To celebrate Halloween, we decided to bake some ‘Frozen’ themed chocolate cupcakes. Our aim for the recipe was to elevate boxed cake mix to make it taste homemade. Scroll down to see how we did it and how you can too!
Disclaimer: Each of the following methods we have thoroughly researched and tried out in this recipe. Feel free to used any of them. We are just sharing what worked for us! Our sources will be linked below.
1. Add extracts
Simply adding your favourite extract can enhance the favour of your cake. For us, vanilla extract was perfect but you can really use anything. Almond extract for a nutty taste, lemon extract for a more citrus vibe…. the sky’s the limit!
2. Crack in an extra egg
We found that adding an extra egg made our cupcakes way moister and rich, something which normal cake mixes tend to lack.
3. Swap out the water
Want better density and flavour in your cakes? Wave goodbye to that water and hello to milk! The milk will add fat to the mixture which results in improved flavour and richness. You can also use milk substitutes (oat, soy, etc) which will work just as good.
Another great thing we found out was coffee enhances the flavour of chocolate really well! Simply use the same amount of espresso as you would for water in your recipe. It deepens the rich, chocolatey flavour. Trust us, your cupcakes will taste expensive!
4. Sprinkling of baking powder
A small pinch of baking powder will go a long way. It will help leaven and add volume to the cakes. All in all, it is an essential ingredient for baking in general.
sources:
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
https://www.allrecipes.com/article/make-box-mix-cake-taste-homemade/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-baking-powder-substitutes
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a93862/9-ways-to-elevate-cake-mix/
That is it for today! Thank you so much for reading. While you’re here, you may enjoy our podcast (spotify underneath this). Episodes are uploaded fortnightly. We talk about our hobbies as well as having special guests every now and then! It would mean the world to us if you could check it out 🙂
Dawn Louise 
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