The Scientific Reason Why Your Favorite Soda Can Lead To A Fluffier Cake

Cake mixes are a busy home baker's best friend. Whether you're hosting a birthday party or have a spontaneous cupcake craving, a box of powder picked up from the grocery store shelf can be the difference between a successful celebration and a dud. And even if you don't have oil or eggs on hand, there's another ingredient you can use that will not only do the job, but create next-level texture when swapped into the mixture — and that's soda.

If pouring this familiar beverage into your cake mix sounds like a strange idea, consider the science behind this strategy. The effervescence we love so much in our soda is thanks to carbon dioxide. This is the same element that we strive to create in our baked goods when adding baking powder, yeast, or baking soda, with the end goal being a cake that's not just tender and moist, but also fluffy and airy. Soda's built-in bubbles help achieve this ideal finished product, all while adding a little pop to your process and subtle flavor to your slices.

To put this delightful soda secret to work for your next cake, you just need to get your hands on a 12-ounce can of your soft drink of choice. Pour that into a bowl with your cake mix selection and combine these two ingredients (it may help to work by hand, mixing a little at a time to really integrate the fizzy liquid). If you already know how to make boxed cake mix, you'll want to follow the usual steps from there, greasing a cake or cupcake pan and then baking according to the package instructions for temperature and time. And that's it — before you know it, you'll have a pop-infused cake that's a study in fluff.

As far as what type of soda to use, much in the way melted ice cream can take boxed cake mixes to the next level, this trick gives you a chance to experiment with the flavor of your finished product. Try out different combinations, like Dr. Pepper with red velvet, root beer with spice cake, cola with chocolate, or ginger ale with carrot cake. If soda doesn't sound appealing to you, you can also try this out with sparkling water for a similar effect. No matter what combo you land on, you can rely on this soft drink trick to add the airiness that defines a high quality cake.