We Blind Taste-Tested Boxed White Cake Mixes, And We Have a Winner

You know that girl? She's the one at birthday parties who makes an offhand remark about how she isn't "a cake person," naming a string of more "sophisticated" desserts that are more worthy of her taste—I avoid her at all costs.

The cake spectrum is broad, filled, and frosted with a million possibilities, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting or layered between fudgy mounds of chocolate ganache. I'm obsessed with good cake, and it should go without saying that one of the keys to a delicious cake is the cake layers themselves.

Homemade cake is hard to beat, but in a pinch, you need a go-to boxed cake mix that you can rely on. Plus, there are endless, simple ways to dress up a boxed cake mix. Here, in our very own Southern Living office, we decided to make five different boxed white cakes to do a blind taste test and give our unbiased feedback.

The Contenders

We sampled five different boxed vanilla cake mixes in order to find the mix with the best taste and texture.

Miss Jones Baking Co's Ultimate Vanilla Cake Mix

This cake mix calls for melted butter instead of oil, which accounts for the rich flavor, dense texture, and sticky-moist feeling of the cake. Some of the editors thought it was cornbread at first glance and were skeptical as they reached for their first bite, but the flavor was fantastic! Some noted how good it would be with chocolate frosting.

Staff Quote: "If someone said they made this from scratch, I'd believe them."

Great Value Deluxe Moist White Cake Mix

This cake mix used four egg whites, and it showed. Fluffy, with a golden exterior and pale white interior, this cake looked impressive even before digging in. This mix produced a tall even layer, but was quite sweet with a lot of artificial vanilla flavor. The only other two ingredients this mix called for were vegetable oil and water, and of all the mixes, it rang in the cheapest at only 98 cents per box at the time of purchase.

Staff Quote: "Tastes almost like my gram's Angel Food Cake."

Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix

This cake mix calls for three egg whites to be beaten into the batter for two minutes (in addition to the oil and water). The air beaten into the egg whites make the crumb of the cake very delicate and airy. After taking their first bite, someone noted that the cake was almost powdery and that it dissolved in their mouth. This fragile cake wouldn't hold its structure under a layer of frosting as well as the others.

Staff Quote: "This cake would be good crumbled into layers for a trifle."

Pillsbury Moist Supreme White Premium Cake Mix

The prominent vanilla flavor in this cake is the classic "boxed cake vanilla" flavor that differs greatly from the dark vanilla extract used in a homemade vanilla cake. The light spongy texture of the cake and the generally sturdy structure would make it great for a frosted layer cake.

Staff Quote: "The texture almost reminds me of angel food cake, and I dig it."

Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix

Across the board, the unanimous agreement was that this cake had the least flavor among the five. Compared to its competitors, its mild taste and light texture might be preferred for a cake that is being made to support the flavor of a rich frosting or a special filling.

Staff Quote: "Ya know what, I'd make this cake when I want the frosting to be the star of the show."

And The Winner Is...

Walmart's Great Value Deluxe Moist White Cake Mix! This mix produced a cake texture that wowed our editors the most. They couldn't believe how light and fluffy it was. Once you factor in its low price, it only sweetens the deal. It only used egg whites in the batter, which gave the cake an airy crumb and beautiful pure white color. At about a fifth of the cost of the most expensive mix we included (Miss Jones Baking Co's Ultimate Vanilla Cake Mix), we agree that this cake is a great value.