The easiest white chocolate cake recipe ever because it starts with a cake mix, it tastes homemade, is super moist and covered in white chocolate buttercream.
It’s perfect for a dessert any time and if you add sprinkles and candles, it makes a great birthday cake.
Table of Contents:
This cake mixes up super quick and you’ll be using a cake mix, which is super predictable. It just comes our right every time.
Ingredient Notes:
Now let’s talk a little about just some of the ingredients that are in this cake. (The list of all ingredients are in the recipe card below.)
White cake mix: This recipe starts off with a white cake mix to make things really easy and predictable. Don’t worry though, you’ll add in other ingredients to make this cake really taste homemade.
Probably any brand of white cake mix will do, but my favorites are Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines.
White chocolate and white chocolate pudding: To get that white chocolate flavor, you’ll use both white chocolate and white chocolate pudding.
The white chocolate can be either the chips or the baking bars, which you can get on the baking aisle. Make sure to get the instant pudding and not the cooked type of pudding mix.
You’ll melt the chocolate and cool it a little before adding it to the batter and you’ll just add the pudding mix in dry, but that’s what will add a little extra white chocolate flavoring.
And don’t forget to save a tablespoon of the pudding mix as that will also be added to the buttercream to give it even more flavor.
All-purpose flour and sugar: You’ll add also add in a bit of flour and sugar. This will extend the cake mix and help it make a larger amount of batter. It will also help to make the cake mix taste more like homemade, but without having to mix up a totally scratch cake.
Sour cream: This is always a star when making cakes. Sour cream adds the perfect amount of moisture to cakes and it makes the texture of a cake mix cake even more like it’s actually from scratch.
Steps for How to Make This Cake:
Let’s talk about how to this white chocolate cake with frosting. (The exact instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
The first thing you want to do is preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease and flour two, 8 inch cake pans well so that the cakes don’t stick.
Step 2:
Next, melt the white chocolate with a bit of milk. Stir the melted chocolate until smooth and let it sit out to cool down a bit.
Step 3:
Add all of the cake ingredients to a mixing bowl, including the melted white chocolate. Make sure to reserve 1 tablespoon of the pudding mix for the white chocolate frosting.
Step 4:
Mix everything together well.
Step 5:
Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for approximately 45 – 50 minutes.
Step 6:
While the cake layers, bake, make the frosting. Mix the butter and the cream cheese well.
Step 7:
Add the cooled and melted white chocolate, the remaining dry pudding mix, salt, vanilla extract and three cups of confectioner’s sugar. Mix well.
Step 8:
Add the last three cups of confectioners sugar and mix well.
Step 9:
Check the consistency and add a bit of milk if needed and then mix the frosting again.
Step 10:
Once the cakes have finished baking, let them cool in pans on wire racks for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 11:
Turn the cake layers out of the pans and let them cool completely on the wire racks.
Step 12:
Once cooled, add the buttercream and any other decorations you want.
Easy White Chocolate Cake with Cake Mix (+ frosting)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 (15 oz) box white cake mix (Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines are best)
- 4 ounces white chocolate chopped (or white chocolate chips)
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant white chocolate pudding mix, dry (reserve 1 tablespoon for the frosting)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups milk+2 tablespoons to melt the chocolate
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
For the frosting: (see notes for even easier frosting option)
- 4 ounces white chocolate chopped (or white chocolate chips)
- 3 teaspoons milk
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature (3 sticks)
- 1 tablespoon instant white chocolate pudding mix (reserved from earlier)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans. Make sure that the pans are at least 2 inches deep as this cake will puff up quite a bit when baking.
- Add 4 ounces of chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of milk to a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 15 seconds and stir again until smooth. Repeat until the white chocolate is melted. Let the chocolate cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all of the cake ingredients, including the cooled down, melted white chocolate. (Make sure to reserve 1 tablespoon of the pudding mix for the frosting).
- Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for about one minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on medium for about 30 seconds.
- Pour the batter into prepared pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 55-60 minutes. This cake will puff up quite a bit when baking. If you're worried about overflow, just add a cookie sheet on the rack below the cake pans. This cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the middle of each layer should come out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean.
- Set onto a rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then turn cake layers out of pans and directly onto racks to cool completely before adding frosting.
For the frosting:
- In a small bowl, add 4 ounces chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips with 3 teaspoons of milk to a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave another 15 seconds and stir again until smooth. Repeat until the white chocolate is melted. Let the chocolate cool for about 15 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter and cream cheese and mix well with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the cooled down melted white chocolate, the 1 tablespoon of dry pudding mix, salt, vanilla extract and three cups of confectioner's sugar. Mix on medium speed until well combined and smooth.
- Add in the last three cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on medium speed until smooth.
- Check the consistency. If it’s too thick, add in a ½ tablespoon of milk and mix well. Once the desired consistency has been reached, mix on medium-high for a couple minutes until light and fluffly.
- Add frosting to cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Share
I’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!
Tips & FAQs:
Any type will probably do, but I find I’ve had good luck with Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines cake mixes.
I probably wouldn’t use a yellow cake mix as the white chocolate flavor might not come through enough. A vanilla cake mix might work, but it will have more of a vanilla cake flavor than a white chocolate flavor.
You want to use either chocolate chips or the block white chocolate that’s on the baking aisle.
No, just add the cake mix dry and add in the other ingredients called for in the recipe card, but not the back of the cake mix box.
No, don’t prepare the pudding. It needs to be added dry. Just make sure to reserve 1 tablespoon to use in the buttercream.
The added ingredients will help this cake taste homemade like it’s made from scratch and not a mix. Using a mix as the base though makes it easier to mix up and the outcome is very consistent.
Make sure not to pack the flour down into the measuring cup. Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off, but don’t scoop the flour as that will add too much.
Sour cream is best, but if you can’t get it, you can use plain yogurt instead.
Make sure to melt the white chocolate a little at a time so it doesn’t burn. Also, allow yourself a little time so that it can cool a bit before adding to the cake batter and the buttercream.
Make sure to let the cream cheese come to room temperature before trying to mix up the buttercream.
There is an easier option if you don’t want to make homemade frosting. You can grab two cans of premade cream cheese icing, add the contents to a bowl, then add the melted and cooled white chocolate and the tablespoon of white chocolate pudding. Mix well and cover the cake.
This cake can be made ahead of time and frozen if desired. Let the baked cake cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer for up to a month.
To thaw, place the wrapped cake on the counter at room temperature and let thaw completely, then remove the wrapping. Once defrosted, add the buttercream.
Because this cake is covered in cream cheese buttercream, it will need to be kept in the refrigerator, covered well and will last for up to about 6 days.
This cake is best served at room temperature, so set it out for 20-30 minutes before serving.
I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Fill 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with cupcake liners and fill with batter about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F and start checking for doneness at around 20-25 minutes.
This cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the middle of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean.
This cake would be great with a fruit filling like raspberries, strawberries, jam, or lemon curd.
Video:
Supplies used for this recipe:
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Mixing bowls
- Silicone spatulas
- 8 inch round cake pans
- Whisks
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cooling racks
- Easy Lemon Cream Cheese Swirl Cake (using a cake mix) - April 2, 2024
- Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (using a cake mix) - April 2, 2024
- Easy Lemon White Chocolate Cookies (using a cake mix) - April 2, 2024
I decided to leave the egg yolks out to have the cake completely white. I noticed the batter was really thick. Is that normal??
Hi Patsy, to leave the egg yolks out, you’d need to actually use 6 egg whites (double the amount of eggs). If you only use three egg whites (that’s basically only half an egg), so it won’t be enough and the cake may not rise properly or the texture may not turn out correctly.