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This Easy Cornbread with Cake Mix is soft, fluffy, moist, and just the right amount of sweet. Yellow cake mix and Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix come together to make a cornbread that is much lighter and smoother than traditional cornbread. It takes just a few minutes to mix together and is so good warm from the oven with butter and honey.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made this today to go with some stew, we love it! Hard to wait for the stew to finish, absolutely delicious.” – Angela
“I made this today and it was exactly what I was wanting. I wanted to find a recipe similar to the one our local bbq place makes . These are pretty dang close.” – Tonia
“This is my favorite way to make cornbread! Saved in my favorites.” – Marsha
Why I Love This Easy Cornbread
I’ve always liked my cornbread a little softer and sweeter than the traditional kind. I want it moist, fluffy, and easy to slather with butter and honey while it’s still warm from the oven. That’s why I love using cake mix along with cornbread mix. It gives me the texture I’m looking for without losing that classic corn flavor. This is the kind of cornbread I love serving with a big pot of chili, soup, or stew when the weather cools down.
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
One reason I love this recipe is that most of the measuring is already done for you. The two boxed mixes contain the flour, cornmeal, sugar, leavening, and other dry ingredients you would normally need to measure separately.
- Yellow cake mix: This is the secret to the soft, fluffy, cake-like texture and extra sweetness.
- Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix: Use two 8.5-ounce boxes for 17 ounces total. This gives the bread its corn flavor and keeps it tasting like cornbread instead of cake.
- Milk: Adds moisture and a little richness to the batter. Regular milk or buttermilk will work.
- Eggs: Help bind the cake mix cornbread together and give it structure as it bakes.
- Butter: Melted butter adds richness and helps keep the cornbread tender.
- Water: Gives the thick batter the moisture it needs without making it too heavy.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
This recipe is great as written, but there are a few ways you can change it depending on what you are serving.
- Buttermilk: You can substitute buttermilk for the milk for a little extra tang.
- White cake mix: White cake mix can be used in place of yellow cake mix. I prefer yellow because it has a richer flavor that works especially well with the cornmeal.
- Cheddar and jalapeños: For a savory version, stir in shredded cheddar cheese and chopped jalapeños. One reader had great results using about 1 ½ cups cheddar and two chopped jalapeños.
- Creamed corn: For more corn flavor and moisture, add about ½ cup creamed corn and reduce the water to about ½ cup.
- More corn flavor: If you want the texture to lean more toward traditional cornbread, add another box of cornbread mix and another egg. You will have more batter than will fit in a 9×13-inch pan, so use the extra batter for muffins.
- Less sweetness: If the cornbread is a little sweeter than you prefer, replace about ¼ cup of the dry cake mix with ¼ cup all-purpose flour. A small pinch of salt can also help balance the sweetness.
- Honey butter: Brush the top with honey butter after baking, or serve it with regular honey or hot honey.
Don’t have a box of cake mix? You can also use my Homemade Cake Mix.
How to Make Easy Cornbread with Cake Mix
- Combine the Mixes: In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and cornbread mix.
- Make the Batter: Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. The batter will be thick.
- Fill the Pan: Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or a lined muffin tin.
- Bake: Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If making muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t prepare the boxed mixes separately. Add the dry cake mix and dry cornbread mix directly to the bowl, then use only the milk, eggs, butter, and water listed in this recipe.
- Use two 8.5-ounce boxes of Jiffy. That gives you the 17 ounces of cornbread mix called for in the recipe.
- Don’t worry about thick batter. The batter for this cornbread is thicker than regular cake batter, and that is exactly how it should look.
- Mix by hand. A whisk or sturdy spatula works well. You don’t need a hand mixer, and mixing only until combined helps keep the cornbread light.
- Use the toothpick test. Ovens and baking pans can cook at slightly different rates, so don’t rely on color alone. Check the center before taking it out of the oven.
- Cover it if it browns too quickly. If the edges and top are golden but the center still needs more time, loosely cover the pan with foil and continue baking.
- Other pans can work. Readers have successfully used round pans, Bundt pans, muffin tins, and cast iron skillets. Because the depth of the batter changes, watch the cornbread closely and use the toothpick test instead of relying on one exact baking time.
- For muffins: Line a standard muffin tin and bake at 325°F for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
- Let it rest before slicing. Giving the cornbread a few minutes to cool helps it set and makes cleaner slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Pour the dry mixes directly from the boxes into your mixing bowl. Do not add the ingredients listed on the cake mix or cornbread mix packages. Only add the milk, eggs, butter, and water listed in this recipe.
Use two 8.5-ounce boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, which equals 17 ounces total.
Use one standard full-size box of yellow cake mix. Cake mix package sizes vary by brand and have changed over the years, so you may see boxes ranging from about 13 to 15 ounces. Use the full dry mix from one standard box. Don’t substitute the much smaller 9-ounce Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix without adjusting the recipe.
Yes. White cake mix works, although the finished cornbread will have a slightly different flavor. Yellow cake mix gives it the rich, sweet flavor I prefer for this recipe.
Yes. Pour the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake at 325°F for about 18 to 20 minutes. Check them with a toothpick since muffins cook much faster than a full 9×13-inch pan.
Yes. You can bake this cake mix cornbread in a cast iron skillet. Because the batter depth and pan material can change the baking time, watch it closely and check the center with a toothpick.
Yes. Replace the milk with the same amount of buttermilk. It gives the cornbread a slightly tangier flavor while keeping the crumb moist and tender.
A sunken center usually means the middle needed a little more baking time. The top can look completely done before the center has set. Check the deepest part of the cornbread with a toothpick before removing it from the oven. If the top is getting too dark while the center is still wet, loosely cover the pan with foil and continue baking.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is a great cornbread to make ahead for a potluck, holiday dinner, or Sunday meal.
To make ahead: Bake the cornbread as directed, let it cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate. I like to warm it slightly before serving so the butter melts right into it.
To refrigerate: Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days.
To freeze: This cornbread freezes well. Cut it into individual pieces and wrap them tightly before placing them in a freezer-safe container or bag. You can also freeze the recipe as muffins, which makes it especially easy to take out one serving at a time. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Warm individual pieces briefly in the microwave, or cover with foil and warm in a low oven until heated through.
Pairing Ideas
Because this Easy Cornbread with Cake Mix is slightly sweet, I especially love serving it with something warm and savory. Try it alongside my Easy Chili, Creamy Black Bean Soup, Chicken Enchilada Chili, or Cheesy Potato Soup. That little bit of sweetness is so good with a rich soup or spicy bowl of chili.
More Cornbread Recipes
If you make this Easy Cornbread with Cake Mix, let me know what you think in the comments below! I would love to hear what you served it with or if you tried one of the variations. Don’t forget to leave a star rating, too! 💛
Easy Cornbread with Cake Mix
Video
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix, (standard 13 to 15 ounce box)
- 17 ounces Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, (2 boxes)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix cake mix and corn muffin mix together in a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir well. The batter should be nice and thick.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan or muffin tray.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For muffins, bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and baked through.
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Whisk
Notes
- Use the dry cake mix and dry cornbread mix directly from the boxes. Do not prepare either mix according to its package directions first.
- Use two 8.5-ounce boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix for 17 ounces total.
- The batter should be thick. Stir only until combined to keep the cornbread light and tender.
- Bake a 9×13-inch pan at 325°F for about 40 minutes. Muffins take about 18 to 20 minutes.
- Check the center with a toothpick before removing the cornbread from the oven. If the top browns before the middle is done, loosely cover it with foil.
- For a more corn-forward texture, add another box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and another egg. There will be extra batter, so bake the remainder as muffins.
- For the more cake-like variation from the original recipe, use only one box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm with butter, honey, honey butter, or hot honey.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This idea is genius! Not only is it super easy to make, but the cake mix helps make the texture so soft and fluffy. I don’t think I’ll ever make cornbread any other way! Thank you!
I’m with you on cornbread texture so when you said a mix of yellow cake and cornbread, I was sold! Perfect recipe – will definitely be coming back to this one time and time again!
We have a local restaurant famous for their cornbread. Years ago I figured out to make half Jiffy cornbread and half Jiffy yellow cake mix. I made each according to directions and mix together. However, the way that you make this recipe really simplified the whole process. It is so good, thanks!
There’s a website on the Internet that’s “the finder of lost recipes” and there was a request for Horn and Hardart restaurant recipe for cornbread. I had actually eaten the restaurant version and it was fabulous. The only difference is that you used one box of yellow cake mix and two boxes of Jiffy but you made them separately as directly on the packages and then simply stirred them together. It was exactly as I had remembered. Anyone who loves corn bread that’s cakelike will absolutely adore this recipe. if there’s any left over, it freezes well. But there won’t be any left over!
Walmart still carries the small Jiffy Yellow cake mixes..
I’VE SHARED THIS RECIPE FOR OFFICE POTLUCKS FOR MANY YEARS. I’VE SEEN IT CALLED DISNEYLAND CORNBREAD! RECIPE SUPPOSEDLY CAME FROM A FORMER DISNEYLAND WORKER.
This is a good recipe. I googled Disney Cornbread & the same recipe came up. According to that recipe, you follow the instructions on the cake mix (3 eggs, 7 tablespoons of butter or oil, 3/4 cup water, i use can milk)& cornbread mix( 1 egg per box & 1/3 c water per box, I use can milk) I follow those instructions & I also add cream style corn…..sooooo good! If it seems too liquidy, bake it at a lower temp & a lil longer, then turn up the heat to brown. Thank you for sharing!
I have made this recipe using the yellow cake mix and absolutely loved it! I think it was ingenious of you mixing the yellow cake mix in with the Jiffy cornbread mix! I baked it in a glass 13 x 9 for 40 minutes at 325 degrees and it came out perfect! Having said that, I do like to add my own little tweeks to recipes so this time I took out 1/2 cup of the cake mix and added a 1/2 cup more of the Jiffy cornbread mix, I used Kerrygold salted butter, I used half & half and put in the 1/3 cup plus added 1/4 more and reduced the water to 3/4 cup. One of the eggs was a double yolk and just went with it as it happened to be the 4th egg I was adding. I also added 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsp of sugar. I was super pleased with the results! Yummy! I did have to bake it for an additional 5 minutes. Thank you so much for the cake mix idea! Now I’m stocking up on both cake mix and Jiffy cornbread mix for this winter!
This was really different and delicious, it was perfect with a big bowl of chili!
This was DELICIOUS! I had no idea you could do this and my family loved it! Thank you!
I LOVE how easy and delicious this is! My family would love it!
Just made this. Baked in a glass 9×13 pan and it fully baked at 45 minutes at 325. This was delicious and my family loved it. This recipe is a keeper, thank you!
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.
Okay, so I just made this. 1 Pillsbury yellow cake mix, 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix, 2/3 water, 1/3 milk, 3 eggs and 1/2 cup oil. Mix until combined. I used a parchment lined 13×9 (splash pan with water to hold paper to it). Bake 30 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. Perfect!
Hi there,
I know the recipe is being updated, but I gave it a try and wanted to share my results. After reading some of the comments, I checked the liquid amounts and decided to reduce the water to 3/4 C. This now equaled the amount of liquid required on the packaging for the cornbread and the cake mixes. I baked it in a casserole slightly larger than a 9 X 13. It needed 30 minutes to fully cook the center. The flavor was delicious! For my taste, I think 2 boxes of cornbread would be too corny (I know it’s cornbread- lol). It had just the right amount of corn flavor, and the cake mix truly does add the sweetness and fluffy texture that I like. However, while the middle was great, the sides were a bit overdone. I think the ultimate issue, as mentioned in the post, is the amount of batter this produces. I think next time I will bake it in 2 9X9s. or as muffins. Still the best cornbread I have made!! Thanks!
Yes! We tested this recipe over the summer and the recipe is updated!
Easy and delish‼️‼️ I didn’t have yellow cake mix so I used what I had which was FRENCH VANILLA. ALLS WELL‼️‼️😂😂❤️❤️
Can I use more milk and less water in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it that way before, but I don’t see why not. Let us know how it turns out!
I made this corn bread tonight. I had it with pinto beans. The texture and taste was great. My life family loved it.
I’ve been making this over 10 years even before I saw recipe. I love it warm out of oven and with a smear of butter.
We loved the recipe. This cornbread is light, tasty and has a nice texture. It is delicious and easy to make. I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you!
Could you also add creamed corn?
I haven’t tried it that way, but let me know how it turns out if you do!
Yes!!! I ALWAYS add creamed corn to my cornbread….love it!!
I just made it and it was delicious thanks for sharing !
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you!