How to Make Cupcakes with Cake Mix | Easy 2 Ingredient Sunkist Orange Soda Cupcakes

All you need are 2 ingredients to make cupcakes with cake mix! Use this recipe as a base for different variations like these delicious Sunkist orange soda cupcakes.

Cake mix cupcakes take just minutes to make and are perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re hosting a party or just need a quick dessert, these cupcakes will be a hit!

You may have seen my popular recipe for Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cupcakes. They are a favorite family recipe and super easy to make. Today I’m sharing another easy cupcake recipe with just 2 ingredients!

They are as delicious as they look! Here is what you need to create 14 yummy cake mix cupcakes…

Ingredients for Cupcakes with Cake Mix

• 355mL Sunkist (1can)
• 1-15oz Box White Cake Mix or Vanilla if you prefer more of “cream soda” flavor

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup Sunkist (or use 1 teaspoon Orange flavor extract)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups Powdered Icing Sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons Milk
• Orange Sprinkles, for decoration
• Orange Sugar Crystals, for decoration

Sunkist Orange Soda Cupcake Instructions

Step 1.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners and set aside.

How much soda replaces an egg in a cake recipe?

You can replace each egg in a cake recipe with 1/4 cup (60 grams) of carbonated soda. A can of soda can be used to replace eggs and oil when making a cake with cake mix.

This substitution works great for cakes, cupcakes, and quick breads. Carbonated soda makes a great egg replacement in products that are meant to be light and fluffy.

Just combine one can of any soda with a box of cake mix and follow the baking instructions.

Step 2.

In a large bowl, beat together the white cake mix and Sunkist soda for a total of 2 minutes.

Scoop the batter with a measuring cup into the cupcake liners.

Step 3.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick, comes out clean, with nothing sticking to it.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. (1-2 hours)

Step 4.

While waiting, place 1 cup of Sunkist in a saucepan and heat until boiling over medium-high heat.

Reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1/4 (2 oz of soda should remain). Allow to cool completely.

Step 5.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered icing sugar for 2-3 minutes, then add the reduced Sunkist soda.

Beat to mix well together, then add the milk as needed to receive a spreadable texture. Adjust the color with orange food dye, if needed.

Step 6.

Use an angled spatula to spread 1-2 Tablespoons of frosting onto each cooled cupcake.

Put the sugar crystals in a small bowl and roll the cupcakes in the sugar crystals to cover them completely.

Step 7.

Scoop the rest of the frosting into a piping bag and snip off the bottom 1” of the piping bag.

Swirl a 1” circle onto each cupcake and garnish with orange sprinkles.

Enjoy and serve these yummy cupcakes and wait for the compliments! Think about all the different variations you can make.

Other Variations of Cake Mix Cupcakes

• Strawberry Cake Mix + A& W Rootbeer
• Cherry Cake Mix + Cherry Dr. Pepper
• Lemon Cake Mix + Sprite (be sure to try my Nothing Bundt Lemon Bundt Cake, too!)
• Vanilla Cake Mix + Grape Crush Soda
• Spice Cake Mix + Ginger Ale
• Devil’s Food Cake Mix + Diet Coke
• Dark Chocolate Cake Mix + Barq’s Rootbeer

Tips for Cupcake Baking with a Cake Mix

I know you’ll love the flavors in this recipe. Follow these pro tips for cupcake baking success:

• Use room temperature ingredients. Believe it or not, baking is a science. So, using room-temperature ingredients in your recipe will ensure you get the right kinds of chemical reactions when you bake your cupcakes.
• Don’t overmix. Mixing the batter too much can cause your cupcakes to become too dense.
• Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 of the way. Getting this step right will ensure you have uniform cupcakes that aren’t overflowing.
• Only bake one batch at a time. It can be really tempting to fill your oven with as many cupcake pans as it will hold, especially once you taste these easy Sunkist orange cupcakes. Resist the temptation and bake only one pan of cupcakes at a time. In fact, place your cupcake pan in the center of the oven, that’s the cupcake baking sweet spot.

These are amazing! If you are a fan of cupcakes too, be sure to try my vanilla bean cupcakes! What’s your favorite cupcake recipe? Don’t forget to come back and tell me how your 2 ingredient cupcakes with a cake mix turned out!  

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Is there a difference between cake mix and cupcake mix?

There are only two differences between cakes and cupcakes: the amount of time they spend in the oven and the type of pan you use to bake them in. Other than that, the process of how to bake cupcakes from a cake mix is super simple as I hope you’ve seen!

How do you make cupcakes moist with cake mix?

The key to making any box cake mix moist is to simply replace the ingredients on the box with milk, melted butter, and an extra egg. This will transform an ordinary box mix into a cupcake that is soft, fluffy, and buttery delicious.