13 Boxed Chocolate Cake Mixes, Ranked Worst To Best

I would consider myself to be a prolific home baker. I love nothing more than whipping up a whimsical and fun cookie recipe or experimenting with a batch of savory muffins now and again. Despite the fact that I love from-scratch baked goods, I always have a box of cake mix in my pantry. Sure you can make your own cake from scratch, but cake mix can be repurposed for so many other things, including cookies, ice cream, and fruit crisps. It's also reliable, consistent, and easy to use; all you need to do is measure out your add-ins like oil and eggs, stir, and bake. 

I tested the best packaged vanilla cake mix brands for a previous review, but now I want to see how the chocolate mixes stood up against one another and decide which brand reigns supreme. I purchased an array of chocolate cake mix brands from a few local grocery stores, prepared and baked them according to the directions on the packages, and ranked them based on their flavor and texture. After all, life is too short to settle for bad cake; hopefully, this list will give you some insight on which brands to buy and which to stay away from. 

I knew I was going to have a problem with this Aldi budget baking find when I started mixing it. It took on the color of muddy charcoal — almost like it was mixed with something grey. When the cupcakes came out of the oven, I noticed that same off-putting hue. But that wasn't the only thing that was really off about these cupcakes. 

Although I made sure to mix the batters well (though, not so well that gluten overdevelopment was an issue), this one still came out with a gritty consistency. As I ate it, I felt like I was grinding sand between my molars. Its flavor was also very reminiscent of raw batter, despite the fact that it was baked all the way through and didn't have any raw pockets. While I will admit that the sponge was very moist, I don't think that the flavor and the texture were decent enough to justify ranking this cake mix in anything but last place. 

Betty Crocker's chocolate cake mixes took up the lion's share of spots in this ranking. The first one I sampled was its milk chocolate cake mix, which boasted a lighter color than its other, more chocolatey companions. The structure of this cake, as well as all the options, was quite airy; it puffed up well in the oven. The sponge itself was moist and fluffy. I think this texture would be great for a layer cake or a simple batch of cupcakes, simply because it didn't crumble as easily as some of the other options. 

However, the milk chocolate flavor of this cake mix was far too light. If I was blindfolded, I probably would have said this was a vanilla cake mix. There's no depth of flavor or richness to this cake, which was wholly disappointing. It doesn't even smell like chocolate — unless your version of "chocolate" is the can of cocoa powder that's been sitting in the back of your pantry for who knows how long.

For the record, there is a difference between devil's food cake and regular chocolate cake. The former is supposed to have a more robust chocolate flavor, seeing as it's made with cocoa powder rather than the milk chocolate historically used for chocolate cake. It also contains slightly more baking soda, which should theoretically give it a better rise and offer a fluffier mouthfeel. 

Betty Crocker obviously missed the memo on this one, because its devil's food cake looks and tastes a little too much like its milk chocolate cake. If anything, I found that its texture was a little more dense and stodgy than the milk chocolate cake. I don't mind a heavier chocolate cake, but I'm still not entirely sold on the "devil's food cake" label. In fact, I highly doubt you would be able to tell the difference between this cake and a classic chocolate cake, which is why it fell to the back of the ranking. It was still more flavorful and had a better consistency than the lowest ranked brands, but it still wouldn't be one I would recommend buying. 

One of the most important qualities that I look for in a cake is its ability to hold together well. Cakes should not be too stodgy or sticky; you want to be able to slice cleanly and easily through it with a fork. However, I think that Great Value's problem is on the other end of the spectrum: It barely holds together, and when you go to slice it, you're left with a trail of cake crumbs in your wake. 

While this devil's food cake mix was indeed moist, it also was a little too crumbly for my liking. If you were shaping and decorating it, there is a chance that after a few swipes with an offset spatula, there wouldn't be much intact cake left to decorate. However, there were some positives to this mix that kept it out of last place — mainly the fact that it had a prominent chocolatey flavor that was more pronounced than in Betty Crocker's milk chocolate and devil's food cake mixes. However, I was missing the clear tie back to the devil's food cake, since this tasted more like a cheap chocolate cake than anything else. 

The triple chocolate fudge was supposed to be the most rich and chocolatey of all of Betty Crocker's offerings. The packaging notes that the box contains pudding in the mix, which should enrich the batter and layer on even more chocolate flavor. But, I think it tasted almost identical to the Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix, so it seems like all that extra marketing was truly for nothing. 

The one thing that this cake mix had that none of the others did was little pieces of what looked like chocolate chips. I couldn't tell if these were supposed to be the pudding morsels or not, but whatever they were, they didn't make a difference in this mix. There were so few of them that I had to tear apart one of the cupcakes to find any. There may have been two chips in one of the cupcakes, which is definitely not enough to make a dent in the overall flavor and mouthfeel of these treats. I think adding more of the chips could give this cake a more molten consistency, but as it stands, it's not one I would buy again. 

The Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix placed only a hair above the same Betty Crocker mix. The two suffered similar issues in the taste test. For one, this cake lacked the dense, chocolatey flavor that would really sell me on the "devil's food cake" label. It was slightly more airy and spongy than the Betty Crocker mix, which is ultimately why it got a better score. I also thought Duncan Hines had a softer texture, compared to the slightly elastic consistency of all of the Betty Crocker mixes. I could easily cut into this Duncan Hines cake with a fork and watch as the sponge perfectly crumbled around it. In comparison, the Betty Crocker devil's food cake mix had a more glutinous texture that was harder to chew through. 

I would have liked to see a richer flavor from this Duncan Hines selection, as well as a more robust and higher-quality cocoa flavor. I'm a little torn on this one's ranking because it's not a bad chocolate cake. However, because I wouldn't necessarily call it a true devil's food cake, it dropped down the list.

Pillsbury's devils food cake mix was, like its regular chocolate cake counterpart, nothing to write home about. Like some of the other devil's food cake mixes, I think it wandered a little too far from the definition of "devil's food cake." While it was far richer than both Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker's devil's food cake mixes, it lacked that signature lift that comes with the use of more leavening agents. Instead, this cake took on the consistency of a fudgy cake, and I had to do a second look to make sure that I hadn't confused Pillsbury's regular chocolate cake mix with this one. 

If you are after a more molten and decadent chocolate cake, this would be the mix I would recommend buying. However, I don't think that it should be labeled as a devil's food cake; "rich fudge cake" would have been a little more on the money. 

The Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix was only tad darker than the milk chocolate offering. Though, when I think "chocolate fudge," I expect to see something reminiscent of a deep, dark brownie. This cake did not meet that expectation.

Like the regular milk chocolate cake mix, this one was also, indeed, Super Moist. What's more, the smell of this cake was more chocolatey and promising than the milk chocolate cake was. But, the sponge lacked that distinct, molten quality that is just as much a part of the chocolate cake experience as the chocolate flavor itself. This one came off as very dry and mediocre. However, I did appreciate that it wasn't as overwhelmingly sweet as it could have been. It would make a great base for frosting, but the fact that it didn't deliver a fudgy flavor pushed it back in my ranking. It's not a bad cake mix per se, but it's just not one I would personally buy myself. 

I wouldn't say that Pillsbury's mixes are the same quality as brands like Duncan Hines or King Arthur, but they certainly aren't bad. And sometimes, when you need a cheap mix to make cupcakes for a birthday party, a cake mix that isn't bad will work just fine. This chocolate cake mix developed a slightly more pronounced crust than I would have wanted on my cake, though the sponge itself was quite moist and boasted a more pronounced chocolate flavor than Betty Crocker's milk chocolate cake mix. The sweetness was quite balanced, and I almost could forget about the fact that it's not made with the highest quality chocolate. It's about what I would expect a chocolate cake mix to taste like — nothing more, nothing less. 

However, the reason why this cake mix didn't rank above the others is because of that subtle, crunchy crust. When I bite down into a chocolate cake, I want the icing and the sponge itself to be soft. The slightly gritty and crispy skin interferes with that texture and is off-putting. 

Oh golly, Miss Dolly. I tried all of the Duncan Hines Dolly Parton baking mixes, spanning from cake and muffin mixes to brownies, and — spoiler alert — found that its chocolate cake mix was the best of them all. In that ranking, I didn't have a problem with the cake mix sinking on me. Alas, I did this go-round. 

Aside from the fact that I was disappointed in the way the cake looked after I took it out of the oven, it's still a good mix. If you're after a rich and buttery cake that almost has the vibe of a brownie, this is the cake mix that you're going to want to add to your cart. Unlike all of the others on this list, this one is made with melted butter, in addition to oil and eggs. This means one thing: fat, fat, fat. The cake is super moist and has a slightly buttery flavor to it, which meshes well with the chocolate profile. That being said, it's not a light cake; I could only have a few bites of this before I had to put it down. If you could find a way to perfect the bake on it, I think it would make a great addition to any pantry. 

Krusteaz is probably more widely recognized for its pancake mix than its baking mixes, but I have been a fan of both for years. Its gluten-free chocolate cake mix is one that's worth buying, even if you don't follow a gluten-free diet. For one, it has a delectably chocolatey flavor that very few of the lower-ranked brands achieved. While I would be hard pressed to say it's made with the highest quality chocolate, I will say that its chocolate essence earned it some extra brownie points in this ranking. When you pair this flavor with a decadently moist consistency that really holds together like a proper cake should, you have a recipe for success. 

The one annoying thing about this mix is that it calls for milk instead of water — and I honestly doubt that this ingredient really played a monumental impact on the cake. The cake itself is also slightly gritty, though I don't think it's nearly as bad as some of the other gluten-free cake mixes I've had over the years. 

The King Arthur Baking Company has surprised me before; its gluten-free brownie mix is not only one of the best brownie mixes I've ever worked with, but also one of the best gluten-free products I've ever had, too. But, would that sentiment hold true for its gluten-free cake mix? 

This cake mix is quite dark and almost takes on the color of a good fudge brownie. I noticed that its color was dark both as I was preparing the mix and after I pulled it out of the oven. I will admit that I was a bit hesitant to work with it, as it came out of the box looking almost like coarse sand, rather than a brownie mix. But once I stirred in the standard additions, like oil, water, and eggs, I thought it could easily pass for a gluten-containing mix. 

The consistency and flavor of this mix is better than the gluten-containing mixes on this list, which is a triumph in itself. While it does have a little bit of that grittiness that I've come to expect with gluten-free baking products, its flavor was otherwise spectacular. The chocolate King Arthur used was clearly high quality, as the cocoa flavor of this mix was far bolder than any of the others on the list. The cupcakes were moist and well-hydrated, and the flavor was just sweet enough that it could get by with a classic buttercream frosting and still not overwhelm the palate. The downsides, of course, are that it's more expensive than other cake mix brands and it does have that slight grittiness to it. But, if you're baking for gluten-free cake lovers, this is the mix I would unequivocally recommend picking up. 

I baked all of the Betty Crocker cakes before I tried my hand at the Duncan Hines' products — and what a difference there was between the two. I was a bit worried as I was mixing it, as the batter appeared quite wet and didn't rise as well as Betty Crocker's or Pillsbury's products did. When I pulled the cupcakes from the oven, I noticed they had a flat top and a very crispy, almost muffin-like crust. Though, the crust wasn't as hard as Pillsbury's chocolate cake mix — and I think that the flat top would come in handy for decorating. 

The flavor of these cupcakes were definitely more fudgy and decadent than Betty Crocker's double and triple fudge, as well as its milk chocolate cake mix. The cake itself was so moist underneath the crust, and it had the perfect soft, rich, and decadent texture that I wanted in my chocolate cake — without the grittiness of the gluten-free cake mix brands. Duncan Hines demonstrated it was a cake mix pro on my ranking of the best packaged cake mix brands, so I was glad to see it did well here, too. 

I've worked with tons of baking mixes over the years, and I sure know my way around a box of cake mix. In order to test these chocolate and devil's food cake mixes, I purchased a variety of brands from grocery stores located near me. Then, I prepared them according to the package directions by mixing in their add-ins — like melted butter, oil, eggs, milk, and/or water — and baking them. I opted to bake them in lined metal cupcake tins, but they could all be made in traditional round or square cake pans, too. 

Once the cakes had adequately cooled, I tasted each one of them, sans frosting or toppings. Since I was looking at chocolate cake mixes, I wanted the chocolate flavor to be prominent. These cakes should be rich, yet not so sweet that you can't pair them with a frosting. Moreover, I also looked for cakes that were slightly spongy and soft, ranking those that broke apart easily or lacked structure at the bottom of my list. The highest ranking cakes also delivered on the flavor listed on the label. For example, I wanted the fudge cakes to be dense and fudge-forward, while the devil's food cakes should be more chocolatey, rich, and fluffy than a regular chocolate cake.