I Tried 4 Red Velvet Cake Mixes, and This Is the One I’ll Make for Every Celebration – Latest Food News Update

Sunday dinners in my household never feel complete without these staples: fried chicken, stewed greens, our family’s top-secret potato casserole, and a red velvet cake. (My cousins and I would sneak tastes of the vibrantly colored dessert when our elders weren’t watching.) Sometimes, this cherry-hued cake came from a store, and other times, a relative made it from scratch. But more often than not, a reliable box mix got the job done.

I’ve always felt that Sunday dinners shouldn’t be overly complicated. The evening should be focused on what I think truly matters—spending time with loved ones and digging into delicious eats. So naturally, as a food writer, I decided to go on the hunt for the best boxed red velvet cake mix. I landed on four to test—find out which one I believe deserves a spot on the Sunday dinner table.

How I Chose the Red Velvet Cake Mixes

It’s frustrating to get excited about a highly rated product, only to find it difficult to locate in stores. To spare you that stress, I chose red velvet cake mixes that were widely available. In addition to their accessibility, I only tested brands that required a few staple ingredients, like eggs, milk, water, oil, and butter. Lastly, I kept cost top of mind—you shouldn’t spent as much (or more) making it than buying one from a bakery.

How I Tested the Red Velvet Cake Mixes

I flipped over the cake boxes and followed the directions for baking cupcakes, because I wanted to more closely measure their rise. Throughout testing, I made sure to use the same brand of eggs, milk, water, oil, or butter so no outliers would throw off the results. I frosted all the cupcakes with the same cream cheese frosting (the best topping for red velvet, in my opinion) and blind-tasted all four options, taking sips of sparkling water in between bites to cleanse my palate. High marks were given to cupcakes that turned out tender, airy, chocolatey, and, of course, had a stunning red hue.

The Best Red Velvet Cake Mixes, Ranked

4th Place: Duncan Hines Signature Perfectly Moist Red Velvet Cake Mix

Duncan Hines checks off most of the boxes when it comes to what you’d want to find in a red velvet cake: deeply red, a nice rise, and a moist texture. But once you take a few bites, you’ll experience an artificial flavor that’s hard to ignore. The chocolate taste is replaced by very sugary bites, so when paired with a decadent cream cheese frosting, the entire dessert is overly sweet.

3rd Place: Williams Sonoma Silky Red Velvet Cake Mix

While you may visit Williams Sonoma to snag dinnerware or gorgeous dishes, if you venture through the aisles, you’ll spot the store’s cake mix lineup. Compared to most brands, this one asks you to add eggs, melted butter, and milk, but it still comes together as quickly as any of the other batters tested. Although it didn’t achieve the tallest peak or fluffiest crumb (in fact, it felt a tad dry), the result was moist and chocolatey, thanks to the Dutch cocoa powder in the mix.

2nd Place: Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Red Velvet Cake Mix

Beaming with a bright, cherry-red hue, this boxed mix springs to life with eggs, water, and oil. I admired the tender crumb of this cake—each bite felt soft and irresistible. Where it ultimately fell a little short was its rise; however, that didn’t impact the airiness of the cupcake. In terms of flavor, buttery, cocoa bites immediately hit me, and the cake paired beautifully with the tangy and sweet cream cheese frosting.

1st Place Winner: Pillsbury Moist Supreme Red Velvet Cake Mix

The cupcakes rose effortlessly, forming near-perfect domes that immediately signaled their airy, fluffy texture. I couldn’t help but admire their gorgeous beet-red hue. After taking a bite, I immediately experienced the tender crumb and buttery and chocolatey flavor. Despite getting adorned with rich cream cheese frosting, the final dessert wasn’t cloying.

Putting the cupcakes together was easy, too. I spent less than five minutes making the batter, adding oil, eggs, and water. I appreciated that Pillsbury offers a tip to replace eggs with Greek yogurt since eggs are so expensive right now. And finally, the box yields 24 cupcakes or two (9-inch) inch round cakes, so it makes a lot.

My conclusion: Pillsbury, which began making cake mixes in the 1940s, is a nostalgic and reliable company for a reason. The brand’s red velvet cake mix—whether transformed into individual cupcakes or a layered delight—is a foolproof way to create a sweet, bakery-quality dessert. I know it’ll be at my family’s table, and I hope you’ll invite it to yours.