This Classic Brand Of Boxed Cake Mixes Beat Out Duncan Hines In 3 Taste Tests

When you think of boxed cake mix, the classic Duncan Hines brand may be top of mind. But another classic baking brand — perhaps better known for its biscuits — beat out Duncan Hines in three cake mix rankings by Tasting Table from 2025 and 2026. In the taste tests — specifically, for strawberry, spiced cake, and red velvet cake mix — Pillsbury products, well ... took the cake in comparison to Duncan Hines and other popular cake mix brands. 

In our ranking of 5 boxed strawberry cake mixes, the Pillsbury product came in first on our list, surpassing second-place Duncan Hines. According to Tasting Table writer Emily Hunt, Pillsbury's "had an ample (and easily identifiable) strawberry flavor," while the Duncan Hines product "didn't have the punchiest flavor of the bunch." Both cake mix brands' strawberry renditions were quite tender and soft in baked texture. In our boxed spice cake mix test, however, Duncan Hines' mix (ranked fifth out of six) was perhaps too tender — raising concerns about whether it could hold up to heavier frostings — while Pillsbury spiced cake mix (ranked 2nd) was noted by Tasting Table writer Lei Shishak as "very light and airy, yet still had heft." And finally, in our ranking of 6 red velvet cake mixes, Duncan Hines came in last and featured a somewhat artificial taste, while the third-ranking Pillsbury's red velvet mix's flavor and cocoa taste were noted as superior.

Beating out Duncan Hines in three of our recent baking mix rankings gives Pillsbury some major bragging rights when it comes to the best baking mix brands out in the market. But there are some notable exceptions, and Pillsbury's apparent dominance over Duncan Hines in Tasting Table boxed cake mix taste tests is not a clean sweep. In a 2025 feature comparing boxed chocolate cake mixes, two Duncan Hines products were ranked higher (earning first and fourth place rankings) than two Pillsbury counterparts, which came in seventh and fifth place. 

According to Tasting Table writer Sara Klimek, the first-place pick in the test, Duncan Hines' dark chocolate fudge cake mix was "fudgy and decadent," with a moist, soft texture — basically, everything you'd want in a chocolate cake. The Pillsbury brand (and other Duncan Hines products, as well) came in lower on the ranking for various reasons, including the texture of the cake's crust and, in some cases, a lack of "that signature lift" a good chocolate cake needs. 

All in all, you win some, and you lose some. And even the best cake mixes have their superior flavors. But with the exception of chocolate cake mix, you might be surprised by how well Pillsbury cake mixes fare compared to Duncan Hines — especially when it comes to red velvet, spice cake, and strawberry.