It may come as a big surprise to you, but you can tinker quite a bit with cakes and breads, and they still come out great. So, have a little fun and try to doctor up your own cake mixes. Here are some suggestions to go out of the box for delicious box cake results:

• Use whole eggs instead of just the whites. Your cake will benefit from the yolks, giving it a richer flavor and a tender texture.
• Instead of adding oil, substitute half the oil with melted butter for a better taste and texture.
• Instead of flouring cake pans with flour, use cocoa when making chocolate cakes.
• Try adding 1/2 cup toasted coconut to the batter of a yellow or angel food cake.
• For an almond edge, add 1 teaspoon almond extract to the batter, or if you prefer a peppermint taste, simply add 2 teaspoons peppermint schnapps.
• Coffee and chocolate go hand in hand. Replace half of the liquid called for with brewed and cooled coffee or espresso.