Hi.....I was wondering what people's personal experiences are with making scratch cakes. I would like to know what you do, what works, what doesn't, etc.
I am looking for a delicious, moist, consistent scratch cake. Is that possible?
From what I hear, scratch cakes are inconsistent and can be dry and corn-bread like.
Any thoughts?
Ellen
I am using mostly scratch recipes, these days. I have experimented with a number of white and yellow recipes. These are the toughest to find one that works well for each baker. If the recipe uses buttermilk or sour cream, the odds are better for a good cake. Use an inverted flower nail as a heat core for most size cakes, 2 or 3 nails for the big ones.
If you do try one that ends up on the dry side- simple syrup is an easy fix.
JoAnn
I've been doing scratch cakes lately, and I'm constantly searching for new recipes to try. I like using sour cream, it makes the cake moist.
Emi
I just posted this in your previous thread so 'I'll just post it here as well!
I prefer to make scratch and I have 2 recipes that I use faithfully, one for a yellow and the other for a chocolate. Both have never let me down. When I do run into trouble it's my fault, something that mixes are wonderful for, they are sooooo forgiving. And as JoAnn stated, a simple syrup can make all the difference.
Here is my yellow cake recipe. Once again I cannot take credit for it, it was originally posted by Naty and she got it from epicurious.com.
Great American Cakes
by Barbara Kafka
Gourmet December 1987
Yellow Cake Layers
This is probably America's favorite layer for any kind of cake; it is what the cake-mix people try to imitate and never get right.
Makes two 8-inch layers
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Into a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter, add sugar gradually, beating, and beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour mixture and the milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, add the vanilla, and beat the batter until it is smooth.
Divide the batter between 2 lightly greased and floured 8x1 1/2-inch round cake pans, smoothing the top, rap each pan on a hard surface twice to expel any air bubbles.
Bake the layers in the middle of a preheated 350-degree F oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean and the layers pull away slightly from the sides of the pans. Let the layers cool in the pans on a rack for 8 minutes, run a thin knife around the edge of each pan, and invert the layers onto the racks. Let the layers cool completely.
Here is my chocolate recipe, also from epicurious.com. This recipe is super moist and very chocolatey. It makes a big cake too!
Double Chocolate Layer Cake
For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Special equipment
two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans
Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.
Serves 12 to 14.
I forgot to add that in both cases I always use parchment on the bottom of my pans. The first few times with the yellow it stuck to the bottom however the parchment resolved this. Same with the chocolate cake, it's so dense and moist you need that parchment.
I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!
I do both...which I use depends on what they want to pay. Obiously, it is less expensive and faster to use a mix (especially when you can stock up on them when they are on sale) so the cost of the cake is less.
I only bake from scratch, and I have not had any problems as of yet. I think when the cakes come out like cornbread it is either the recipe or a mistake in making it. Good recipes make all the difference. I always use simple syrup....they help maintain the moistness as well as add that little something extra taste wise to the cakes.
Thanks for those recipes!
Berta
Are you looking for a particular flavor? I agree with JoAnnB - the white and yellow cakes can vary a bit. Are you trying to come close to a mix or perhaps something from memory that someone made years ago? The white/yellow cake equivalent of the "No-fail sugar cookie recipe" would be nice to have. On another forum the King Arthur Flour white cake did well - but I haven't tried it yet. Great question.
I ALWAYS bake from scratch because I don't like the box-mix taste. I've done every single add-in I've ever found and it still tastes like a box to me. Anyway, if you're having trouble with the moistness of the cake, always, always, always be careful measuring your flour. You should always sift first, then gently spoon into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. I used to not sift my flour at all, until I remembered that little tid-bit from home-ec. Just out of curiosity, I measured the old way and dumped it into my sifter, then sifted and measured again. I had almost a cup of flour left over!!! That makes a HUGE difference in your cake. I also use my eggs and butter at room temp. Good luck!
I have tried both the King Arthur white cake and the Whimsical Bakehouse white cake. I like them both.
It is so hard to say what is the best recipe especially since every1's taste is so different.
Berta
I agree with Tonya...I don't like the taste of boxed mixes even doctored ones. I taste something in them idk if it is the perservatives or what.....A lot of people swear by them though.
I also use my butter and eggs room temperature and it makes a huge difference especially in the butter. Also be sure you follow the mixing times in the recipe it can make a big difference as well.
Berta
Definitely watch your mixing times!! I will mix my butter and sugar together for 15 - 20 min in my KA. I use this time to sift/measure my flour and get my milk and whatever else out and ready to go. It gets really light and fluffy. I've never had it fall like egg whites when you over-beat. BUT once you put in the eggs, don't over-mix, it will get tough and get tunnels in it! This is what I've been told anyway, kind of makes sense b/c the more you beat eggs, the stiffer they get.
I also make cakes from scratch. The response I get is that most cakes are either pretty or taste good. They say they get both. I let them know I use the best ingredients, real butter, real vanilla, etc. I think they have grown to appreciate it. Also, something I found out by trial and error was that waxpaper does the same thing parchment paper does, but is a lot cheaper. Something else I found out by trial and error....I sift my flour right before I make my cake. When measuring flour, there is a different measurement sifting the flour before or not sifting. If you don't do it your cake will be heavier and a little drier because it measures more flour. I also use the flower nail for heater cores in my cakes.
Hope this helps...I love cake central ....I know I have learned several things from all the great people here.
Gail
Real butter and real vanilla definitely make a big difference. I have found that real butter is a lot cheaper at Sam's. They have the vanilla too, but I use mexican vanilla, so I don't know how the price compares.
One more thing then I will shut up...lol!
I know from experience that sometimes you get a recipe from the internet and you get not so good results because the recipe is no good not because you did something wrong. Sometimes websites have recipes and I have tried them and thought what in the world was that....I much prefer to try recipes from books I have made things from before and from people who have tried them before. You are more likely to get a good result from those than just a random recipe from the internet...
Berta
I do both. If the cust requests a scratch cake I will do it. Otherwise it is Betty for me
I make mostly scratch cakes. I have yet to find a white cake that I really like (I've used the King Arthur recipe with mixed results) so I use a doctored mix on that one but the rest are scratch.
One thing I want to say about the flour - sifting is a pain, so I weigh my flour - 4 oz to a cup and then just run a whisk through the dry ingredients to aerate & mix. Works just as well and keeps you from using too much flour.
I always make scratch cakes... it's kind of a point of pride for me, and when I have a client with allergies, I can say EXACTLY what went into their cake!
I've never cared for mix cakes myself, and since this is just a hobby that I (sometimes) get paid for (I only do max 2 cakes in a week, usually 2-3 / month) I can humor my own foibles! I've also been known to turn down a customer if they want just a sheet cake (again ... I'm doing this for myself as a hobby, so if it's not going to interest me, why bother?)
I'm new to cake baking and decorating, so could someone please tell me what do people mean when they say they use the flower nail for heater core in the cake. Also someone said they used the grass tip for their cake, is that how it is called or does someone know the number I should look for? What are drop flowers? Are they just made directly on the cake with bc?
I also do both, a little more scratch than box.
Thanks for posting that yellow cake recipe, I'll have to try that one.
For more accurate and consistent results it is great to have a scale also. Going by weight gives you better results.
Also one other important detail concerning sifting. If the recipe calls for "1 cup sifted flour" - you sift first and then measure. If it says "1 cup flour, sifted" - you measure and then sift.
Sifting just adds air. If you sift flour for a recipe that doesn't call for sifting, you're actually decreasing the amount needed. But sometimes it does make for a lighter cake.
For anyone that uses a white or yellow cake recipe, do you use that as a base for other cakes? Like strawberry or something? I want a good strawberry cake recipe, from scratch.
There's a scratch strawberry cake in the recipes on this site that I've used several times. It's very good!
So happy to see people making cakes from scratch!
A lot of white cake recipes end up tasting like cornbread. The recipe on the back of the softassilk cake flour box works well. No scratch recipe I've tried came ot dry unless I overbaked the cake. If you want wet cake (think DH), then you'll need to use a simple syrup.
strawberry nectar made into a simple syrup will impart a light, delicious flavor to a white or yellow cake. I haven't tried to make the entire cake strawberry.
I make everything from scratch - cake, meringue buttercream, bavarian creme. I think the taste is much better and it's a good selling point.
I try to use recipes that use weights instead of measures because a pound is a pound whether it's sifted or not but a cup is not always a cup.
I always use parchment on the bottom and spray on the bottom and sides. The few times I used shortening and flour, it stuck to the bottom and created a big mess so I don't take chances anymore.
Mary Ann
Couple of people mentioned they use simple syrup on their scratch cakes. What is that?
Emi
The only thing I bake from scratch is carrot cake... Everything else is doctored mixes!!
simple syrup is equal amounts of sugar and water. bring to a boil to melt the sugar and brush onto your cake with a pastry brush.
i do only scratch, unless i get a specific request for a mix. I use cake mixes on practice cakes though....
Ya'll might want to try the white cake recipe from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook" (page 630). I made it Saturday and it came out quite good. The cake mix we use in class is perfect but the instructor said it's only available to schools or something not individuals.
My mom got that book....I will have to get her to give me the recipe and give it a try!
Berta
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