We Asked 3 Pastry Chefs to Name the Best Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix, and They All Said the Same Thing

Ali Domrongchai
Ali Domrongchai
Prior to my current position as Associate Editor for Groceries at The Kitchn, I held staff positions at Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Allrecipes. My words and recipes have also been featured in Cook's Country, Simply Recipes, and EatingWell. Oh, and most importantly, I can’t go more than a few hours without a sweet treat.
published Oct 26, 2025
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Add a Pinch's chocolate cake with a slice out
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Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Stylist: Brett Regot

Baking season is officially on the horizon, and our pantries are getting prepped. With cooler days ahead and fall gatherings lining the calendar, it’s prime time to stock up on essentials. One item we never go without? Chocolate cake mix.

Fun fact: September is statistically the busiest birthday month, and few things say “Happy Birthday” like a rich chocolate cake. Not that we need a special occasion (or even an excuse) to break out a boxed mix. That’s a big reason why we’ve always got one stashed in the cupboard.

Sure, we love a from-scratch cake moment, but cake mix hits that sweet spot between convenience and comfort. Turns out, experts agree. We asked a handful of professional bakers and pastry chefs to name their go-to chocolate cake mix — and Betty Crocker was the unanimous favorite. Here’s why.

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Credit: Ali Domrongchai

The Best Chocolate Cake Mix, According to Pastry Chefs

Even popular bakeries recognize the quality of a really good boxed mix. A longtime baker and friend of mine (who asked to remain anonymous) works at a local cake shop in North Carolina that actually uses Betty Crocker’s chocolate cake mix as the base for its very popular cakes. “It’s such a reliable, delicious cake mix base that’s really easy to make taste gourmet.” The bakery does add a bit of sour cream and coffee to amp up the moistness and chocolate flavor. 

Stacey Mei Yan Fong, cookbook author of 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the United States Through Pie was in total agreement. There’s no other “cake mix as nostalgic as Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix.”… Plus, she’s a big fan of the taste and texture.

Betty Crocker Super Moist Milk Chocolate Cake Mix
$2
$2 at Walmart

Professional recipe developer, baker, and food content creator Terrence Gutiérrez’s fondness goes way back. “When I think about that chocolate cake, or even the yellow cake, it reminds me of my childhood. My mom was always busy working, so she wanted something easy, but also high quality.” These days, he credits Betty Crocker’s staying power to its “super flavorful” and “very accessible” cake mixes. 

Buy: Betty Crocker Super Moist Milk Chocolate Cake Mix, $1.67 for 13.25 ounces at Walmart 

What’s your favorite chocolate cake mix brand? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: We Asked 3 Pastry Chefs to Name the Best Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix, and They All Said the Same Thing

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