1. S’more Cake
If you think a semi-homemade dessert can’t get much easier, think again. This boxed chocolate cake recipe “bakes” in your slow cooker. Top the ultra-simple cake with marshmallow crème, milk chocolate, and graham cracker pieces to bring your favorite summer sweet indoors. Better yet, there’s a surprise ingredient that makes it so easy to prepare: chocolate cake mix with sour cream.
2. Creme de Menthe Cake
Using boxed chocolate cake mix as a shortcut doesn’t get any better than this treat that’s a flavor doppelgänger for mint chocolate-chip ice cream. Replace some of the water called for in your boxed mix recipe with a splash of crème de menthe, then finish with green-tinted vanilla frosting and crushed chocolate-mint candies.
3. Chocolate-Marshmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches
Here’s something different to make with chocolate cake mix: in this recipe. the shortcut ingredient gets transformed into soft, cake-like chocolate cookies. A spread of marshmallow crème and a scoop of chocolate ice cream takes them one step further, making an utterly irresistible ice cream sandwich.
4. Spicy Chocolate-Espresso Cake Pops
Spice up your chocolate cake mix and turn it into a handheld treat. The batter for these cake pops features chile powder and the frosting is espresso-spiked Mexican chocolate. Store the pops in the fridge for up to a week for an easy on-the-go snack.
5. German Chocolate and Caramel Brownies
This chocolate cake mix hack takes the classic flavors of German chocolate cake and transforms them into a chewy, rich brownie. It’s an easy dessert that will feed a crowd of 36 and takes less than an hour from start to finish.
6. Surprise Cupcakes
Yes, these cupcakes are one of our recipes using chocolate cake mix, but that’s not the surprise. Hiding under a layer of chocolate frosting, and inside the moist cake, is a sweet cream-cheese center scented with a hint of orange juice and zest. Each bite will remind you of those chocolate-orange desserts you had as a kid.
7. Chocolate Waffle Cake
Skip the waffle mix and use a boxed chocolate cake mix. We added chocolate milk, eggs, butter, and peanut butter chips before cooking the batter in a waffle maker. A sweet cream cheese-banana mixture is sandwiched between each layer before a chocolate ganache is drizzled over the top (talk about decadent and delicious).
8. White Russian Cake
For a hack on boxed chocolate cake mix that adults will swoon over, simply add booze. This mash-up dessert replaces the water in the cake mix recipe with coffee-flavor liqueur, and it tastes strikingly like the famous cocktail. Fill the two-layer cake with frozen whipped icing and you’ve got one seriously delicious dessert ready to serve in no time.
9. Chocolate Cupcakes with a Kick
This boxed chocolate cake mix recipe has a hint of heat, thanks to a dash of ground chipotle chile pepper. Top these rich cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of melted chocolate. This is one dessert that gives new meaning to the term “hot chocolate.”
