Cornbread with Cake Mix

4.74 from 88 votes
102 Comments

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This Cornbread recipe is a perfect cross between a cake and cornbread. The texture is fluffy and smooth, but has that yummy cornbread taste!

Two pieces of cornbread on a plate with butter and honey
Featured with this Recipe
  1. Make This in a ‘Jiffy’
  2. Pans to Use for Cake Mix Cornbread
  3. Tips for Cornbread with Cake Mix
  4. Frequently Asked Questions
  5. Try this Cake Mix Cornbread with one of our delicious soup or chili recipes
  6. How to Make Cornbread with Cake Mix
  7. Cornbread with Cake Mix Recipe

This Cornbread with Cake Mix recipe is in regular rotation at our house. The bread is moist and light. I’m not a huge fan of corn breads that are really grainy with cornmeal and are dense, or corn breads with vegetable surprises inside. That is why I love this easy homemade cornbread recipe so much. It is a perfect cross between a yellow cake and cornbread, and there are no surprises. It is easy to prepare and tastes amazing with some butter and a drizzle of honey. This is a great side dish for fall and winter to serve with a hearty stew, soup, or chili.

Cake mix and Jiffy mix in a bowl


Make This in a ‘Jiffy’

One of the great parts about this recipe is the inclusion of Jiffy Cornbread Mix in the list of dry ingredients. No need to mess with extra salt, teaspoons of baking soda, baking powder, or cornmeal. It’s all in the box! That’s part of what makes this such a wonderful cornbread recipe. Between the boxed cornbread mix and the boxed cake mix, half of your work is done! Sometimes you just need the help from convenient resources, right? Then, all you need are some eggs, milk (you can whisk in buttermilk or regular milk) and some melted butter, and water. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and you are done! I promise, this recipe is a quick, simple, delicious way to get all the flavor you love with the perfect texture.

Pans to Use for Cake Mix Cornbread

  • If you like your homemade cornbread slightly more grainy, add another cornbread mix and another egg. You will end up with more than what will fit in a 9×13 pan
  • Some people like to get creative with the baking dish choice when baking this bread. If you have more batter than will fit in the 9×13 cake pan, you can add the excess batter to some muffin tins for little cornbread muffins. 
  • One reader suggested baking it in a bundt pan for a different way to serve. Round pans in in the oven work well too.
  • You can even bake this in a cast iron skillet in the oven.
Two pieces of cornbread on a plate with a bowl of chili in the background

Tips for Cornbread with Cake Mix

While we try to give accurate cooking times, there are many factors that can affect the total time and how quickly your cornbread bakes. The best way to tell if your cornbread is done is to do the toothpick test. You’ll know its done when the top crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the edges and top are golden brown, but the toothpick does not come out clean, you can wrap the pan with tin foil to slow the outside down and leave time for the inside to cook.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store leftover cornbread?

Cool to room temperature then store in the fridge in a airtight container.

Can this be made gluten-free?

Yes, just use a gluten free cake mix and cornbread mix. Or freeze in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Can I add Cheddar Cheese or Jalapeños to this mix?

Absolutely! Just stir some in before baking.

Try this Cake Mix Cornbread with one of our delicious soup or chili recipes

Easy bread recipes are a favorite in our family. Freshly baked bread like this Homemade Banana Bread, our delicious Chocolate Zucchini Bread or this Irish Soda Bread are perfect to serve with any meal or for a yummy snack.

How to Make Cornbread with Cake Mix

Two pieces of cornbread on a plate with butter and honey

Cornbread with Cake Mix

4.74 from 88 votes
This Cornbread with Cake Mix recipe is a perfect cross between a cake and cornbread. The texture is fluffy and smooth, but has that yummy cornbread taste!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 15

Video

Equipment

  • 9×13 inch pan
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Hand Mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 17 ounces Jiffy cornbread mix 2 boxes
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  • Mix cake mix and corn bread mix together in a large bowl.
    Cake mix and cornbread mix in a bowl
  • Add remaining ingredients and stir well. The batter should be nice and thick.
    Cornbread batter in a bowl with a whisk
  • Pour into a greased 9×13 pan or lined muffin tin.
    Cornbread batter in a glass baking dish
  • Bake at 325-degrees for 40 minutes, or until baked through. Use the "toothpick test" to determine doneness. If baking in a muffin tin, bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.
    Two pieces of cornbread on a plate with butter and honey

Notes

If you like your cornbread to be much more on the cake-y side, use only 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 566mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 3gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 227IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 106mgIron: 2mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. Just had a question I really want to try this for our sunday dinner. Do I add the ingredients from the cake box and the jiffy. Or just use the ingredients you have listed?

  2. Hi
    Can I substitute yellow cornmeal in lieu of Jiffy Cornmeal mix, and would I need to add baking powder or baking soda and salt to the mix before doing so?
    Your recipe sounded so great that I ordered 18 boxes of Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix to make a lot of batches for my neighbors here in Florida.
    Thank you,
    Ron C
    Ruskin, FL

    1. For this recipe you will actually want to use the Jiffy cornbread mix (not the cornmeal mix). I’m not sure how you would replace that with cornmeal. The cornbread mix has all the ingredients needed for bread all mixed in. I don’t think using JUST cornmeal will work how you would expect it to. Hope this helps!

  3. 5 stars
    This cornbread is delicious and I’ve made it several times – I do have a problem, though, it consistently doesn’t cook in the middle. I have used a 9 x 13 pan and tried using 2 8 x 8 pans. Same results. It appears done when I test it with a toothpick, but after I take it out of the oven and it sits a bit, the center falls and is undercooked. Any suggestions??

    1. That is strange. You may need to try cooking it on a slightly lower heat for a longer amount of time. Hopefully that way it will cook more evenly. Hope this helps!

  4. I agree. I loved the light and fluffy texture… typical cornbread tends to be too dense or grainy for me… I also added peppers but it was still REALLY REALLY sweet. Any suggestions on taking this good recipe and toning down the sweet? Thanks!

    1. Probably the best solution would either be to make your own cake mix or a low-sugar cake mix. I know you can even get sugar-free cake mixes but the artificial sweeteners still might make it on the sweet side. It may be worth a shot though! Hope this helps!

  5. 5 stars
    I couldn’t stop craving this cornbread cake and need to try it. I finally made a bundt cornbread cake today for Christmas Eve. So delicious, dense and moist! I also added a capful of vegetable oil to make it more dense as suggested. My cornbread had to bake for 50 min. Simply amazing!! Thank you

    1. What a great idea to make it in a bundt pan! Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you like the recipe. 🙂

  6. Question: I have 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix which comes to 17 oz. I’m 2 oz shy of what recipe requires. I think I should be okay following your recipe. What do you recommend?

        1. Yeah you are right, it does kind of look like a 19, we use a recipe plugin that formats the recipes. I will se what we can do to make this less confusing. Thanks for catching that.

        2. I was about to use two 8.5 oz boxes of jiffy mix to make this with 17 oz and add 2 more oz of corn meal . Glad u read the reviews.

  7. Not being a novice cornbread “baker”, I wanted to give this recipe a try. After baking for 40 minutes, the top was nicely browned and top felt firm. I had used a toothpick at 30-and 35 minutes. After it had been out of the oven for about 15 minutes, the center sunk. Obviously not throughly baked. My oven tests correct on temps, and I used the 9X13 pan. Was the 350* baking temp the culprit? How did you get yours to bake in 35 minutes?

    1. Thank you for sharing your experience– I am actually not sure why it would sink in like that. You could definitely try baking for longer next time. What elevation are you at?

      1. Sometimes different altitudes can have an effect on the baking time. I am sorry this recipe didn’t work for you!

  8. Loved the flavor of this cornbread but it was almost too light for my tastes. It didn’t hold together once sliced and crumbled when we tried to butter it. Next time I made add some oil to make it a little denser.

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this recipe. Yes, it is supposed to be light and airy. Let us know how adding oil works out, would love to know if it makes it more dense!

    1. Oh I love the idea of adding some jalapeño. I have heard of people adding some cheddar cheese to the mixture as well, yum!

  9. ????????????????Exactly but u know there always has to be that one to go against the grain and be negative. Smh laughably silly is the exact right response to that.

  10. I’m sorry to rain on the parade of comments but, you might as well use Jiffy corn muffin mix. This is NOT cornbread, not real cornbread. I am Southern and have been making cornbread since I was a little girl….from scratch. Please don’t try to pass this off as real cornbread. Thank you.

    1. I had to laugh at your comment. Since you’ve been making such amazing cornbread… from scratch.. since a child.. why are you looking at cornbread recipes on the internet? Don’t you have your own perfected already? SMH…

    2. 5 stars
      I am cooking this recipe right now and so I can’t comment to how it will turn out but I have to say I understand Melanie’s frustration. I am Southern too and I know this isn’t real cornbread but sometimes I am not in the mood for cake type cornbread. I started making cake like cornbread for my Yankee mother-in-law and even though she has passed we still enjoy it from time to time. I always mixed a Jiffy cake mix with a Jiffy cornbread mix and although I have seen the recipe online I made it up at the time. I haven’t been able to find Jiffy cake mixes which are like a half cake mix so I found this recipe. All that aside, I do understand Melanie’s feelings. Cornbread is part of our culture and while it is fine to borrow ideas from other cultures it is galling to say something like –

      These tacos are so good. They taste like tacos except the texture is perfect. I am not a fan of the mealy feel of soft corn tortillas and I am not a fan of cheap flank steals so instead this recipes calls for whole wheat pita bread (so fluffy not grainy) and tender, rare slice filet mignon and just a touch of chopped chives instead of those big chunks of raw onion that you can taste for days. It is yummy and still has that great street taco taste.

      It is okay to take from another culture or to borrow a recipe and make it more like your culture and personal taste but it isn’t okay to take the recipe, insult it and say how you made it so much better- “perfect” even.. I cringed at your reply. Granted she didn’t explain herself well, but when one is angry they are not always wise. I am older and more accustomed to seeing Southern culture being the only one left that is safe to deride, mock and insult.

      I just took my cake cornbread out of the oven and it took 40 mintues to cook in a USA brand 9 x 13 metal baking pan. I am sure it will be delicous. Thank you for the recipe.

      1. I am sorry you guys felt this way! We didn’t mean to offend! We just have picky eaters in our family that prefer it this way. We know it isn’t the real stuff! As they say – The best cornbread recipe is always yours! 🙂

        1. 5 stars
          Just made it this afternoon and serving with home made chili….always a favorite. Years ago when I worked at General Motors in Michigan it was always on their lunch menu once a week and we thoroughly enjoyed it then and still do to this day 40 years later.

      2. The south doesn’t own cornbread. What u like is called southern cornbread. What u don’t understand is a lot of people can’t stand southern cornbread. Me included. It’s too bland. To grainy. Just too if u get my drift. What this cornbread recipe is considered to be is northern cornbread. (Other parts of the country can claim it too.) Northern cornbread is like cake. Sweet, not as grainy, yummy! Bring on the northern cornbread! I for one prefer it always to the southern kind.

  11. Can I make this with flax eggs? If so, how many? We are vegans, I have the dairy free milk covered as well as the butter. Thanks so much

    1. We have never used flax eggs before so I’m not sue how it would affect the recipe. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!

  12. Fantastic! Tastes like Wegmans corn muffins. Jiffy muffin mix is now 8.5 oz., so I added 1/4 c locally ground corn meal. Baked in preheated 13″ cast iron pan. Forget the chili, this is the star!

    1. I did not notice the difference in the jiffy mix while preparing, I cooked an additional 8 minutes and it was great!