Are Boxed Cake Mixes Typically Vegan?

Being vegan often means being diligent when it comes to reading labels. And sometimes, you get a pleasant surprise when something in the supermarket is unexpectedly vegan. One of those items is boxed cake mix. A majority of the time, the boxed mixes contain a combination of flour, sugar, leavening products, additives, and something like cocoa, vanilla, or artificial flavoring to give the cake its signature taste.

What usually makes a cake mix not vegan is the list of wet ingredients called for on the back of the box. Most cake mixes recommend adding eggs, water, and oil or butter for the batter. Luckily, eggs and butter are easy to replace, and we recommend swapping out several ingredients when making boxed cake mix, regardless of if you're vegan or not. 

Big brand names like Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury do not market making vegan cake mixes, but many of their products are. The box won't boast a vegan label, so the allergen list is the quickest way to check to see if a mix contains animal-based ingredients. Sometimes, the box might say "May contain milk," meaning the factory of origin produces other foods with milk — so it's probably still vegan. Betty Crocker's entire SuperMoist cake mix line and Duncan Hine's Signature and Classic lines appear to all be vegan, but neither of the brands' angel food cake mixes are. Pillsbury's products appear to have more variation — the brand's Traditional Chocolate mix is vegan, for instance, but the Traditional Vanilla is not.

Almost all boxed cake mixes call for eggs; they hold the batter together, help the cake rise, and make the final product fluffy and moist. Fortunately, there are plenty of swaps for them. Some brands make a vegan egg powder or liquid that is a direct 1:1 replacement for eggs. Chia and flax seeds are popular egg substitutes that will bind the cake together, but don't necessarily provide fluffiness. Applesauce, pumpkin puree, or vegan yogurt are excellent swaps for eggs that will give you a moist, fluffy cake. If you want a richer cake, you can also substitute any water the recipe calls for with plant-based milk. 

Often, boxed cake mixes require the addition of oil, such as vegetable oil. However, if you're following an online recipe that's based on boxed cake mix, it may call for butter instead of oil for a richer cake. Coconut oil is a popular vegan substitute for butter, as it is richer than other oils and has a pleasant taste that works well in baked goods. There are also plenty of brands that make dairy-free butter, like Earth Balance, Miyoko's, Violife, and Country Crock.

If you want to make the simplest vegan cake using a boxed mix, all you need is a can of soda or other carbonated beverage — forget egg replacements, oil, or water. Coca-Cola is a popular option for chocolate and other dark cakes, while Sprite or seltzers can be used for lighter cakes.