Ok everyone I am so sorry for my delay the holidays have really got me running! Anyways so i think all reviews should be in by the end of december so we all have plenty of time to bake our recipes.


here is the offecial start of the bake off. Ill re-list the general rules and then a list of the recipes. Please sign up for at least two so you can do a good comparison.


Dec 30th: All results must be posted, including pictures, if possible.
Jan 5th: The results will be tabulated and a winner will be chosen. We can choose someone to be the tabulator.

Rules
1. Please have entries in by the deadline for each month.
2. Each participant must try at least 2 recipes.
3. We should try to have all recipes sampled by at least one person. If someone posts more than one recipe into scratch off, then at least one of their recipes must be chosen.
4. Please have your "results" posts in by the deadline to have your input included.
5. Be honest, but not cruel, with your critique of the recipe.
6. Please follow the recipe and don't make substitutions for ingredients. The recipes can be halved, cut in thirds, or quartered if needed.

Judging Criteria
1. Flavor
2. Texture/Crumb
3. Moistness
3. Ease of Recipe
4. Cost of Recipe
5. Ability to convert into cupcakes

After you comment on all these characteristics and give each a rating, give the recipe an overall score ranging from "0" for Terrible Sad to "10" for Excellent Very Happy . You can make a suggestion on how the recipe can be improved, if needed, if you want.

Recipes:

1) http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/tender-white-cake-recipe

2) http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/white-velvet-cake-recipe.htm

3) http://cookbookmaniac.com/recipes/white-velvet-cake.html

4) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/COOKS-ILLUSTRATED-WHITE-LAYER-CAKE-50017374

5)ok so this is a recipe in the book confetti cakes by Elisa Strauss

Vanilla Cake

2 C. cake flour
1 3/4C. plus 1 1/2teaspoons All purpose flour
2 1/4t. Baking Powder
1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted Butter
3 C. granulated sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 Tablespoon. pure vanilla extract
1 C (8 oz; 7 about 7 eggs) Egg whites or Pasturized liquid egg whites
1 1/2 C. milk

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-pupose flour, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4.Add the salt and vanilla.
5. Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the egg whites, scraping often.
6. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in two batches, starting with the flour. Scrape down the bowl between each addition and beat until thouroughly combined. set the mixer to medium-high speed for about 20 seconds then stop and scrape sides of the bowl.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the 9-in cake pans or the muffin tins. For 9-in cake pans, bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean; for half-sheet pans, bake 45 min, for cupcakes bake 20 to 25 min.
8. Allow the cake to cool for 20min. oce the cake is cool, release it fromits pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan.


variation(not for the scratch off though)
to make lemon cake add the zest and juice of two lemons to the batter in step 4

yields: three 9-in rounds, 1 half sheet, or 24 cupcakes

6) K8's take on Sylvia's brilliant formula:

half pound of butter cut up evenly & placed into mixer
<cream well>

<then add >
2 cups extra fine granulated sugar
<beat until light & fluffy>

<then add one at a time>
2 egg whites
2 eggs
<beat until light and fluffy and looks pretty & smooth>

<add two teaspoons vanilla & combine well>

~in a separate bowl whisk together the following~
2.5 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
half teaspoon salt

~keep separate and measure out one cup of sour cream~

<add about one third of wisked dry ingredients to your mixture>
<mix well>

<add one half of your sour cream mix well>

<add about one third dry ingredients to mixture mix well>

<add the rest of sour cream mix well>

<add the last of dry ingredients mix well>

<beat on a nice medium speed for two mintues>

viola la la la Smile

7) shortning recipie -- http://www.grouprecipes.com/66042/delicate-white-cake-from-scratch.html

white on white buttermilk cake
http://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/White-on-White-Buttermilk-Cake-with-Jack-Daniels-Buttercream/7175/


Alright so these should keep everyone busy! if you would like to participate sign up for at least two but remember u can bake as many as you wish and post reviews for all as well
also try and take pics. im not sure you can upload them to the forum or not but you can post them to another online site like photobucket and put a link here.

so starting off I would like to sign up for the white on white buttermilk and the vanilla cake by Elisa strauss

durell87, I took the liberty of listing the recipes in the way we did for the yellow cake scratchoff sign up. If everyone could just copy the list, add your name to your chosen recipe and then paste it in your post, we can keep an up to date, ongoing list without you having to keep track of who is baking what. I've listed them by the cake names, but the numbers correspond to the recipe links and/or recipes. I hope I haven't been too bold in doing so.

1) King Arthur Flour Tender White Cake: vicki3336

2) Rebecca Sutterby's White Velvet Cake:

3) Rose Levy Beranbaum's White Velvet Cake:

4) Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake: vicki3336

5) Elisa Strauss Vanilla Cake: durell87

6) K8's take on Sylvia Weinstock's Classic Cake:

7) Delicate White Cake from Group Recipes: vicki3336

8 ) Rebecca Rather's White on White Buttermilk Cake: durell87

I'm in...

If everyone could just copy the list, add your name to your chosen recipe and then paste it in your post, we can keep an up to date, ongoing list without you having to keep track of who is baking what. I've listed them by the cake names, but the numbers correspond to the recipe links and/or recipes. I hope I haven't been too bold in doing so.

1) King Arthur Flour Tender White Cake: vicki3336, artscallion

2) Rebecca Sutterby's White Velvet Cake:

3) Rose Levy Beranbaum's White Velvet Cake:

4) Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake: vicki3336, artscallion

5) Elisa Strauss Vanilla Cake: durell87

6) K8's take on Sylvia Weinstock's Classic Cake:

7) Delicate White Cake from Group Recipes: vicki3336

8 ) Rebecca Rather's White on White Buttermilk Cake: durell87

Well, I've been lurking on these tastings, but I'm going to participate this time. I'm going to try K8's version of Sylvia Weinstocks, and the white on white buttermilk cake. I've added my name below to both.


1) King Arthur Flour Tender White Cake: vicki3336, artscallion

2) Rebecca Sutterby's White Velvet Cake:

3) Rose Levy Beranbaum's White Velvet Cake:

4) Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake: vicki3336, artscallion

5) Elisa Strauss Vanilla Cake: durell87

6) K8's take on Sylvia Weinstock's Classic Cake: gerle

7) Delicate White Cake from Group Recipes: vicki3336

8 ) Rebecca Rather's White on White Buttermilk Cake: durell87, gerle

I'm also excited to participate! I am signing up for number 1 and 6 (added myself to the list as well). Can't wait to hear everyone's results.

1) King Arthur Flour Tender White Cake: vicki3336, artscallion, Adevag

2) Rebecca Sutterby's White Velvet Cake:

3) Rose Levy Beranbaum's White Velvet Cake:

4) Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake: vicki3336, artscallion

5) Elisa Strauss Vanilla Cake: durell87

6) K8's take on Sylvia Weinstock's Classic Cake: gerle, Adevag

7) Delicate White Cake from Group Recipes: vicki3336

8 ) Rebecca Rather's White on White Buttermilk Cake: durell87, gerle

Ok, I know I'm going to be very busy the next couple of weeks, so decided to get my two selections for the bake-off done today. I baked one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. Below are my comments on both.

First, K8's version of Sylvia Weinstock's cake. Ease of preparation was great. I felt it didn't take any time at all to get the cake mixed and baking in the oven. Cost was not any more expensive than baking any other cake, especially since I had everything on hand already and didn't have to take a trip to the store. The only item that may have seemed expensive to some is the extra fine sugar. It does tend to be a little more costly than granular/powdered sugars. By the way, there were 3 tasters for this cake.

I felt the texture was very good and I took a picture, but so far I haven't figured out how to get them to post. The crumb held together well. I made an 8" round and a dozen cupcakes. The cupcakes turned out every bit as good as the cake. It is definitely a recipe that can be used for both.
Overall, I felt the cake was worth an 8.5 and would definitely bake it again.

As to the white on white buttermilk cake. Well....this one, to me and my 2 tasters, was even better than the conversion of Weinstock's cake! It was a very flavorful and moist cake. The crumb/texture was very good. It was an easy recipe to prepare and again, cost was miimal. I made 2 - 8" rounds and 6 cupcakes, and again, the cupcakes turned out as good as the cake.

It seems like the this cake had more flavor than the previous cake. It might have been the buttermilk, but it was definitely tastier. As to the crumb/texture and all other testing aspects, this and K8's version of Weinstock's cake were very similar. Due to the taste factor, however, I would definitely have to give this cake a 9.5 and would most certainly bake it again.

Since this is the first time I've done this, I hope I have all the appropriate factors documented. If not, let me know, and I can hopefully add more. I look forward to reading all the other cake evaluations. This has actually been fun, and a great way to get new recipes.

Well, we do have left over and my husband had some of K8's version last night. He said it seems to be getting a little dry, not so dry he wouldn't eat it, but it had good flavor. I've asked him to try the white on white sometime today and let me know his feelings on it. Of course my son devoured all the cupcakes that were made from both cakes, so they must have definitely been good! But I'll let you know about the dryness on the white on white as soon as I can. Personally, I liked both cakes, but did feel that the white on white had a little more flavor than the other one.

Ok, husband and son tried the white on white cake today. It still is moist and has a great flavor. They both like it better than K8's version of Weinstock's cake if they have to make that choice, but they also said they still like both cakes. They just wish the first one wasn't drying out yet. I also tried a piece again today, and I still feel the taste of the white on white is better than the Weinstock cake.

Thanks Vicki for putting the sign up sheet! i really appreciate all the help i can get!

Gerle- great review! if you have a photobucket account or one of those free photo accounts you can upload your pics there and just post a link here. I think that has been found to be the easiest way to go about it. Again great review thanks i cant wait to bake my white on white cake now!

Ok so i made the rebecca rathers white on white buttermilk cake. I have to say the flavor was absolutly perfect. in fact i didnt even want to put frosting on them because they tasted so good plain! Small problem though, my cupcakes had some sinking and some shrinking! oh i was soooo sad. anyways i ended up re making them and i still had the same problem although not as bad, any suggestions? This is definitly a recipe worth perfecting!

1) Flavor was great! i give it a 9.8 in flavor yummm!
2)Texture/crumb: Light, fluffy, a little crumbly but not bad 9
3) Super moist! 9.7
4) very easy nothing irreguler or hard 9.8
5) cupcakes sank but probably my fault lol 7
6) cost pretty much the same nothing to expensive 9.5
overall 9.6!!!! love these!!!

Durell, I found the other cake I tried, K8's version of Sylvia Weinstock's cake, to be more crumbly than the white on white. After several days, it was extremely crumbly, but the white on white has very little "crumbly" even today (we still have a little left and hubbie and son are still eating it and loving it). I also didn't have the problem of sinking or shrinking with the cupcakes. There wasn't a lot of dome to them, but no sinking/shrinking. I'm using the recipe again for an anniversary cake I'm doing for Sunday. Just took them out of the oven today, torted and crumbcoated and have them in the fridge. Will decorate them in the morning. Serving it along with some homemade ice cream. Yuuummmm! Love, love, love homemade ice cream.....with or without homemade cake!!!

(saved...not getting email notifications.)

hmmm well Gerle i wish you could show me what i did wrong! lol. I will definitly be trying it again however because i really love the taste! ill get it eventually im sure. Maybe ill try when the babies sleeping, its very possible i was distracted and measured something off. Do you go by weight or measurements? hmm.....

I go by measurements. It's what I'm used to, and haven't been able to get into the habit of weighing. I've heard alot that it's better than measuring, but it's hard to break a habit of a lifetime of measuring. My "little ones" aren't so little any more (in their 20's) so I don't have that kind of interruption during my baking time. It could have been the weather, a slightly off measurement, who knows. I did use the cake recipe again as I mentioned previously, and everyone who had the cake thought it was absolutely delicious, so I'm definitely keeping the white on white as a good recipe to use. I haven't made cupcakes again yet, but probably will sometime during the holidays.

ya im an avid measuerer lol as well. ive tried to weigh things out but seem to have a hard time keeping all the numbers organized in my head lol maybe someday ill convert ive too heard it is much better or more accurate or something idk but i like measuring. ya even with it shrinking you cant beat that flavor it was perfect! yummmmm

I am excited to try this.

1) King Arthur Flour Tender White Cake: vicki3336, artscallion, Adevag

2) Rebecca Sutterby's White Velvet Cake:

3) Rose Levy Beranbaum's White Velvet Cake: 4realLaLa

4) Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake: vicki3336, artscallion

5) Elisa Strauss Vanilla Cake: durell87

6) K8's take on Sylvia Weinstock's Classic Cake: gerle, Adevag

7) Delicate White Cake from Group Recipes: vicki3336

8 ) Rebecca Rather's White on White Buttermilk Cake: durell87, gerle, 4realLaLa

ok, im in

1) King Arthur Flour Tender White Cake: vicki3336, artscallion, Adevag

2) Rebecca Sutterby's White Velvet Cake: steffiessweetsinsations

3) Rose Levy Beranbaum's White Velvet Cake: 4realLaLa, steffiessweetsinsations

4) Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake: vicki3336, artscallion

5) Elisa Strauss Vanilla Cake: durell87

6) K8's take on Sylvia Weinstock's Classic Cake: gerle, Adevag

7) Delicate White Cake from Group Recipes: vicki3336

8 ) Rebecca Rather's White on White Buttermilk Cake: durell87, gerle, 4realLaLa

will start this prob monday.

I have always been in the measuring category too but am wanting to do more weighing. Finding the conversions is not simple; maybe someone has a chart? Wouldn't it be nice? Oh Sanata, all I want for Christmas..........................(better not start )

I signed up for the spice cakes and did my baking but something happened during he deadline and I did not get my reviews posted.

What I noticed was everyone but me did the full cake with icing. I only baked the cake and had the testers judge on it alone. To me the icing could make a world of difference in cakes. Any input or former discussion on this?

Tea42, I didn't sign up for the spice, but I did bake a few of them. My family felt the buttermilk spice with the toasted walnut frosting was to die for! It was sooo good!!! Guess we feel buttermilk really adds flavor to the cake, because our preference was for the white on white buttermilk white cake.

i was going to do my review on the cake alone, a great cake really shouldnt need frosting! and yeah the flavors of the frosting can interfere with the cake. if u review with icing just make sure u state that, so we can take that into consideration.

I participated in the chocolate and yellow scratch offs and had my testers taste the cake by itself. After getting their opinions, I iced them to finish eating the leftovers. Some cakes would have scored a lot differently with the addition of the icing.

Hi all!
I am definately going to try the white on white...it sounds so yummy! Just curious if anyone who tested recipes can tell me if what they tested would stand up to having fondant applied. I get requests for white cake but really do not have a goto especially one that will hold up to fondants weight.
Thanks!
Suzi

The white on white is my go to vanilla cake. I've had some trouble with it in the past but the flavor was worth the trouble to make it work. I, however, don't really consider it a "white" cake, more of a yellow/butter/vanilla cake. But, again, it is, bar none, the BEST tasting vanilla cake EVER, IMHO, of course.

so hows everyone doing? have a good christmas? wow glad most of the holidays are over lol almost time to catch my breath! Anyways i was thinking we still have a lot of reviews to be entered so it might be a good idea to extend this. maybe mid january or end of january any suggestions? and yes i think the best way to judge a cake is un-iced and definitly un-filled. i think this will be stated in the next bake off rules. however since it wasnt stated at the beggining of this one i cant really make it an official rule, but please if possible post results on plain cake. happy baking and holidays!

I'm so glad this topic is still alive. I was looking for a good white cake recipe and so happy to have found this thread, but I was worried because the thread seems abandoned due to Christmas holiday. I'm still a newbie, so I'm waiting for this scratch off winner recipe to bake my first white cake

I'm so glad to hear that the deadline was extended. Despite my best intentions and early planning, the holidays still kicked my bottom. I will definitely do my taste tests uniced and unfilled.

Ok, I may be all wet here, but if a cake containers egg yolks can it technically still be called a white. Because I always thought that once you added the yolks...it then became a yellow cake. Just curious to what you all thought.

Cake Reviewed: White on White Buttermilk Cake

This cake is absolutely delicious! I would definitely give it a 9.7 on taste. For the price, I would give it a 9 simply because it calls for cake flour and buttermilk which are not as cheap as all purpose and regular milk. For ease of prep, I give it 9.5 (only all in one bowl gets a 10). Note that this is not a liquid batter! For some reason, my batter fell in the center and so I turned the cake into a trifle - I'm serving it tonight, but I'm sure that it will be wonderful!

The thing is that I got lazy and didn't want to prep as many pans as I should have. I doubled the recipe (which worked wonderfully) and divided in to 3 8" rounds and 2 6" rounds. I guess there is a price to pay for laziness. 5 of the 6 pans overflowed and I now have a oven to clean. The taste, however, is divine!