I'm a professional baker. I tried 3 boxed chocolate cake mixes to see which is the best.

I think premade mixes are great for beginners gaining confidence around the kitchen and also for last-minute cake "emergencies."

To find the best grocery-store cake mix, I made the Pillsbury's Moist Supreme, Duncan Hines' Perfectly Moist, and Betty Crocker's Super Moist versions of devil's food cake.

For consistency, I used the same 9-inch nonstick round cake pans sprayed with baking spray and lined with parchment paper. The cake layers were baked on the center rack of my oven and mixed according to the directions on each box.

Each mix was baked for the shortest recommended time, and all ingredients were measured using the same measuring cups. Once the cakes were cooled, I frosted all of them with the same chocolate frosting.

Here's how they stacked up:

This cake mix called for three large eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, and a cup of water. 

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepared my pans with both nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper. The box said to grease only the pans, but I swear by adding a parchment-paper lining. It ensures nothing sticks to the pan. 

I then whisked all my wet ingredients into the dry mix for two minutes in a large bowl. The instructions called for an electric mixer, but I don't usually drag out my KitchenAid for just two minutes of whisking. My elbow grease alone did the trick. 

The batter smelled strongly of chocolate and came together easily without clumping, despite not using an electric mixer. 

I divided the batter in half, and each pan filled up to about an inch up the side. 

The layers baked for 29 minutes, although the box instructed up to 33. A toothpick inserted in the center came out clean, so I transferred the pans to a cooling rack.

The layers rose significantly and domed in the center quite a bit. The edges of the cake pulled away cleanly from the sides of the pan. 

I let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes as noted in the instructions and flipped them out onto a cooling rack, where I allowed them to continue to cool for about another 30 minutes until they were cool to the touch. 

This cake was the sweetest of the ones I tested, with a nice chocolate flavor. The center was moist, but the edges were a little dry and crumbly.

Of the cakes tested, it also sliced the least cleanly once stacked and frosted. 

This cake mix also called for three large eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, and a cup of water. 

The instructions similarly had me add all of the wet ingredients to dry, combining them for only 30 seconds. Then, at medium speed with a mixer or vigorously whisking by hand, I was to combine for an additional two minutes.

The batter was extremely smooth and glossy after mixing. I divided the batter in two again, and it came up 1 1/2 inches up the side of the pan. 

This cake was also baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but this time for 24 minutes, the lower end of the 24- to 29-minute range given. 

When completely baked, the layers pulled away from the side of the pan and were noticeably more even and flat than the Pillsbury's layers. The sponge felt very soft and sprang back when touched.

I also cooled these layers on a wire rack (this was specifically noted on the Duncan Hines instructions unlike on the Pillsbury box, which had no cooling instructions).

I find that a wire rack helps cakes cool faster than if you leave them on top of the oven or on a trivet. 

After about 15 minutes, I flipped the layers onto the rack and let them cool for another 30 minutes until the tops felt firm and set.

When frosted, these layers cut cleanly. Since they baked flatter, they were much easier to neatly stack, too. 

As for taste, these layers were super moist, with a fluffy crumb and nice chocolate flavor. The cake wasn't too sweet, and it was flavorful enough that it could easily have been enjoyed with little to no frosting. 

This mix called for three large eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, and 1 1/4 cup of water — a quarter cup more than both of the other mixes. 

I preheated my oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit as this box instructed. It's also usually a good idea to lower the temperature by 25 degrees if you're using nonstick pans. Dark coated and nonstick pans tend to cook cake slightly faster, especially around the edges.

I prepared my pans the same as the previous mixes, with both nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper. 

I mixed my wet ingredients into the dry by hand for two minutes. The batter, a little looser than the others, filled the two pans about 1 1/2 inches up the side.

I baked the layers for 25 minutes, the lower end of the 25- to 30-minute range given.

But the box said if using a nonstick pan as I was to add an additional three to five minutes. This seemed completely unnecessary, at least with my oven, which was able to cook the cakes with no additional time.  

I left the cakes in their pans for 15 minutes and then flipped them onto a wire rack and allowed them to cool for an additional 30 minutes. 

Ultimately, I found the taste of these layers to be bland and lackluster.

It was very moist and had a nice crumb and soft texture throughout, but it was by far the least chocolaty of the bunch. 

The almost watered-down flavor makes me think that the extra quarter cup of water in this mix was unnecessary. 

As a professional baker, I have strong opinions about what makes a good cake.

I might not use cake mixes, but I've certainly seen the boxed stuff fool people as homemade time and time again, especially if you play around with doctoring the mixes with add-ins and frosting recipes. 

When it comes to chocolate cake, I believe the final product really needs to deliver on that chocolate flavor, which Duncan Hines did the best. It nailed that fudgy flavor without being dense or too sweet. It was moist throughout and baked off evenly. 

Although Pillsbury also had good flavor, it seemed to suffer from the cardinal cake sin: dryness. The layers were noticeably more domed than the others — as a result, the edges of the cake baked dry and crumbly even though the center was perfectly cooked. It also resulted in a less clean final slice of cake when frosted. 

The Betty Crocker cake had a great fluffy texture that was perhaps even better than Duncan Hines'. But it was quite bland. I didn't taste much chocolate, and it relied on the frosting to make it taste delicious. 

This story was originally published on March 10, 2022 and most recently updated on January 5, 2024.