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This easy vanilla pancake mix cake is the second-best thing you can make with pancake mix (after pancakes, of course!) It’s soft, moist, and ready in less than 30. minutes, perfect when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to be full with fancy baking steps.
Since you’re here, check out my other simple cake recipes like my Crack Cake, Bundt Cake, and this yellow cake mix coffee cake.
The story behind the great (no-flour) grocery store days, I grabbed pancake mix out of desperation, and it ended up being the best accidental discovery ever! When I couldn’t bake traditional cakes, I experimented with what I had and found that pancake mix makes an amazing cake base.
To this day, this boxed pancake mix cake remains one of my favorite easy desserts. You’ll love it for birthdays, potlucks, or whenever you want to bake something quick and comforting.
If you have any leftover pancake mix, try out these 7 secrets to make boxed pancakes better + mistakes to avoid + recipe
LEt’s Chit Chat!
I love how easy this cake is; it’s become a go-to when I am short on time but still want something sweet without the added stress. Sometimes I even make it for breakfast (YES!! It’s that good!)
If you make it, try adding chocolate chips or turning it into a layer cake to impress! Let me know in the comments below how you personalized yours. I’d love to hear it!
Table of Contents
- You’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients for cake with pancake mix
- Why does this quick cake recipe not use baking powder?
- How to Make a Vanilla pancake mix cake (Step-By-Step)
- Expert Tips for Best Results
- Frequently asked questions – FAQs
- Vanilla Pancake Mix Cake Recipe
- If you enjoyed this vanilla boxed pancake cake recipe make sure to pin it for later!
You’ll love this recipe
- Made with pancake mix, no need for flour or baking powder.
- Takes just 10 minutes to prep.
- Moist, buttery, and rich in vanilla flavor.
- Bake sin under 25 minutes!
- Easily customizable with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients for cake with pancake mix
Here’s what you’ll need to make your vanilla pancake mix cake:
- Pancake mix- Any boxed mix will work! I love using Krusteaz.
- Sugar– Adds a touch of sweetness.
- Milk– Keeps the cake extra moist.
- Sour cream– For extra moisture and a tender crumb.
- Butter– Adds more richness and flavor than regular vegetable oil.
- Egg– The egg is the binding agent in this cake.
- Vanilla– The key to that delicious vanilla cake flavor.
Why does this quick cake recipe not use baking powder?
Since we are using pancake mix we don’t need to use a leavening agent. As you might know pancake mix already has baking powder in the mixture itself so that whenever you add your wet ingredients your pancakes rise and become fluffy.
How to Make a Vanilla pancake mix cake (Step-By-Step)
Here is how you can make your own super easy cake made out of our favorite pantry staple ingredient, boxed pancake mix! Make sure to scroll down to the recipe box to get the full detailed recipe.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients, aka the pancake mix to the wet ingredients bowl.
- Mix both the wet and the dry ingredients together just until the dry mixture disappears. Make sure not to over mix your cake batter.
- Pour the pancake mix cake batter into your greased pan.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Frost the cake once it’s completely cool.
- Serve your amazing homemade pancake mix cake and enjoy it with friends and family!
If you love experimenting with pancake mix, check out this guide from Lehi Mills for even more creative ideas!
Topping ideas for pancake mix cake
Top your flapjack cake however you like, here are a few delicious ideas:
- Classic chocolate buttercream or vanilla frosting.
- Lemon glaze
- Whipped cream and berries
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate ganache
Expert Tips for Best Results
- Don’t over-mix! It’ll make your cake dense instead of fluffy.
- Don’t over-bake. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Double it up! Want a bigger cake? Double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan and bake 5-10 minutes longer.
Frequently asked questions – FAQs
Can I use any pancake mix for this recipe?
Yes! Most pancake mixes (like Krusteaz, Bisquick, and Aunt Jemima) will work as long as they’re the “complete” kind with leavening already included.
Can I make this in a 9×13-inch pan?
Absolutely! Here I made a snack cake, but for bigger, just double the recipe and increase the baking time slightly ( by about 5-10 minutes).
Does this recipe need baking powder?
Nope! The pancake mix itself already contains baking powder, so it rises perfectly without adding more.
Can I add mix-ins?
Yes! Add chocolate chips, berries, like fresh blueberries, nuts like pecans or walnuts or even cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for a fun twist
Can I frost this cake?
Absolutely! And I even highly recommend doing that to elevate it even more. You can use any frosting you love. I used chocolate frosting here, but cream cheese or vanilla buttercream are delicious in it too! Some other ideas would be to use brown butter buttercream, peanut butter frosting, or even this mascarpone frosting!
Can I use protein pancake mix?
You can, but it may make the cake more dense and less sweet. Add a little extra sugar, and butter for better flavor.
Can I make it without eggs?
I haven’t tried it without egg, but I have heard of many having success with using 1/4 cup apple sauce or Greek yogurt for a similar texture.
Vanilla Pancake Mix Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cup pancake mix
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup milk at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- First start by preheating the oven to 350F, then line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl mix the sugar, milk, sour cream, egg, melted butter, and vanilla until well incorporated. Add in the pancake mix and gently fold just until the dry mixture disappears.
- Pour in the prepared baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake will be lightly golden and that's okay, it will stay very moist.
- Let the cake cool down completely, then decorate with frosting, whipped cream or anything you'd like to top your cake with. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you enjoyed this vanilla boxed pancake cake recipe make sure to pin it for later!
You got a winner!!
How soft and fluffy and moist is it?
You can taste the pancakey flavour and it’s just enough sweetness it doesn’t really need icing in my opinion, would make it too rich, it’s like a tea cake, just perfect.
I did just add blueberries to the batter, it makes it super good
Thank you for the kind words!😁
Could I use ricotta in place of the sour cream? That’s the one ingredient I’m missing.
I believe ricotta should be fine. You could also use Greek yogurt.
This thing turned out great. Needed to use up pancake mix. Already had sugar in it so I just added a little honey. Substituted yogurt for the sour cream and doubled the recipe to make a layer cake. Tastes like cake!
I gave this recipe 5 stars I don’t know what happened. But definitely 5 stars and follow the directions about mixing. Pancake mix has baking powder in it and if you mix too well you’ll use up some of its reaction time.
Thank you!
YAY! Enjoy!
what can be used to replace the sour cream if you do not have any? is there an alternative to it? or can it be left out?
Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream.
I made the cake recipe, and added some stroop wafel biscuits with caramel, and my friends are now asking me for the recipe, so that they can make it themselves for their family. in other words easy to make !!.
That’s what I like to hear!! So happy to hear they were a hit with your friends!
can egg be omitted due to allegies
I would suggest finding an allergy-friendly substitute instead of just removing the component from the recipe altogether.
Can you sub Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream?
Definitely! I actually swap the two for each other all the time.
Super yummy! I ended up using mixer and middle fell…but after some research and coming back here realized a gentle hand should of been used. …..thank you for easy recipe!
a gentle hand is definiltey a must 🙂 You’re so welcome 🙂
Chahinez
This recipe is awesome!!! I substituted buttermilk for both the milk and sour cream and it was soooooo delicious!!! I also added another twist and threw some sprinkles in the batter for a confetti cake vibe! This recipe has been a go to for me for awhile now! Highly recommend it!
Ooo I love this! Thank you for trying out the recipe 😁
An excellent alternative to a boxed cake mix.
Glad to hear that!
Chahinez
The ingredients say sour cream but the directions say cream cheese. Which one is it?
Hi Anita,
It should say sour cream.
Chahinez
Does it taste like a pancake?
IT doesn’t taste like a pancake because of the frosting but it doesn’t taste like a regular cake from scratch either.
I would say it’s somewhere in between.
Chahinez
mine came out thick and sticky. I followed the directions and it still came out sticky. any help would be appreciated
Did the batter come out thick and sticky or the cake? It might depend on the pancake mix you used. I used Krusteez for this recipe.