Not Chocolate Or Vanilla: This Is Duncan Hines' Best Cake Mix By Far

Duncan Hines is one of the most iconic cake mix companies on grocery store shelves, cranking out countless classic flavors in addition to seasonal favorites. We baked and tasted 14 Duncan Hines cake mixes, ranking them according to flavor, texture, and versatility. While you might think chocolate or vanilla would be the flavors to beat, our favorite Duncan Hines cake mix is the rich and cozy Butter Golden Cake Mix.

This cake mix stood out first and foremost because it requires you to add butter instead of oil like all the other cake mixes we sampled. This addition instilled a much richer flavor and made for a super moist and fluffy crumb. The cake also had a lot more textural depth as it rose higher than its competitors, had a lighter, more aerated crumb, and a toasty, slightly crispy top. The butter also imparted a bit of saltiness to balance the sweetness of the cake mix. The overall flavor was buttery, sweet, and rich, a simple yet decadent profile that will taste great with numerous different frostings, add-ins, and accompaniments. It will even taste delicious as a plain, unfrosted cake. While other flavors may have been stronger or more complex, the complexity of the butter cake's texture more than compensated. Plus, the simplicity of its flavor works in the butter cake's favor because it makes it one of the most versatile cakes we sampled.

Customers on Duncan Hine's website have posted plenty of glowing reviews for the Butter Golden Cake Mix. One thought it had the "perfect sweetness" while another praised it for being a "super moist real buttery Yellow Cake [that] kind of leans toward a light sort of pound cake." People generally agreed that the cake is easy to make, with reliable and consistent outcomes. One person went so far as to share her trade secret, stating, "I bake for a living and my customers love this cake!"

However, not everyone agreed with us as there were nearly as many negative reviews from people who claim the cake mix's formula has changed for the worse. "The cake mix now weighs less than it did in the past, so you end up with a smaller, flatter cake," says a one-star review. Others complained that the cake was completely tasteless other than an unpleasant chemical flavor.

Still, we agree with the five-star reviews that found the cake moist, fluffy, and buttery. One benefit of it is that you can take this boxed cake mix in many flavorful and creative new directions. For example, spooning the batter into cupcake tins, cutting them in half to layer with whipped cream and macerated strawberries for individual-sized strawberry shortcakes. A Duncan Hines customer recommends adding extra eggs to make a bundt cake. To that effect, you can elaborate a Butter Golden bundt cake with a pecan and cinnamon ribbon and a powdered sugar glaze to make the classic Southern sock-it-to-me cake.