Skip those boxed cake mixes at store and make your own! This homemade yellow cake mix is easy to whip up, keeps for months in your freezer, and free of all those icky preservatives!

In an attempt to become a little “greener” and healthier, I decided to post for you this homemade yellow cake mix. I don’t know about you but cake batter desserts are the new black.

There are so many “cake batter” recipes out there right now calling for a box of yellow cake mix. Have you ever taken the time to look at what is in that yellow cake mix? Don’t get me wrong, I grew up on boxed cake mix. My mother could roast a mean chicken, but when it came to cakes and things, Betty Crocker reigned. She tells the story that when she was married her mother in law taught her what it meant to “bake from scratch”. She said she had no idea a cake didn’t come out of a box.

Since my mother’s “betty crocker” days I have come to never rely on a boxed cake mix. I personally like the hassle of getting all the ingredients out and knowing that “I made that”. I personally believe that it is worth it. Not only does it taste better, but you know what is in it. No preservatives here folks!

The thing is as much as I am a baking purist, I am also a realist. I completely understand that sometimes you just don’t have time to bake from scratch. That is where this do it yourself cake mix will save your day. You can make this mix ahead of time and store it in your freezer. So when you need a last minute dessert or you just have a craving for these you can just pull out this mix from the freezer.

What ingredients do you need to make your own homemade yellow cake mix?

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I know a cake mix is easy to pick up at the store, but if you bake at all then I am going to guess you have most of these ingredients on hand. Here is what you need:

Granulated sugar
All purpose flour
Cake flour
Non-fat dry milk powder
Baking Powder
Table Salt
Unsalted Butter
Vanilla Extract

How to make this homemade yellow cake mix:

I made this mix in my 6-cup food processor. It filled it almost the brim so be careful! It made about 5 cups of mix.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sugar, both flours, milk powder, baking powder and salt.
Process for 15 seconds.
Add the pieces of butter and lightly toss with a fork so they are coated with the flour mixture.
Sprinkle the vanilla over the top.
Pulse until the mixture is fine and crumbly, about 10 one-second pulses.
Use immediately or store in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

What if I don’t have cake flour?

That’s ok! I rarely do either. But don’t fret you can easily make your own cake flour by combining all purpose flour and cornstarch.

Read my post on making your own cake flour to learn the specifics.

Can I substitute baking soda for the baking soda?

Baking soda and baking powder are not the same thing so make sure to not mix them up!

You can nerd out on my Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

Can I use salted butter?

I like using unsalted butter when baking because different brands will use varying amounts of salt in their salted butter so it can result in too salty of a dessert at times.

But if all you have is salted butter then simply reduce the salt to a 1/2 teaspoon.

What can I use this yellow cake mix with?

You can make a homemade cake or cupcakes or use in a cake batter recipe!

You can use this cake mix just like you would to make a homemade cake! Here is how we will get that done:

Grease a 9×13 (or 2 9-inch pans) and preheat your oven to 350°F.
With an electric mixer, combine your cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water, and 2 large room temperature eggs until the mixture is smooth (about 2 minutes).
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-27 minutes for two 9-inch layer cakes. Or 30 to 35 minutes for a 9×13 baking pan.

You could also use this to make cake batter blondies. When I made my cake batter blondies I used about 3 1/2 cups of mix to make these. I can’t wait to try out all of these cake batter recipes out there. Any suggestions on what to make next with my mix?

Tools Needed To Make Your Own Homemade Yellow Cake Mix:

Large Food Processor (or you could also try using an electric mixer)
Food storage container – You can store this in a mason jar, large ziploc bag, or I love these OXO food storage containers for all things baking related.