I’ve already shared 10 Shelf Stable Easy Meals You Can Make Almost Entirely From Cans because pantry cooking isn’t just a “prepper” thing — it’s a budget and sanity thing and a full meal in your pantry is often easier and definitely cheaper than eating out! These are also incredible to give as a gift to friends or family that need a quick meal option or for community food pantries to help feed those dealing with food insecurity.
Today we’re talking about the dessert version: DIY shelf stable cake kits.
These let you bake a real cake without eggs, oil, or anything from the fridge. They sit quietly in your pantry until the day you want cake but absolutely do not want to go to the store. You add a soda to a cake mix, stir, cook and you’re done!
If you were ever on the early-aughts Weight Watchers train, you may already know this tip because it’s also cake without all the calories of oil – a healthier and honestly just as delicious option!
What You’re Solving
- No last-minute grocery runs for eggs or oil
- Emergency dessert for unexpected guests
- Easy affordable gifting
- A practical item for Little Free Pantries and community food boxes
- Lower food waste and better pantry planning
Shelf stable cake kits aren’t just convenient for you. They’re also a genuinely thoughtful way to share something comforting and celebratory with others.
Why These Are Great for Little Free Pantries
Most Little Free Pantries are stocked with canned goods and staples — which are essential — but very few items feel special. A shelf stable cake kit adds a sweet treat for celebrations or just to help brighten a hard day.
These kits:
- Don’t require refrigeration
- Use ingredients people are likely to already have or can get cheaply and easily
- Offer something joyful not just functional
- Are easy to make!
Food insecurity doesn’t mean people don’t deserve birthday cake. These kits let someone bake something warm and familiar without extra barriers.
Get the printable recipes here!
Universal Shelf Stable Cake Kit Recipe
Time: 20-25 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
Here’s your basic recipe and it’s ALL YOU NEED for a delicious dessert!
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix
- 1 can soda
- 1 jar of frosting
Optional: add in the printed recipe card, birthday candles, a birthday card, or balloons!
For distributing/ gifting, pack ingredients in: A 1-Gallon Ziploc bag or disposable cake pan.
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. (Use box mix cooking directions.)
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
How to pick your cake/ soda/ frosting pairings
Lots of people have tested these out and there are pairing recipes below that I’ve come up with, but in general:
- Chocolate cake mixes pair best with dark sodas like Coke, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi
- Vanilla cake mixes pair great with light colored sodas like Sprite, 7 Up or Ginger Ale.
Additional Cake pairing ideas:
- Creamsicle Cake: Yellow cake mix & orange soda
- Purple Cow Cake: White cake mix & grape soda
- Zesty Lemon Cake: Lemon cake mix & lemon-lime soda
- Sinless Devil’s Food Cake: Devil’s food cake mix & cola
Where to buy your ingredients
Dollar Tree has name brand cake mixes and frosting tubs for $1.25 each as of Dec. 2025. They don’t have every flavor of mix I wanted for the recipes below, but there were five+ available. Same with frostings.
I also found that birthday candles were cheapest here.
For more specific cake mixes: german chocolate, orange, strawberry, or frostings beyond chocolate, cream cheese or vanilla, I went to HEB, but you can also find these at Walmart, Kroger or any big box grocery store for about $2 or less. Target also sometimes has their cake mix on sale for a dollar, which beats even Dollar Tree!
Light and Bright Cake
Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
This is an almost-anything goes, use what you have available, easy cake recipe that you can sub basics in and out and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix (Yellow or White)
- 1 can soda (Mountain Dew, Sprite, 7 up)
- Jar of frosting (Vanilla, Cream Cheese)
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until smooth and combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake according to mix box directions.
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
Double Fudge Fizz Cake
Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
Chocolate heaven in a bag or box!
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix (Chocolate or Fudge)
- 1 can soda (Coke, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper)
- Jar of frosting (Fudge or Chocolate)
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until smooth and combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake according to mix box directions.
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
German Chocolate Cake
Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
I know so many people whose favorite cake is German Chocolate. The trick is in the coconut pecan frosting!
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix (Devil’s Food)
- 1 can soda (Coke, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper)
- Jar of frosting (Coconut Pecan)
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until smooth and combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake according to mix box directions.
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
Strawberry Fizz Cake
Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
For the pink and strawberry lovers – also doable in orange or similar!
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix (Strawberry)
- 1 can soda (Sprite, 7 Up or similar)
- Jar of frosting (Vanilla or strawberry)
OR - 1 cake mix (white cake)
- 1 can soda (strawberry soda)
- Jar of frosting (vanilla, strawberry or similar)
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until smooth and combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake according to mix box directions.
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
Root Beer Float Cake
Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
Barq’s or bust for me, but A&W or similar will work fine.
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix (White)
- 1 can soda (Root Beer)
- Jar of frosting (Vanilla)
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until smooth and combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake according to mix box directions.
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
Dr. Velvet Cake
Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
The spice is nice!
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix (Red Velvet)
- 1 can soda (Dr. Pepper or similar)
- Jar of frosting (Cream Cheese)
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until smooth and combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake according to mix box directions.
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
Orange Creamsicle cake
Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6-10 | Difficulty: Easy
My FAVORITE desserts have orange in them and this one DID NOT DISAPPOINT! My office also loved it!
Ingredients:
- 1 cake mix (orange or yellow cake)
- 1 can soda (Sunkist or Fanta)
- Jar of frosting (Cream Cheese)
Directions:
- Mix box ingredients and soda together until smooth and combined. Don’t over mix as the carbonation is necessary.
- Spread evenly in a greased or buttered baking dish. Bake according to mix box directions.
- Cool completely and frost.
- Enjoy!
Final Thoughts
DIY shelf stable cake kits are one of those ideas that quietly checks a lot of boxes: budget friendly pantry smart giftable and community-minded.
You’re not just stocking dessert for yourself. You’re creating something that can bring a little normalcy and joy to someone else too — whether that’s a neighbor a friend or a stranger pulling a bag from a Little Free Pantry.
Download all the recipes and printable recipe cards here. Free of course!
Plus 10 MORE Easy Shelf Stable Meal in a bag Recipes. Grab em here.
See more frugal meal plan and cooking videos here (there are 96 videos in this playlist!):
