Box Mixes and Cupcakes

When I started baking, I had a strict rule. No box mixes. I thought to myself, hey if I’m going to be serious about this, I need to eliminate using boxes. To me, using a box mix felt like cheating a recipe and I didn’t want to start a hobby surrounded by cheating.

However, my tune started to shift. Often times, when I wanted to practice piping on a cake, I didn’t want to waste a whole chunk of flour and sugar only to have it consumed by me. I thought my fresh ingredients should be utilized by paying customers.

So I bought a box mix.

Nowadays, I think box mixes aren’t as awful as I thought they were. There’s a plethora of options, whether it be Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines. My biggest issue with the boxes was the ingredients, but now that I have access to Trader Joes and Whole Foods, that’s no longer a problem. My newfound love for box mixes was something that gradually added on. Here’s why.

1.     They’re good for practice. You know how a box mix is going to taste. It can help you distinguish the uneven temperature in your oven, or simply how long to bake a cake for.

2.     They’re cheap. Correlates directly to #1. Box mixes are cheap and they’re everywhere. I’ve bought a box at CVS and even 7/11!

3.     You’re able to modify them. When you think about it, box mixes at their core, are basic dry ingredients that are interchangeable. You can add butter instead of oil, whole milk instead of water. Some people add in pudding! Anything is possible.

4.     They are not intimidating. Everyone can master a box mix. One of the key ingredients to being a great baker is confidence and if a box mix is going to help you feel better about your skills, I say go for it.

So, as a minimal hoarder of box mixes, I picked up a Trader Joe’s Vanilla Cake Mix. I sought this recipe, as it was an exact replica of a recipe I utilized before, just cheaper! It had vanilla beans within the mix. Boo-yah! I followed the mix’s directions and made vanilla cupcakes. Delicious and easy.

For the frosting I made a homemade strawberry buttercream, which was flawless and also super easy! I decorated these cupcakes simply and made them for World Baking Day, which was on Sunday.

At the end of the day, no one cares if you use a box mix. They care about the cupcake you’re dangling in front of their faces.

Gilly’s Strawberry Buttercream

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/3 to ½ cup of Strawberry preserves
• 1-tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3-tablespoons heavy cream

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 1 minute until smooth. By ½ cup additions, add the powdered sugar on a low speed. Once added, mix at a medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the strawberry preserves, vanilla and mix for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and whip until smooth and creamy. Add a droplet of pink food gel for color.