Long before boxed cake mix took over our shelves, busy home cooks relied on a simpler solution to get dessert on the table.

Julianne Dorr of Longview, Wash., was looking for a cake recipe from the 1970s. She said it was a very simple cake made using a can of fruit cocktail and a box of cake mix and some other ingredients ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. We're going to let you in on a secret: Even the most accomplished home bakers probably have a box of cake mix tucked away in their pantry.