Forget Banana Bread — Use Boxed Pound Cake Mix To Bake A Delightful Twist On This Classic Treat

Ah, pound cake. It's moist, dense, and offers a sweet, neutral base for just about any flavor. It may seem complicated to make this classic dessert from scratch, but fortunately, several boxed brands sell delicious pound cake mixes. When you want to shake things up, however, we highly suggest turning ordinary pound cake into scrumptious banana bread pound cake, with a few easy recipe tweaks. No more dry banana bread to contend with.

Start with a regular pound cake mix from a brand like Krusteaz or Betty Crocker. Then, mix the boxed flour with three mashed bananas, two large eggs, and 1/3 cup of milk in a large bowl. You could also add a splash of vanilla extract or paste for extra sweetness. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 to 40 minutes, and voila! You've got pillowy banana pound cake that's softer than most homemade banana bread.

Don't have pound cake mix on hand? You can use regular cake mix instead. Just combine it with a pack of instant pudding, which will thicken the batter, along with four eggs, 1 cup of water, and 1/3 cup of vegetable oil. To make it banana flavor, use banana cream Jell-O pudding or add one smashed banana. Mix and pour into a greased dish, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Glaze or frost as desired.

There are so many ways to elevate these simple box cake recipes. If you use regular cake mix with pudding, try mixing and matching flavors. For example, if you go for chocolate cake mix, use chocolate pudding for an ultra-rich flavor. Or if you use strawberry cake, add white chocolate or cheesecake pudding mix for a decadent twist. You could even do lemon pound cake with lemon pudding!

Another tip that works well for both pound cake mix and regular cake mix? Some crunch. Mix a cup of walnuts or pecans into the batter, or a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips for a rich, slightly bitter bite. Of course, we can't forget about toppings. No matter how you make your pound cake, it'll taste delicious with a sugar glaze or dusting of powdered sugar. But to stick with the banana theme, add a dollop of classic banana pudding or banana slices sautéed in brown sugar and butter — a top tip for more flavorful, caramelized banana bread.