I tried this recipe for the first time this weekend and was disappointed. It seemed heavy and dry. I even used a simple syrup, but it didn't help. Any good recipes for a basic yellow cake? Thanks

Here is a good recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It has always turned out well for me. Just be sure to follow the directions exactly.

Rich and Tender Yellow Layer Cake
Makes two 9-inch cakes

4 large eggs , room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, each stick cut into 8 pieces

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 9-by-1 1/2-inch cake pans with vegetable shortening and cover pan bottoms with rounds of parchment paper or wax paper. Grease parchment rounds, dust cake pans with flour, and tap out excess.

2. Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla with fork in small bowl; measure out 1 cup of this mixture and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment; mix on lowest speed to blend, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running at lowest speed, add butter one piece at a time; mix until butter and flour begin to clump together and look sandy and pebbly, with pieces about the size of peas, 30 to 40 seconds after all butter is added. Add reserved 1 cup of egg mixture and mix at lowest speed until incorporated, 5 to 10 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high (setting 6 on KitchenAid) and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add remaining egg mixture (about 1/2 cup) in slow steady stream, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and thoroughly scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Beat on medium-high until thoroughly combined and batter looks slightly curdled, about 15 seconds longer. (To mix using hand mixer, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Add butter pieces and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Add reserved 1 cup of egg mixture; beat with hand mixer at lowest speed until incorporated, 20 to 30 seconds. Increase speed to high, add remaining egg mixture, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and thoroughly scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Beat at high speed 15 seconds longer.)

3. Divide batter equally between prepared cake pans; spread to sides of pan and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake until cake tops are light golden and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. (Cakes may mound slightly but will level when cooled.) Cool on rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around pan perimeter to loosen. Invert cake onto large plate, peel off parchment, and re-invert onto lightly greased rack. Cool completely before icing.

I just made the Cook's Illustrated yellow cake for the first time today & I can vouch for it! A very fluffy, almost cake mix-like yellow cake. It's awesome! (One layer's already eaten - no frosting, nothing.) I will use it as my standard yellow from now on.

Thanks for the recipe. I just printed it and will try it soon. I'll let you know how i make out. Thanks again.

That is my favorite light, tender crumb yellow cake of all time. Cook's Illustrate white layer cake is also my favorite white cake. It can be found here;

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1967-14-Classic-White-Cake-II.html

If you want a real "buttercake", a denser crumb, almost like a pound cake, then this recipe is the best in that category;

http://www.baking911.com/recipes/cakes/buttercake_yellow_ultimate.htm

I vote for Toba Garrett's moist yellow cake. I love it with Watkins vanilla. That cake is DELISHHHH!!