This One-Bowl Ugly Cake Is So Much Better Than It Looks

This easy cake packs a surprise ribbon of custardy goodness.

By
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
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Published November 28, 2025
Sara Bir
A baked cake in a green baking dish partially cut into squares

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
  • Intentional imperfection gives this cake character, making it easy and low-pressure to bake.
  • A mix of tangy cream cheese and sweet pudding mix create a surprise custard layer beneath the cake.
  • You only need a box of cake mix, some basic pantry staples, and one bowl to make this fuss-free cake that still looks impressive.

There’s a beauty to desserts that are appealing because they’re imperfect. They have personality and are easy to love. That’s totally the case with ugly cake, which is utterly lovely to eat and make.

Buttery yellow cake mix gives it a cheerful hue, and a little dusting of powdered sugar over its bumpy, crackly top adds a simple daintiness. The best part is hidden at the bottom, where a rich custard layer made from cream cheese and pudding mix awaits.

If you’re all thumbs with baking or simply need a no-fuss dessert, ugly cake is your go-to. Serve it warm, when it’s soft and pudding-y, or at room temperature, when it sets up and is cakier. Either way, you’ll have a hit on your hands.

Slices of cake on plates with forks next to a baking dish containing more cake

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

What Is Ugly Cake?

There are lots of recipes called “ugly cake” in community cookbooks and on recipe-sharing sites. What they have in common is cake mix gussied up with something simple but tasty. In this version, you dollop cream cheese beaten with pudding mix over the top of the cake batter.

In the oven, the cake rises while the topping sinks, giving dense and creamy contrast to the fluffy cake on top. It’s a combination of all good things in one bite—think gooey butter cake meets magic cake.

Duncan Hines Mix Is Best for Ugly Cake

In our tests, Duncan Hines cake mix came out head and shoulders above the rest. Betty Crocker worked, but was noticeably not as good as Duncan Hines. The edges came out darker and there was a somewhat dense layer of cake under the custard layer. 

If you only have Betty Crocker cake mix, reduce the butter to 1/3 cup, and start checking for doneness around 35 minutes. The cake itself won’t be as fluffy.

A hand sprinkling powdered sugar over a baked cake in a green rectangular dish

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

Tips for Making Ugly Cake

  • The pudding mixture at the bottom makes testing for doneness with a toothpick unreliable. Instead, go by the color of the cake (golden brown on edges, golden on top) and touch (the top should feel firm when you press it gently with your fingertip). 
  • Your cream cheese should be completely at room temperature. Otherwise it won’t mix smoothly into the pudding mixture. 
  • For a switch-up, try different flavors of pudding mix, such as lemon, banana cream, or cheesecake.
A slice of cake on a plate topped with powdered sugar

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

Ugly Cake

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Cooling Time: 45 mins
Total Time 100 mins
Servings 12 servings
Yield 1 (9x13-inch) sheet cake

Duncan Hines cake mix works best here. If you only have Betty Crocker cake mix, reduce the butter to 1/3 cup, and start checking for doneness around 35 minutes. The cake itself won’t be as fluffy. This recipe was developed by Nicole Hopper.

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Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan

  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix (preferably Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix)

  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups whole milk, divided

  • 4 large eggs (3 for the cake, 1 for the filling)

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature 

  • 1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix

  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

    Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

  2. Make the batter:

    In a large bowl, whisk the cake mix, melted butter, vanilla, 1 cup of the milk, and 3 of the eggs until smooth. Scrape the batter into the dish and smooth the top with a spatula.

    A hand uses a spatula to spread cake batter in a green baking dish

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
  3. Make the filling:

    Rinse and dry the bowl. In the now-empty bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese, pudding mix, remaining 1 cup milk, and remaining 1 egg until thick and mostly smooth (some small lumps of cream cheese are OK). 

    Gently dollop the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter in the baking dish. Smooth over the top with a spatula.

    A hand spreading cake batter for the ugly cake recipe in a green baking dish with dollops of filling

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
    A hand spreading batter for the ugly cake recipe in a green baking tray with a spatula

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
  4. Bake:

    Bake the cake until the edges are golden brown and the top is puffed and feels set to the touch, about 40 minutes. 

    To serve warm, set the baking dish on a wire rack to cool for about 45 minutes. To serve at room temperature, cool completely, about 90 minutes (the cake will sink unevenly as it cools).

    Freshly baked cake for the ugly cake recipe in a green baking dish on a marble countertop

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
  5. Serve:

    Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar, slice, and serve. 

    Refrigerate leftovers, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
349 Calories
18g Fat
40g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 349
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 24%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 506mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 14%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 153mg 12%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 140mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.