Give Vanilla Cake Mix A Margarita Makeover With Just 3 Ingredients

Boxed cake mix is a convenience that you can take in many creative directions. Not only can you transform cake mix into other types of desserts, but it's also versatile enough to receive unique additions that can turn it into an entirely different, innovative cake. And transforming vanilla cake mix into a margarita-flavored treat is as innovative as it gets.

The best thing about this margarita makeover is that it only requires three extra ingredients. Along with the fat and eggs you'll add to vanilla cake mix, you will bring the zesty margarita flavors with the help of lemon-flavored instant pudding mix, the juice and zest of a lime, and bottled margarita mix. Margarita mix is a blend of lime juice, sweetener, and water that, along with lime juice and zest, will certainly bring a zesty citric kick to the vanilla cake mix. The lemon pudding mix amps up the citric margarita flavor even more while also making for an especially moist cake crumb.

Cake mixes are veritable dump-it recipes, and the margarita cake is no exception. You'll simply add a packet of pudding mix, about 1¼ cups of margarita mix, two to three tablespoons of lime juice, and three teaspoons of zest to the mixing bowl, along with the specified wet ingredients like eggs and fat. Since the lime juice and margarita mix are both liquid ingredients, it's best to add less water than the boxed cake mix calls for, if you add any at all.

While you can make margarita mix from scratch, we've done research on the best store-bought margarita mix brands to streamline your cake assembly. For that matter, you can also swap the fresh lime with store-bought lime juice, although you'd be sacrificing the lime zest by doing so, which is an essential element for emphasizing the citrus flavor of the cake. If you want an especially rich cake crumb, swap canola or vegetable oil for a stick of softened butter. 

In addition to the three ingredients for your margarita makeover, you can also whisk more add-ins to the cake mix. Just as there are numerous flavors of margaritas, you can also bring said flavors to a margarita cake. Add freeze dried mangoes or strawberry slices to the batter, or play up the tropical theme by adding shredded coconut. Make a simple lime and powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over the margarita cake or slather a classic cream cheese frosting and finish with more lime zest.

If you really want to emphasize the citrus flavors of your margarita cake, you can swap vanilla cake mix for lemon cake mix. You can give a key lime pie makeover to your margarita cake by adding lime-infused whipped topping as frosting, and a buttery graham cracker or pretzel crust to coat the bottom of the baking pan. You can also ensure that the cake is more like a light pie filling by replacing the eggs with whipped egg whites to make the texture extra fluffy. The cake is yours to customize.