Shrinking Cake Mix Sizes
There are fewer cookies in the box. The microwave popcorn has less pop. The jar of nuts is a little less nutty.
Is our food shrinking?
Product Reductions
A few years ago we first noticed the diminishing sizes of products when buying tuna. We had a can in our pantry that was 6 ounces. A new can we bought a few weeks later - same brand, same price - was only 5.25 ounces. That same tuna is now down to 5 ounces. Of course, without a price drop to match.
The sizes of the food products we buy have been shrinking.
Manufacturers discovered that consumers were less likely to complain if the packaging changed versus raising the price of the product. An ounce or two here or there is more likely to go unnoticed but a price hike will raise more eyebrows. Savvy marketers also often weave the product reduction with a packaging redesign such as a new color scheme or logo modification to distract from the real intent.
Haagen-Dazs used to come in 1-pint sized containers. Now: 14 ounces.
Pasta used to come standard in a 1 pound box. Now most manufacturers have reduced their packaging to around 12 ounces in size.
However, the biggest uproar to the incredible shrinking packaging in the cooking community has been over the size of cake mix.
That’s right. Cake mix.
A standard size box of cake mix used to be 18.25 ounces. Now most brands have dropped to 16.5 or even 15.25 ounces.
According to the packaging by cake mix manufacturers such as Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines, a box of cake mix still yields a 13x9 pan, 2 8-inch round pans, or 24 cupcakes. They've somehow reformulated the mixes to still make the standard size baked goods. Or so they say. Many people are reporting that the new size mixes create cakes that don't rise as much as their old counterparts did.
But that’s not what has home bakers in a tizzy. It’s when that box of cake mix is used in another recipe, as an ingredient, that you notice the shortage.
If the cake mix is prepared as directed on the package for the recipe there shouldn’t be much issue. But when it’s used dry, and mixed with other ingredients, is where things can fall apart (sometimes literally!).
But never fear, a fix is here!
Fix Your Mix
Simply replace the missing ounces of cake mix with flour. Yep, just flour.
If you have a kitchen scale, you can figure out how much you need in weight (ounces) by subtracting the weight in ounces of the box you bought from the weight in ounces that the recipe calls for.
If you have to replace a lot of mix you may want to add some baking powder. Anything more than 1.75 ounces (the difference between an 18.25 ounce box and a 16.5 ounce box) will probably need some baking powder added to make sure it rises right. We recommend about 1/4 teaspoon to start.
Packages of cake mix have shrunk in size so older recipes calling for an 18.25 ounce box may not work as well with the new packaging. This easy fix will take care of the difference.
If your box of mix is 16.5 ounces, add 6 tablespoons flour.
If your box of mix is 15.25 ounces, add 11 tablespoons (1/2 cup flour plus 3 tablespoons) plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.
And, once you start to get over 3.25 ounces difference you are better off buying a second package of cake mix. If you use a lot of mixes then it might be wise to keep a box of cake mix on hand to fill in the gaps with recipes. White cake mix works well as "fill" with any flavor cake mix. You can easily store it in your freezer until you need it.
Too complicated? We understand. Math is hard.
Try our cake mix calculator instead:
Cake Mix Calculator
Size box on hand (in ounces):
What kind of flour should you use?
Just use plain, all-purpose flour. See how easy this is? No need for special flour.
No Size, No Clue
What if a recipe just calls for "1 box cake mix" and doesn't say what size?
Unfortunately, unless you know when the recipe was developed there isn't really a good way to know what size box they used. If it's an older recipe, chances are good it calls for the larger box. About all you can do in those cases is use the box you have on hand and hope for the best.
Recipes To Try
Want to try out this awesome cake mix hack? Here are a few of our favorite recipes that call for the larger sized package of cake mix.
Cheesecake with a twist! The crust is made from dry cake mix and it also uses cake mix in the cheesecake batter. Top with your choice of fruit pie filling flavor.
A delicious dessert with only three ingredients. Cherry pie filling is topped with dry yellow cake mix and 7-up soda is poured over the top then baked until done.
The simple combination of a box of chocolate cake mix and a can of diet cola result in a delicious (and lower calorie) cake.
Dump cakes are not only easy to make, but everyone loves them! This version is made with cherry pie filling that's topped with dry yellow cake mix and pecans.
Peanut butter cookies are the perfect blend of salty and sweet. And when you add in the fact that they're made with a cake mix, well, you've got a recipe for success.
