Homemade Devil’s Food Cake Mix

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Homemade Devil’s Food Cake Mix is quick and easy to make. Ditch the boxed mix and whip up this simple freezer-ready cake mix recipe.

Over the years I have baked up a lot of cakes, from cinnamony snickerdoodle cake to tender ricotta cake. 

I love making cakes from scratch, but sometimes when I’m sort on time and there’s a celebration looming, I pull out a boxed cake mix.

There’s no shame in using a box mix, but I was thrilled when I found my friend Stephie’s recipe for homemade yellow cake mix, and ever since then I’ve been whipping up this homemade devil’s food cake mix.

All you need to do is mix together a few ingredients and you’re on your way to having cake ready to make whenever the mood strikes.

Plus, fewer measuring cups and less prep time on cake baking day? Win win.

Ingredients you’ll need

Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar. You can also substitute superfine sugar, which has been processed a bit more for a finer grind.

Flour – Use all-purpose flour for the best result.

Cocoa powder – I use dutch-process cocoa for my chocolate bakes.

Instant coffee – Coffee is a great addition to chocolate cakes, as it boosts the cocoa flavor without adding a coffee taste. Instant coffee granules or espresso powder both work here.

If you prefer, you can leave out the coffee.

Nonfat dry milk – Nonfat dry milk is not as common of an ingredient these days, but it can be found in the baking section near the evaporated and condensed milks. 

You can also use buttermilk powder in its place.

Baking soda – The extra baking soda in devil’s food cake is what sets it apart from regular chocolate cakes. The baking soda raises the pH level of the cake, resulting in a deeper color and fluffier texture.

Baking powder – Used for the classic cake lift.

Salt – Salt enhances the other flavors, and is a must in chocolate cakes.

Unsalted butter – Do not soften your butter ahead of time for this recipe. Because it gets pulsed into the dry ingredients much like a pie crust or buttermilk biscuit, you want the pieces to stay cold.

Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract if you can for the best flavor.

How to make homemade cake mix

This Homemade Devil’s Food Cake Mix is just as easy as running to the store to buy your favorite boxed mix. And because the recipe actually makes enough for two cake mixes, you could say it’s really twice as easy.

To make the cake mix, you’ll need to use a large food processor. Make sure it is large capacity to fit all of the ingredients! 

If you don’t have a large food processor, you can mix the ingredients by hand, but it is faster and easier with the processor.

First mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee (if using), nonfat dry milk, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended. 

Cut the butter into pieces and add it along with the vanilla to the processor bowl. 

Pulse until the mixture forms into coarse crumbs and looks a bit like wet sand. It should be easy to pour and scoop.

If mixing by hand, use a pastry blender or two knives to mix.

How to store homemade cake mix

Because the cake mix has butter, it is not shelf-stable.  Instead of setting aside room in the pantry, you need to set aside a little room in your freezer.

Divide the cake mix into two airtight containers, with about 3 ½ cups of mix in each container. Label the containers, and freeze for up to two months.

Use a freezer-safe, sealable plastic bag or plastic deli container for storing.

You can also store in quart mason jars, which can be dressed up for gift-giving. 

The cake mix can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, there’s no need to thaw — simply use straight from the freezer.

Devil’s food cake mix recipes

When you’re ready to bake using Homemade Devils Food Cake Mix, just mix in eggs and water and you’ll look like a kitchen genius.

You’ll need:

• 3 ½ cups cake mix
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 large eggs

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into a greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes, until the center comes out clean.

Note that this is best suited for an 8-inch cake or cupcakes. While it works perfectly fine in 9-inch cake pans, you won’t really get the height many expect from layer cakes.

I’ll let you in on a little secret — those box mixes don’t achieve lofty heights when made using the printed instructions. You need two boxes to make the cake shown on their packaging!

This mix is the equivalent of two boxes, so if you want a double layer cake, just use the entire batch.

I enjoy using Devil’s Food Cake Mix in my Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes recipe. They’re the perfect easy seasonal cupcake recipe for all your holiday parties.

You could also make my Black Forest Cake recipe quicker and easier by using this mix for the cake layers. Spend your time focusing on the cherry filling and frosting instead. No one would even guess that you started with a cake mix.

If you’d like to top your Devil’s Food Cake or cupcakes with a simple chocolate frosting, try the frosting from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake.