I'm a professional baker. I tried 3 boxed white-cake mixes to see which is the best.

White cake is the most versatile of cake flavors, ready to be filled or iced with any flavor. It can also easily be bland, making the mix used crucial to the success of the final cake.

But not all mixes are created equal, and I wanted to put three to the test. 

For consistency, I used the same 9-inch non-stick round cake pans sprayed with baking spray and lined with parchment paper on the bottom, which I find is the best way to prevent sticking. All of the cake layers were baked on the center rack of my oven and mixed according to the directions on each box.

Each mix was baked until a cake tester inserted in the center came out clean. Each cooled for 15 minutes in the pan and 30 on a rack, then I finished all the cakes with the same vanilla frosting.

Here's how they compared. 

This cake mix called for three large eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, and a cup of water. The box also had instructions for an egg-white-only version of the cake.  

Using only egg whites would make the cake whiter than if I used whole eggs, but I opted to follow the original recipe since yolks can help keep the dessert moist. 

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare my pans. I whisked my ingredients together for about two minutes, until no more patches of dry mix remained and the batter was smooth.

As with many boxed mixes, the instructions said to combine ingredients using an electric mixer. Although that would be easier, I don't think electric mixers are necessary for cake mixes, especially since not everyone has one at home. 

As long as the batter is thoroughly combined, mixing by hand shouldn't yield a difference. 

My two cake layers needed to bake for 29 minutes, though the box suggested up to 33.

The cakes had pulled away slightly from the edges of the pan, which indicates they were fully baked.

This cake was the sweetest of the ones I tried, but was perfectly moist and fluffy. There wasn't a ton of flavor in the sponge apart from sweetness, for example, no noticeable vanilla, but white cakes can tend to be a blank canvas as far as cake flavors go.

The layers were easy to frost, stacking neatly without trimming.

This cake mix called for three large egg whites, 1/2 cup of oil, and a cup of water. Unlike Pillsbury's, this mix had no whole-egg option.

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepared my pans.

I then whisked my ingredients together by hand for about 2 ½ minutes until no more dry patches remained and the batter was smooth.

I divided the batter in two again and baked the layers in the center of my oven for 23 minutes, when my cake tester cake out clean. This was the lower end of the 23- to 28-minute range on the box.

While frosting, I noted how light the cake layers were. Despite being thicker, they felt lighter. The layers stacked well but were slightly more domed than the Pillsbury layers.

As for taste, these layers were super moist, with a fluffy crumb and buttery flavor. The cake wasn't too sweet but also didn't taste strongly of any vanilla.

With frosting, the cake felt balanced as the frosting added the perfect amount of additional sweetness to the otherwise neutral cake. 

This cake mix called for three large whole eggs or three egg whites, 1/2 cup of oil, and a cup of water. I went with whole eggs as I like how moist yolks make the cake and didn't mind if the sponge came out less white. 

I preheated my oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit as this box instructed, lowering the temperature by 25 degrees since I was using nonstick pans. 

Once again, I whisked my ingredients together by hand for two minutes. The layers needed to bake for 25 minutes, the lower end of the 25- to 30-minute range. 

Ultimately, I found the taste of these layers subtly sweet, without much vanilla flavor.

The texture was the fluffiest of the three, very moist, and tender. The cake didn't have a ton of flavor on its own but it made for a nice slice when paired with frosting.

It definitely needed the smidge of extra sweetness the frosting provided.

Truly all three made for great layer cakes, stacking nicely, slicing cleanly, and serving as good blank slates for whatever fillings and icings you prefer.

None came out dry or tough, all came together by hand in under two minutes, and the only fuss was separating the egg whites for the Duncan Hines mix, but it did seem to pay off. 

All of the cakes were great, but Duncan Hines just slightly took the lead for me.

The Duncan Hines cake was more rich and buttery. The others were slightly less flavorful, despite having great textures and baking evenly.

Call me Goldilocks, but the Pillsbury cake verged on too sweet, and the Betty Crocker one wasn't quite sweet enough. Duncan Hines' cake was a perfect middle.