake!
Throw together your own cake using the ease and simplicity of a box cake mix– but know how much batter the cake mix makes to prevent disappointment later.
Depending on the size and style of your cake pans, you may need more than one box mix to pull it off!
How Much Batter Does a Cake Mix Make?
A cake mix typically makes three and a half cups of batter. Most boxed mixes are around 25 ounces, which makes around three and a half cups of batter. However, there are some brand-name mixes, like Betty Crocker, that make four cups of batter when prepared. Figure out how many ounces of batter you will need by filling your desired pan with tap water, then measuring the amount of water used.
How many boxed cake mixes will you need for your cake? Keep reading to learn more!
Boxed Cake Mix Batter
When you buy a box of cake mix, make sure to read the label to make sure it will make enough batter for your desired baking.
Usually, a boxed mix contains around three and a half to four cups of batter when prepared- however, some vary and may have more or less than this.
Some brands like Betty Crocker make around four cups of batter, while Duncan Hines contains about a half cup less.
It pays to read labels and, when in doubt, grab an extra cake mix just in case.
If you make a little too much cake batter, it doesn’t have to go to waste.
Consider using any excess batter for a batch of cupcakes or waffles- or simply store it in the freezer, baked or unbaked, for a later time!
Thicker or Thinner Cake Batter
It happens to everyone at some point- you mix up your cake mix, according to directions, and you get a runny cake batter.
Thicken up a runny or loose batter with a bit of flour- this is one of the simplest ways to resolve the issue.
As for a too-thick batter, you can also thin your batter easily. Simply add more liquid- like milk, water, melted butter, or juice- to the batter until it reaches your desired consistency.
Baking a chocolate cake?
Try adding a half cup of brewed coffee leftover from breakfast to the batter- it is surprising how coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate.
You can also beat an egg and add that to thin a too-thick cake batter.
Knowing is Half the Battle
Most of the time, I find that I will use a single cake mix to make a single-layer cake for my little family. However, when delusions of grandeur take over, and a multi-layered masterpiece is the goal, it is crucial to know how much batter you have.
Big cakes require lots of batter. And, if you want your layers to be the same width, it is imperative to measure out your batter. So, if you are going to use cake mixes, you need to know how many cups of batter each mix will yield.
One of the main reasons for measuring the batter in cups is that different-sized cake pans require differing amounts of batter. If the goal is one or two-inch layers, you need to make sure that the nine-inch pan layers are the same width as those coming from the three-inch pan.
Measuring the batter in cups will allow you to add the proper amount of batter into the different-sized pans. This will ensure that your layers remain uniform.
Now, you never want to run out of batter. It is always preferable to have too much batter instead of too little. Therefore, it is essential to know exactly how many cups of batter your preferred cake mix makes.
Different Cake Mixes Vary
I mentioned above that most cake mixes vary in terms of how much batter they make.
I want to therefore discuss the amounts of batter from some of the most popular cake mix brands.
Betty Crocker cake mixes make four cups of batter with each mix. This provides a nice even number that you can rely on if you have a recipe that requires a certain amount of cups of batter.
Duncan Hines cake mixes provide three and a half cups of batter. While this number is a little more cumbersome than a nice even four, it still is advantageous to know how much batter is in each package.
Pillsbury cake mixes usually make somewhere between four and five cups of batter.
This variation depends mainly on which flavor of cake you make from Pillsbury.
But, somewhere between four and five is what you should plan on with Pillsbury cake mixes.
Another factor that should be considered when picking your brand of cake mix is how much your cake will rise or not rise.
Just because your preferred cake mix brand yields fewer cups does not mean that you are getting taken advantage of.
Betty Crocker is known to rise less and be somewhat denser. If that is what you like, then more power to you.
Duncan Hines cake mixes yield less batter, but they also tend to rise more and be lighter and fluffier.
Your cake preference and preferred brand are just as important as finding out which brand yields the most batter.
Remember, you want it to be the type of cake you like as well!
Plan and Calculate
Remember, it is always preferable to have too much batter.
You do not want to be left at the end of your masterpiece without enough cake to finish it up.
So, once you know how many cups of batter your preferred cake mix yields, be sure to plan ahead.
Knowing how many cups of batter you will need can be tricky.
However, there are some handy conversion charts that you can use to find out how many cups of batter you will need for each layer and pan size.
This means that you will have to plan and use math.
I know those are two incredibly unpopular concepts in many ways.
But, planning out how thick you want your layers of sponge to be, how many layers you will need, and what size of pans you will use for your cake will all pay dividends.
If you know these figures, you should be able to calculate how many cups of cake you will need to complete your cake.
And, once you know how many cups your cake will use, you will know how many cake mixes to buy at the store.
If you are using Betty Crocker cake mixes and find that you will need 13 cups of batter, remember Betty Crocker mixes yield four cups; make sure to buy that fourth box of cake mix.
Do not skimp or think that 12 cups will be enough.
There is always something else you can do with extra cups of batter. You can make some delicious cupcakes or a smaller round cake for your kids to decorate with your extra batter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cake Mix Batter
How many boxes of cake mix do you need for a two layer cake?
The size of the layers dictates how many boxes of cake mix you will need to make a double or two layer cake. A typical box of cake mix makes enough batter for three six-inch layers- but you would need two cake mixes for two 12-inch layers. The cake mix label should provide more information for you.
How do you figure out how much cake batter you will need?
You can fill your desired pans with tap water. Convert the ounces of water to ounces of batter to find out how many ounces you will need for your cake.
What happens if you overfill a cake pan with batter?
Do not overflow a cake pan or it will create a big mess, both in your oven and in your pan. You will lose the nice clean edges that not overfilling cake pans will provide.
How much cake batter goes in a cake pan?
Fill the cake pan about half full for pans that have smaller depths of one or two inches. For deep pans that are over three inches deep, fill the pans two-thirds full.
What can you do with extra cake batter?
There are many things that you can do with extra cake batter. You may choose to freeze the batter to bake at a later time, or you can bake it now and freeze the uniced cakes for later. You could use the batter to make a batch of waffles or cupcakes, too. The one thing you should not do with extra batter is to throw it away!
How many cups of mix are in one boxed cake mix?
There is a mix for around three to four cups of prepared batter in one standard boxed cake mix, though it depends on the brand. Some contain slightly more or less than this.
What size pan do you use for two boxes of cake mix?
If you are mixing up two boxes of cake mix, a shallow sheet pan is likely your best bet. Two boxes of mix are perfect to fill a 9” by 13” baking pan, which holds roughly eight to ten cups of prepared cake batter.
How much cake batter should you put in your cake pan?
Small pans should be half filled with batter, while deeper pans can be filled 2/3 of the way full.
How can you fix a cake batter that is too thick?
If your cake batter is too thick, add a bit of water, milk, or melted butter to thin it out a bit. You can also consider adding a single, beaten egg to thin the batter.
How many cups of batter will a 15.25 oz cake mix make?
Generally, the 15.25 oz cake mix will yield around three and a half cups of batter. This number can vary depending on how much water and other ingredients are added to the mix.
Is it OK to mix up more than one box of cake mix simultaneously?
As long as you double or triple the other added ingredients on the box. I should mention that this should only be done with cake mixes of the same brand and flavor.
Conclusion
Baking a cake?
Use these tips to predict how much batter you will need for your distinct cake or creation.
Since most box mixes contain around 25 ounces of dry cake mix, it should yield around three to three and a half cups of batter when combined with the other ingredients.