A Beginner's Guide to Oven-Baking Cakes from a Mix

Common ingredients, blended and baked properly, can be used to create a memorable dessert.

For those new to baking, turning out a cake from a boxed mix in a standard range oven is an approachable and rewarding endeavor. After mixing the batter as the package instructs, a handful of professional tips can help you achieve a tasty cake that will impress anyone who tries it.

Step 1

Arrange the oven rack according to what the recipe or cake-mix package specifies. Put an oven thermometer on the rack. Heat the oven to the temperature the directions call for. After roughly 10 minutes of preheating, look at the thermometer to see the actual temperature. Adjust the oven setting up or down to make up for any difference from the correct temperature. You can mix the cake batter while the oven is warming up.

Step 2

Get the baking pan or pans ready by coating the interior with non-stick baking spray. Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour into the pan and tilt and shake it so the flour covers the entire inside. Throw away any extra flour. Pour the batter into the pan(s) and smooth it out with a spoon or flexible spatula. The top of the batter should be even and flat. Lift the pan(s) a few inches above the table or counter and let them drop. This makes any big bubbles come to the surface of the batter and pop, which gives the cake a finer texture.

Step 3

Set the pan in the middle of the baking rack and shut the oven door promptly. Start the timer. Keep the oven door closed until the timer sounds. A sudden blast of cooler air can make a partially baked cake sink. When the timer goes off, test whether the cake is done. The center of the cake should bounce back when you touch it. A toothpick pushed into the center of the cake should come out clean. If the middle seems heavy or wet, continue baking for 8 to 10 minutes and then test again.

Step 4

Using potholders, take the cake out of the oven. Put the cake on a cooling rack and let it sit for 10 minutes. Place the rack on top of the cake, upside-down. Turn the cake out onto the rack. Let the cake cool to room temperature before you add icing.