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“Shrink-flation” . . . It’s a Thing
In these days of food inflation, another trend we always see is “shrinkflation.” Manufacturers purposely place less product in the same-size box or can. This keeps them from having to raise the price, but you still pay for it with your wallet when you bring home less food for the same money.
If you’ve checked a cake mix box lately, you’ve noticed that – though the price has stayed the same – the box only produces 22 cupcakes instead of the usual 24! And those layer cakes just don’t turn out as light and fluffy as they used to, do they?
No worries. Just use this simple Cake Mix Extender to stretch your batter a bit further, with great results!
This Cake Mix Extender will work well for any cake mix that calls for whole egg. To extend a white cake, add 2 eggs, but omit the yolks.
To extend a chocolate cake, add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and an extra tablespoon of water.
High Altitude: At altitudes over 3,000, but under 6,000 ft, cut back the baking soda to 1/2 tsp, and add 1 extra tablespoon of flour.
How to Combat Shrinkflation
There are a number of strategies (see this great post from AARP) we can use to combat this “shrinkflation” trend:
- Check the unit price, not just the total price — the label usually shows cost per ounce/pound, which is the only reliable way to compare an old-size box to a new-size one since the sticker price often stays the same. Compare sizes across brands too, since companies don’t always shrink packaging at the same time.
- Switch to store brands, which tend to hold their size steadier and run 20-25% cheaper than name brands anyway.
- Watch for different package sizes of the same brand — sometimes a company shrinks the “family size” but leaves a mid-size box alone, so the better value moves around.
- Buy in bulk when the per-unit price actually works out better (and you’ll use it before it goes stale) — this is really just doing the unit-price math ahead of time.
- Stack sales with digital coupons or cashback apps rather than paying full price and accepting the smaller box as-is.
- And of course — Extend! It works for lots of things other than cake. Add an extra 1/4 cup of spiced crumbs to that Quick and Easy Meatloaf. No one will object to a few extra carrots and potatoes in your Instant Pot Chuck Roast. And someone’s home garden is almost certainly producing tons of zucchini and summer squash that can supplement those Pan-Seared Pork Chops.
Cake Mix Extender
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Oil
- 1 lg Egg
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your usual cake mix and combine as usual.
- Bake according to mix directions.
Notes
Nutrition
If you tried this, let me know how much extra batter it got you — leave a star rating and a comment below!
Cake Mix Extender – Questions and Answers
Will this work with any brand of cake mix?
Yes, as long as the mix calls for a whole egg in its own directions — this extender is designed to piggyback on that. If your mix doesn’t call for eggs at all (some pudding-in-the-mix or “just add water” mixes), skip this method and check the manufacturer’s own instructions for extending batter instead.
Will I be able to taste the difference?
No — the extra flour, sugar, oil, and egg are the same basic building blocks already in the mix, just in the ratio a full-size box used to include. Texture and flavor come out close to what you’d expect from an “old-size” box.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
You can, though oil tends to give a slightly moister crumb in extended batter. If you swap in melted butter, use the same 1/2 cup measurement.
Can I double this for a bigger batch (like a sheet cake for a crowd)?
Yes, the ratios scale directly — just double every ingredient if you’re combining two boxes of mix or need a larger pan.
Looking for Recipes Without the Mix?
Check out these easy cake recipes that don’t require a mix at all! Best White Cake from Scratch, Easy Hot Milk Cake and Basic Yellow Cake Recipe, Homemade German Chocolate Cake, and Swan’s Down High Altitude White Cake Recipe
