How to Make a Cheap Cake

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 18, 2022 Tested

With a few basic, inexpensive ingredients, you can make a delicious cake fit for a birthday or another special occasion. Making a cake from scratch saves money over buying a mix, and the result tastes much better! Try making chocolate cake, yellow cake or fruit flavored cake.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vinegar

Yellow Cake

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Fruit Flavored Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen or canned fruit of your choice (blueberries, blackberries, diced apples, etc.)

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Chocolate Cake

1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C.
2
Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan. You could also use two 8-inch cake pans or a cupcake tin.^{[1]
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Research source} Rub the pan with either butter or a light oil to keep the cake from sticking.

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3
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Measure out the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa, water, vegetable oil and vinegar into the same bowl. For this easy one-bowl recipe it's not necessary to separate the dry ingredients from the wet.
- The vegetable oil is a cheap ingredient that produces a very moist cake. If you prefer, you can substitute the same amount of butter.
- Use milk instead of water if you want a richer flavor.
4
Beat the mixture until it forms a smooth batter. Use either a whisk or an electric mixer to beat the batter well.
5
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to scrape the batter from the sides of the bowl into the pan.
6
Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes. After 25 minutes, test to see if the cake is done by poking a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. If it's wet, bake the cake for another five minutes and test again.
7
Cool the cake before frosting it. This chocolate cake would be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and any kind of frosting you like. Try one of the following cheap frosting recipes to create a delicious, inexpensive cake:
- Vanilla frosting
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate chip frosting

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Yellow Cake

1
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C.
2
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Use butter or a light vegetable oil to grease the bottom and sides of the pan to keep the cake from sticking.
- If you'd rather make a round layer cake, use two 8-inch cake pans instead of one larger rectangular pan.
- You could also use this recipe to make a dozen cupcakes.
3
Mix the dry ingredients. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. These inexpensive ingredients can all be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store. Use a fork or whisk to make sure they're well incorporated.^{[2]
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4
Mix the sugar and butter in a separate bowl. Beat the mixture well, until the sugar and butter are completely combined. The mixture will look crumbly.
- Margarine may substituted for butter if you're looking for an even cheaper option.
- Or try replacing butter with the same amount of canola or vegetable oil.
5
Beat 1/3 cup milk into the mix. Scrape the sides of the bowl and keep mixing.
6
Add an egg and the vanilla. Beat the mixture until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
7
Fold in the flour mixture. Use a spatula to gently stir the flour into the batter. Take care not to stir too vigorously at this stage to keep your cake tender. If you over mix the flour, the cake will turn out dense.
8
Pour the batter into the greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.
9
Bake 25 to 30 minutes. After 25 minutes, insert a toothpick, wooden skewer or cake tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with only a few small crumbs on it, the cake is done. If it's wet, put the cake back in the oven for another 4-5 minutes.
10
Cool the cake and frost as desired. Yellow cake makes a great snack on its own, but it's also nice to eat with frosting. Try one of the following inexpensive frosting recipes to finish your cake:
- Simple five minute frosting
- Chocolate frosting
- Strawberry frosting
11
Finished. You can also put whipped cream on the cake as a topping, it's up to you!

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Fruit Flavored Cake

1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C.
2
Grease a 9" cake pan. A round or square baking pan both work fine. You can also bake this cake in a deep cast iron skillet.
3
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Use a whisk or a fork to make sure the ingredients are well incorporated.
4
Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl. Place them in a mixing bowl and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
5
Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Keep the mixer going until all of the wet ingredients are well incorporated.
6
Stir in the flour mixture. Use a spatula to stir the flour mixture into the batter until you no longer see dry bits of flour. Be careful not to overmix.
7
Stir in the fruit. Pour the fruit you're using, whether it's blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or chopped apples, into the bowl. Stir it into the batter until just incorporated.
- Fresh fruit tastes great in this recipe, but frozen fruit is a great substitution that's often cheaper than fresh options.
- Or try using canned fruit; just make sure to drain the syrup it's packed in before using.
8
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to scrape the batter from the sides of the bowl.
9
Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes. After 40 minutes, test to see if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. If it's wet, bake the cake for five more minutes.
10
Cool the cake for 10 minutes before serving. It's delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sprinkled with powdered sugar.^{[3]
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Community Q&A
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Question

How do I make a cake more moist?

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A good way to make a cake moister is to either replace eggs with just the yolks or to add 2 more egg yolks to a standard size cake. Chopped or pureed fruit and vegetable cakes tend to be moist thanks to the water content of the fresh ingredients. If making a box cake, use milk rather than water for a moister cake. Take care not to over-mix the batter or over-bake the cake, as both actions can cause the cake to become drier. Experiment with different recipes too, as some cake recipes just happen to be drier than others. Finally, if you end up with a dry cake, fix it with toppings and fillings that add moisture, such as whipped cream, buttercream, jam/jelly or fresh fruit.
Question

How can I improve a box cake?

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There are a few ways you can try to make a box cake taste more like one made from scratch. For example, instead of oil, use melted butter and use whole milk instead of water. Use fresh eggs if it requires an egg to be added and double the amount it suggests. If you like dried fruit, chocolate chips or nuts, consider adding a handful of these to improve the flavor. You might also like to experiment with adding other ingredients, like spices, a little more sugar or salt, extracts, etc. Another option is to mix your own box cake mixes with high quality ingredients, ready to be made at any time.
Question

How can I rescue a cake that doesn’t bake properly?

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Since you’ve not made it clear what exactly has gone wrong with the cake, it’s best to find a cake troubleshooting guide and read through it to find your particular problem. Try out this wikiHow for starters: How to Fix Cake Disasters.