Let’s face it, sometimes you feel like baking but don’t feel like breaking out the stand mixer or crafting perfectly crimped edges. I’ve totally been there. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of recipes out there that offer the sweet satisfaction of baking along with the payoff of a delightfully scrumptious treat.
These easy cake recipes for beginners/those who rarely bake/those who don’t feel like going all out today are low on prep time and ingredients. So what do you say? Let’s roll up our sleeves and make something special.
Pro tip: Want to jazz up your culinary creations? Look no further than our guide to decorating cakes for beginners, complete with everything from a rundown of what tools you’ll need to step-by-step instructions for a perfectly frosted layer cake.
YELLOW BIRTHDAY SHEET CAKE
Go shorty, it’s your birthday. And even if it isn’t, what’s stopping you from making this fun and festive cake? Made with the help of Duncan Hines® Classic Yellow Cake Mix, it’s large enough to feed a crowd and possesses enough pizzazz to make it a party. 🥳
Duncan Hines® EPIC FRUITY PEBBLES™ CUPCAKES
Cue the Saturday morning cartoons: This nostalgic favorite is making a comeback. Packed with Fruity Pebbles flavor, flecks of color, fluffy frosting, and crunch, these easy cupcakes bring together the best parts of childhood in one seriously yummy treat.
DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Sinfully rich Duncan Hines Classic Devil’s Food Cake Mix is made all the more indulgent with the help of a decadent ganache you can make in the microwave. Who knew being bad could taste so darn good? 😈
EGGLESS 2 INGREDIENT COLA CAKE
Have you ever heard of a cola cake? They’re like magic. 💫 Subbing in soda for all the other ingredients you would use with a box mix, the cola makes traditional chocolate cake even moister and sweeter. Feel free to experiment with other combinations, such as ginger ale and lemon cake or lemon-lime soda and strawberry cake (see below).
EGGLESS 2 INGREDIENT STRAWBERRY LEMON-LIME CAKE
For a different twist on the cola cake, look no further than this zesty strawberry lemon-lime cake, made with Duncan Hines Signature Strawberry Supreme Cake Mix. Top it with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar for a refreshing summer or springtime treat.
LEMON BUNDT CAKE
A burst of lemon and simply sweet citrus flavor fills every last crumb of this easy cake recipe.Moist lemon cake mix is drizzled with a lemon glaze made from lemon juice, grated lemon peel, and confectioner’s sugar. Talk about having a zest for life! 🍋
REDDI-WIP FILLED CUPCAKES
Here’s a cool tip: You can make filled cupcakes simply by inserting the end of a Reddi-wip® nozzle into baked and cooled cupcakes. Who knew? Even if you have a few mess-ups here and there, the results will still be delicious.
ANGEL FOOD CAKE CUPCAKES
Light, refreshing, and guaranteed to lift your spirits. Fluffy angel food cake cupcakes are topped with a homemade whipped topping and adorned with fresh strawberries. Absolutely heavenly.
CARROT CAKE BITES
Oh carrot cake, how I love thee. Another classic, you can whip up this traditional spice cake by baking up box cake mix, cutting it into squares, topping it with homestyle cream cheese frosting, and pressing a crunchy walnut half onto each proportional slice.
CHERRY DUMP CAKE
Have you ever heard of a dump cake? It’s as easy as it sounds! Have the kids pitch in on this low-fuss cake recipe that consists of pouring pineapple, pie filling, and yellow cake mix.