Whether you bake it in simple sheet pans or ornately fluted tube pans, the best carrot cake box mix will always stand out on Easter dessert tables.
The Best Carrot Cake Box Mix, According to a Professional Baker
Published on Apr. 08, 2025
Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix
Betty Crocker’s version of carrot cake calls for a boxed mix, with one cup of water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil and three eggs added to the mixture. It’s easy to assemble, resulting in a tall, very fluffy cake. While the cake has notes of sugar and spice, I was hoping for a more robust flavor. I was also surprised that real carrots weren’t included in the mix. If you’re someone who loves a light and fluffy cake, this is a great option, and you could doctor the cake mix by adding more cinnamon and nutmeg. However, as-is, this carrot cake mix was a miss for me.
Bottom Line: This cake mix is easy to make and produces a light and fluffy texture, but I had hoped for better flavor. Plus, it was missing real carrots!
Miss Jones Baking Co. Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Mix
Gluten-free treats can sometimes get a bad rap for not tasting that great, but this one doesn’t fit that bill. This carrot cake mix produces either a small loaf cake or 12 cupcakes. The dry mixture is made up of rice flour and potato starch as its base, with brown sugar, a blend of spices and real carrots incorporated. It calls for six tablespoons of melted butter, 2/3 cup of milk and two large eggs, all of which deliver excellent moisture to the finished product.
I was skeptical, but the texture was spot on, producing slices that resembled a homemade treat. Where was it lacking? The spices were recognizable, but not strong enough. The included cream cheese-flavored icing was a miss for me, especially since it is made with white chocolate and doesn’t actually contain cream cheese. This boxed mix would have fared better with homemade cream cheese frosting.
Bottom Line: This is a great choice for gluten-free baking with a wonderful texture. I wanted more flavor from the spices, and I would make my own icing instead of using the included packet.
Duncan Hines Carrot Cake Mix
As a former bakery owner who bakes from scratch, I was surprised and impressed by this box mix. Most importantly, this cake mix actually incorporates real carrots. They’re shredded, dehydrated and added to the dry ingredients. To make the mix, add one cup of water, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and three eggs.
After baking and topping with frosting, you’re left with a moist cake with a nice balance between dense and fluffy. It’s flavorful thanks to the addition of brown sugar and robust spices including cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, without those spices being overpowering. Though I always think carrot cake is 10 times better with cream cheese frosting, the flavor of this cake can easily stand on its own.
Bottom Line: This cake mix delivers on texture and flavor, and it has real carrots in the mix. It gets my baker’s stamp of approval!
