We’re known for many things here at Delish—we make a pretty mean party dip, the best weeknight-friendly chicken dinners, and the creamiest gnocchi dishes, to name a few—but perhaps one of the most impressive is our ability to turn store-bought ingredients into incredible, special-occasion worthy dishes. Take a simple box of cake mix: You could just turn it into a sad version of the cake pictured on the box (why do they always turn out a little flat, and why is it IMPOSSIBLE to frost with that icing?), or you could make one of these 39 cake mix recipes. We’ve got everything here from cupcakes to poke cakes to elaborate layer cakes, with a few easy-to-share dessert recipes in between. Heads up: Most of these recipes can be made with any flavor cake mix, so there are endless possibilities for creativity.
Here’s the best part—because you’re using an easy store-bought mix, you can use all that saved energy and time on your decorations instead. We’ve included a few of our favorite designs here, like our Dole Whip cupcakes or our succulent cupcakes, but check out our full list of cupcakes for more inspiration. Ditto layer cakes or Bundts—we love our strawberry crunch cake, our lemon-berry firecracker cake, our ombre creamsicle cake, or our pineapple upside-down Bundt, but the sky’s the limit on where you can take them.
Not so into decorating? A poke cake or dump cake is for you. Don’t let the names put you off, either—a poke cake is simply one in which you “poke” holes in so flavor can seep through the entire cake, while a dump cake is one you make by “dumping” all the ingredients into just one bowl. See? SO EASY. Grab your favorite fruit, a matching flavor of pudding mix, and you’ll be on your way to a delicious dessert in no time.
Want even more easy desserts? Check out our top no-bake desserts and our best last-minute desserts too.
Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
If you liked strawberry shortcake ice cream bars growing up, then you’ll love this poke cake. In it, we start with a boxed cake mix, infuse it with strawberry flavor, top it with fluffy cream cheese frosting, then finish it off with a strawberry-and-cookie topping for the perfect summer dessert.
Get the Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake recipe.
Cake Mix Cookies
If you’re looking for a last-minute homemade dessert, this recipe will give you festive cookies with just a few ingredients. All you need is a box of cake mix and sprinkles!
Get the Cake Mix Cookies recipe.
Dole Whip Cupcakes
Dole Whip has a cult following, and for good reason. Now you can make it to share with all your Disney-obsessed friends without whipping out your blender (or traveling to the parks 😉), thanks to these adorable cupcakes.
Get the Dole Whip Cupcakes recipe.
Chocolate-Covered Cake Balls
Our classic vanilla would be wonderful here, but truthfully, we like starting with boxed mix. With the homemade buttercream, chocolate coating, and festive sprinkles, no one will notice or care.
Get the Chocolate-Covered Cake Balls recipe.
Giant Twinkie Bundt Cake
If you were one of the people who freaked when Twinkie production was halted in 2012, this giant Bundt cake is for you. It tastes just like the yellow snack cake you know and love.
Get the Giant Twinkie Bundt Cake recipe.
Funfetti Cheesecake
Why choose just one dessert for your birthday celebration when you can have two classics in one? With the creaminess of cheesecake and the fluffiness of birthday cake, this two-in-one treat has it all.
Get the Funfetti Cheesecake recipe.
Chocolate Cool Whip Cookies
This crazy boxed-cake-mix hack makes super-fudgy crinkle cookies—with a third of the typical ingredients. All you need is cake mix, whipped topping (aka Cool Whip), an egg, and powdered sugar. Not a chocolate person (😱!!!)? You can use any type of boxed cake mix—vanilla, Funfetti, even red velvet.
Get the Chocolate Cool Whip Cookies recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
The blueberry filling and lemon cream cheese frosting here has our heart pounding! There's no way around making the blueberry syrup, but we promise you it is 100% worth it. In fact, make extra, and put it in our blueberry G&Ts next.
Get the Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake recipe.
Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake
Nothing says Fourth of July quite like a patriotic red, white, and blue dessert, especially this eye-popping lemon-berry firecracker cake. For a blast of flavor, our spin on the classic firecracker cake upgrades itself from white cake to a tangy lemon batter with blueberry- and strawberry-flavored swirls.
Get the Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake recipe.
Birthday Cake Fudge
Sometimes, you don't have time to make a birthday cake. This fudge fills that void perfectly, with half the effort. It tastes just like cake batter and frosting, making it ideal for those people who'd rather lick the bowl—or the frosting—than eat the actual cake.
Get the Birthday Cake Fudge recipe.
Boston Cream Poke Cake
Baking a traditional layer cake can be intimidating, but a poke cake, couldn't be easier. The secret ingredient to this twist on Boston cream donuts (or pie!): instant vanilla pudding mix.
Get the Boston Cream Poke Cake recipe.
Apple Cider Donut Cake
In our minds, fall isn't fall 'til we've had at least a dozen apple cider cake donuts. This super-sized version comes together in no time, and there's no deep-frying involved. That's a win in our book.
Get the Apple Cider Donut Cake recipe.
Peach Dump Cake
In the summer, it can feel like there's a potluck every other night. This peach dump cake is perfect for when you simply can not chop any more veggies for pasta salad or fill another deviled egg. Requiring only 3 ingredients, this peach dump cake is low on effort, high on flavor.
Get the Peach Dump Cake recipe.
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Gooey, puffy, cinnamon sugar-filled cinnamon rolls are what dreams are made of, but we can’t always get it together to make them from scratch. This cake helps you skip all the finicky rolling and proofing, but still get all that delicious cinnamon roll flavor (including the cream cheese frosting!).
Get the Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake recipe.
Birthday Cake Popcorn
Plain ol' popcorn is great, but maybe not worthy of a celebration—this cake mix hack turns it into something special, perfect for birthdays, baby showers, holidays... you name it!
Get the Birthday Cake Popcorn recipe.
Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Love banana pudding, but don't have an iconic trifle dish to serve one in? Make a banana pudding poke cake instead!
Get the Banana Pudding Poke Cake recipe.
Creamsicle Ombre Cake
It's surprisingly easy to frost a cake with this ombre effect: Simply split your frosting into 4 bowls, and color each using increasingly more food dye than the last. Pipe them around the cake, then use a bench scraper or offset spatula to smooth them out.
Get the Creamsicle Ombre Cake recipe.
Oreogasm Poke Cake
This easy chocolate + Oreo poke cake is so good, it's almost NSFW. Want even more? Check out our Oreogasm cheesecake and cheesecake bars next.
Get the Oreogasm Poke Cake recipe.
It's The Great Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown
Neapolitan Cupcakes
Can't decide what kind of cupcakes to make? This is the recipe for you! It has strawberries + chocolate + vanilla, all in one beautiful little package.
Get the Neapolitan Cupcakes recipe.
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