5 Discontinued Pillsbury Cake Mixes That Deserve A Comeback

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Pillsbury currently offers over 40 cake mixes ranging from traditional to specialty and seasonal offerings. Yet there have been many more flavors that have come and gone from grocery store shelves since the company unveiled its first boxed offerings in the late 1940s. Some varieties have been phased out due to low consumer demand, changing food and dietary trends, and increased production costs for specialty ingredients. Sadly, many of the discontinued Pillsbury foods that we wish were still on shelves will likely never be seen again.

Some of these flavors, like Lord Baltimore, are long-lost recipes that many don't even know about today. Others, like Pink Lemonade Angel Food Cake, can at least still be recreated by tweaking traditional cake mixes with add-ins. In fact, Pillsbury even offers some recipes on its website to guide you. Though the company no longer sells its iconic Tunnel of Fudge Bundt Brand Ring Cake Mix, you can follow the official recipe to make it from scratch or adjust it by utilizing the brand's Devil's Food Cake Mix or Dark Chocolate Cake Mix.

To determine which of the long-gone Pillsbury cake mixes were most missed, we researched old advertisements and vintage photos to uncover forgotten flavors. We then scoured the internet for nostalgia-sparking reminiscences from customers who longed for their return. Our research led us to these five discontinued Pillsbury cake mixes that deserve a comeback.

Pillsbury's Lord Baltimore Cake Mix was introduced in the 1960s as part of the brand's Flavormoist line. It was the counterpart to a Lady Baltimore cake, a vintage cake that Martha Stewart always ate for her childhood birthdays. This Pillsbury mix made a rich, moist yellow cake that was meant to be paired with a fluffy pink frosting, while a traditional Lord Baltimore contained macaroons, chopped walnuts, blanched almonds, and maraschino cherries folded into the frosting.

However, this now discontinued Pillsbury cake mix is sadly no more. Bold and uncommon flavors like these, which were meant to attract new customers, likely ended up being much less popular than traditional options like chocolate, vanilla, and yellow. Eventually, Lord Baltimore cake mix was retired, and is sadly not listed among the flavors Pillsbury currently provides.

Now, with so many exploring more creative home baking trends thanks to shows like "The Great British Bake Off," it's time for Lord Baltimore to make a comeback. As one Redditor says, "I really want to try the Lord Baltimore cake." On a Facebook post about vintage Pillsbury cake mixes, one user shared their love for this particular cake mix, while another commenter added, "I remember the Lord Baltimore as it was a favorite."

The Tunnel of Fudge Bundt cake recipe won second prize in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off. Due to its overwhelming popularity, Pillsbury introduced a boxed cake mix as part of its Unbelievable Bundt brand ring cake mixes in the 1970s. The kit included a dry cake mix, ingredients for a glaze, and a packet of powdered frosting mix used to create the hidden tunnel of fudge inside the cake as it baked.

Sometime in the late 1980s, Pillsbury stopped manufacturing this line of cake mixes, becoming a discontinued boxed cake mix flavor you can't buy anymore. While you will not find them on the brand's official website, Pillsbury still offers a version of the Tunnel of Fudge recipe. Although not the original iteration that amazed judges at the Bake-Off, it's better than nothing, especially since recreating the Tunnel of Fudge cake continues to stump home bakers.

The reason is that Pillsbury no longer makes a key ingredient of the recipe: The Double Dutch Fudge Buttercream Frosting Mix was discontinued at some point in the 1980s. The updated version calls for cocoa powder, which doesn't result in the same awe-inspiring fudgy tunnel that gives the cake its name. For that alone, Pillsbury should re-release its Bundt Ring Cake mixes, and customers agree. On Facebook, there are plenty who still miss the product. "I wish they still made these; they were so good," noted one user — and others wholeheartedly agree.

In the 1960s, Pillsbury introduced three new products with the tagline, "Looks like fun, tastes like a party." These mixes included Pink Lemonade Deluxe Cake Mix, Pink Lemonade Frosting, and Pink Lemonade Angel Food Cake Mix. That last one contained the whites of 14.4 eggs for a cake with a light, fluffy texture. Unfortunately, the amount of powdered egg whites included in the mix may have eventually led to the product's demise.

Unfortunately, you probably won't ever find this nostalgia-sparking discontinued Pillsbury boxed cake mix on shelves again, and it doesn't appear among the products on its website. However, the company did release a newer version of the mix sometime in the early 2010s. For a brief period, you could find Pillsbury Pink Lemonade Premium Cake Mix and Creamy Supreme Frosting in stores. Of course, these products were eventually discontinued as well.

Although Pillsbury no longer makes this cake in convenient boxed mix form, home bakers continue to make their own versions of pink lemonade angel cake from scratch using recipes from family members, baking blogs, and even the cookbook "The Best of the Bake-Off Collection: Pillsbury's Best 1,000 Recipes." If Pillsbury brought this cake mix back, it would be the ideal time-saving shortcut for making a beautiful, pastel pink summer cake perfect for parties and cookouts.

This 1950s mix could be used to make a moist, old-fashioned Southern caramel cake. Advertisements promised a cake that was rich in caramel flavor without the hassle of caramelizing sugar yourself. The mix already contained eggs, and home bakers had only to add milk and pair the cake with a thick vanilla frosting drizzled with caramel sauce. However, the brand stopped making this mix some time ago, and, like the others on this list, is no longer available from the brand.

That said, Pillsbury released limited-edition Caramel Apple Cake Mix and frosting in 2014, but they may not have sold well as they were discontinued at some point after 2018. Were Pillsbury to reintroduce this cake mix today, it would be perfect for creating fast, fun fall desserts. Adding chunks of apples would turn it into a caramel apple cake, while mixing in cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and other warming spices would enhance its seasonal appeal.

In a Reddit thread in which a poster shared an old advertisement for the Caramel Cake Mix, one commenter replied, "I know this is just a box mix from the '50s, but I'm a sucker for caramel and this looks delicious." Another Redditor agreed, adding, "I wish they still made this! I'd be all over that cake." Other users had similar thoughts, with one noting, "I would destroy one of these."

Released in 1955, this cake mix was particularly novel as it included what Pillsbury described as "crystals made from real oranges." According to advertisements, this meant that home chefs would not have to grate orange rinds or squeeze fruit juice to get an authentic, flavorful cake. Nowadays, however, Pillsbury no longer offers any orange cake mixes.

Although Pillsbury released another version of an orange cake mix as part of its 1960s Flavormoist line, advertisements did not highlight the famed orange crystals. It's possible that the company eventually discovered that lemon cakes were more popular. Still, we think that this fruity discontinued Pillsbury cake mix deserves a second chance, preferably in time for spring baking.

Imagine that bright, zesty orange flavor combined with a dark chocolate frosting and decorated with candied orange slices or wedges of chocolate oranges. In a Reddit post featuring an advertisement for the cake, users praised the orange mix, with one responding, "Why is this still not a thing?" In a different Reddit thread sharing the same ad, another Redditor exclaimed, "Dang that looks delish," with yet another adding, "I grew up eating orange cake with chocolate icing, and it's still my favorite."