This easy Crack Cake Recipe starts out with a box cake mix and dresses it up with vanilla pudding and white wine for an experience so addictive you won’t be able to just have one piece!
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When something is called Crack Cake, you probably already know a lot about it. I mean, if it is just a mediocre cake, no one would dare call it Crack Cake, right? A cake so addictive that once you eat it, you just won’t be able to stop? So, get ready to elevate your expectations for this sugary, sweet, moist and soft bundt cake that will change your life!
I think it’s always important to have a good, slightly outside of the box, cake recipe on hand for different occasions. There are potlucks, pitch ins, birthday parties and celebrations that are all give you the opportunity for a really fun cake recipe. And, while this cake recipe IS slightly outside of the box, it all starts off INSIDE the box. And by that, I mean it is based off a box cake mix.
What Is A Box Cake Mix Recipe
These cake recipes are all the rage right now on the internet. There are a ton of at-home bakers taking store bought cake mix recipes and adding some flair to them to make extravagant and exciting desserts. It’s so fun to take a box cake mix and think about all the things that you can add to it to create some fabulous flair to a new recipe!
This Crack Cake Recipe starts out with a Yellow Cake Mix and, among other things, adds some vanilla instant pudding and white wine to create a flavor you won’t be able to forget about!
Easy White Wine Cake Recipe
Just like a lot of recipes here at Bubba Pie, we love that this one only has a handful of ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen right now!
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 package, 15.25 oz, yellow cake mix
- 1 small package, 3.4 oz, instant vanilla pudding
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup white wine
Crack Cake Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add cake mix, vanilla pudding, sugars and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Add eggs, water, oil and wine and mix well until combined.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes while making the sauce.
- To make the sauce, add butter, sugar and wine to a sauce pan.
- Heat over medium heat stirring frequently until boiling. Continue to stir and boil for 1 minute or until sugar is no longer grainy.
- Pour over warm cake and let set before inverting cake onto a plate.
- Cut and serve warm.
Do You Need To Use Wine In This Crack Cake Recipe?
The white wine does give it the unique flavor, and omitting it would certainly change that. Contrary to popular believe, alcohol rarely completely cooks out of dishes when used. There is usually some amount left. So, if you need to avoid alcohol, you may want to try this dish without it or avoid it all together.
Other Tips and Tricks
Just like with many other bundt cakes, you want to make sure that you really grease the pan so that the cake does not stick. Using a good quality Bundt Cake Pan also helps, We love to use this Bundt Pan!
This recipe is also so much easier with an electric mixer! We love our Kitchenaid Stand Mixer! Or, if you are looking for a less expensive option, this 6 Qt Kucco Stand Mixer gets great reviews!
Also, feel free to add some food coloring to the frosting to make it a bit more festive: orange for Halloween, red for Christmas, etc. It would also be awesome to use a funfetti cake mix for a birthday or a kid’s party!
I hope you enjoy this crack cake recipe. Let me know how it turns out in the comments!
Crack Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- Cake Ingredients:
- 1 package 15.25 oz, yellow cake mix
- 1 small package 3.4 oz, instant vanilla pudding
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup white wine
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
-
Add cake mix, vanilla pudding, sugars and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
-
Add eggs, water, oil and wine and mix well until combined.
-
Pour into prepared pan.
-
Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
-
Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes while making the sauce.
-
To make the sauce, add butter, sugar and wine to a sauce pan.
-
Heat over medium heat stirring frequently until boiling. Continue to stir and boil for 1 minute or until sugar is no longer grainy.
-
Pour over warm cake and let set before inverting cake onto a plate.
-
Cut and serve warm.
Renee says
So I made this crack cake it recommended to me by my sister and to my surprise I really like it I find it to be very moist and oh I used Stella Rose peach flavor it is soft and subtle in taste all in all,,,, delicious
Kathy says
I am so happy you enjoyed it!
Judith Hertzfeldt says
What can i use to replace wine?
Kathy says
You could use white grape juice.
Jen says
What can I use instead of wine for a childrens party?
Kathy says
I would try a white grape juice.
Donald says
This is rum cake, with wine substituted for rum in both the cake and soaking syrup. I’ve been making this since the 1980’s when I was living in the Caribbean.
Try it with rum. Delicious, and an easy and welcome Christmas gift (I used to make at least a dozen every December).
Kathy says
Rum would be an excellent substitution! I might actually try that the next time I make this!
Karen says
What kind of rum do you use?
Shannon says
This sounds amazing! One question… White wine can be dry or sweet… Which one works better for this cake? I’m not a chardonnay fan, but I would think a sweeter white – a reisling or similar – would be better… Can’t wait to try this!
Kathy says
I would use the one you like to drink the best. I have used a Reisling and it was delicious!
Debra Maxwell Davies says
I made it with marsala (a sweet sherry) and used an eighth of a cup of white sugar instead. Very nice.
Pat Dohner says
This is my favorite cake. Made one for my wound care doctor and he declared it “best cake he had ever eaten”!!
Jeanne says
I do want to try this recipe but I haven’t had a chance yet. I made a champagne cake and the secret to making it taste like champagne was to reduce the champagne so that the small physical amount in the batter and frosting were very intensely flavored, sort of like making an extract.
Kathy says
That makes sense, I haven’t tried that yet.
Dee says
For folks who don’t know a lot about wine, can you recommend a specific one to use?
Kathy says
It really doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t worry about getting an expensive wine for this, get the cheaper stuff. Just don’t use
“cooking wine”. We love Pinot Grigio.
Reyna says
I used cream sherry instead of wine, and did not have butter so I used coconut oil and oh my this was the most delicious cake. My family could not stop raving about how great it tasted. Thank you for your wonderful recipe!
Kathy says
Yay! I am so happy your family enjoyed it!
Becky says
I plan on making this cake for Valentine’s Day. One of my guest is gluten free. Do you think it could be made with a gluten free cake mix. I’m so excited. I have a home brewed strawberry wine that I will be using. and I reduced the wine to be used for a richer flavor. I plan to decorate with red roses and fresh strawberries.
Kathy says
I’ve not tried it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you do make it, please come back and tell us how it went!
Betsy says
Do you have to store in the refrigerator?
Kathy says
No, you don’t have to with this cake.
Julie says
Can I use a cook and serve vanilla pudding!
Kathy says
I haven’t tried a cook and serve, just an Instant, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Hope says
I made this recipe this morning for a dinner I am attending this evening . Made exact , accept I did not have wine, so I used Baileys Irish Cream . Smells heavenly I will come back and let you know how it turned out, and what everyone thought 🙂
Kathy says
That sounds delicious! I hope your guests enjoyed it!
Nakita Robinson says
Hi, wanting to try this so bad but I don’t have white wine. What I do have on hand is Crown Royal Peach. I’m definitely trying it this way. Wish me luck.
Kathy says
Please let us know how it went!
Chelsey says
how long should you let it set before inverting?
Kathy says
About 10 to 15 minutes.
Karen says
I made the original recipe with yellow cake and vanilla pudding. I’m delicious moist lovely crust with the sauce soaking in. Now am making it using lemon pudding and cake mix flavors and used cardamom instead of cinnamon. It’s baking right this moment so taste test results to follow.
Kathy says
Yum! Yum! How did it turn out?
Karen says
I made a lemon version and another success. Delicious cake. Next chocolate with espresso powder instead of cinnamon or maybe both. 🤗
Kathy says
Great ideas! Thanks for the comments and suggestions!