The Packaged Cake Mix That Fails In Every Way Possible

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Dessert lovers may feel that all cake is good cake, but that's not necessarily true when you're talking about store-bought mixes. Although there are certainly some phenomenal options, there are also boxes that are better left on shelves. After setting out to rank the 12 absolute best packaged cake mixes, Tasting Table found that while Duncan Hines' Classic Yellow Cake Mix was the best, the brand's Keto-Friendly Classic Yellow Cake Mix was "downright awful."

After cooking different varieties of yellow cake mix into cupcakes, as directed by each box's packaging, we sought a flavor that was slightly sweet but not overwhelming and a texture supple enough to support toppings but not too dry. Sadly, Duncan Hines' Keto-Friendly Classic Yellow Cake Mix delivered neither and was deemed the "worst cake mix" of the bunch.

As the brand steered clear of wheat flour to adhere to the carb-restricted keto diet, it instead utilized almond flour and coconut flour, which, although they combine well to make exceptional gluten-free coffee cake, we found were not compatible and too bold for the flavor of yellow cake. Not only did the powder mix turn into a "gloopy" and "stodgy" marzipan-like paste when mixed with water, coconut oil, and eggs before being cooked, but the cupcakes turned out overly moist and fully unpalatable after spending about 20 minutes in the oven.

On its website, Duncan Hines proclaims, "We took our deliciously moist Classic Yellow Cake Mix and made it keto friendly, so you can cook up keto-friendly sheet cakes, layer cakes, cupcakes, and more any time your sweet tooth strikes." But unfortunately for fans of its original mix, the brand's keto-friendly (and gluten-free) version, which has just 4 grams of net carbs per serving, is simply not the same. Customers have given the boxed mix a 3.8 out of 5 stars on Duncan Hines' website, complaining about the "mushy" and "grainy" texture, as well as the "bad aftertaste" of the product. 

There were also comments about the cake's failure to rise during cooking — an issue we also experienced in our review. While Duncan Hines' Keto-Friendly Classic Yellow Cake Mix fared better on Amazon, where it boasts a 4.2 out of 5 rating, Walmart customers gave it just 3.6 out of 5, and some have suspected a recipe change. "Has something changed with the cake mix? Tried it a year or so ago and it was fabulous. Just baked another one and it didn't rise!" one person wrote on the brand's website, adding that they were "absolutely disappointed." And, while Duncan Hines offered a response, the brand said nothing about whether a new formula was at play.