I am trying out scratch white cake recipes and have had a little trouble with other recipes, but this one was awful! What am I doing wrong???? This was just a plain, flour, eggwhites, etc. recipe. It is a recipe from Cooks Illustrated and I usually have really good luck with them. The dry ingredients are mixed with the butter and the liquid ingredients are blended in a separate bowl and then added to dry-plus-butter ingredients. There were exact times for mixing so I feel that it was not over mixed. Do some recipes just not work for cupcakes?!??!?! I would really like to do one from scratch but it isn't going that well!!!

Any and all opinions would be greatly appreciated!

What kind of flour did you use?

Maybe try another type.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!

It looks like your oven temp may by too high. the outside are brown -- How did the inside look? I purchased an oven temp --- you can find it at the regular store. I was surprised to find my oven temp was off by 30*!!!!
This is why I need a Viking!!!!! Cooks Illustrated USUALLY has good recipes. I would try again. Good Luck.

I used Soft as Silk Cake flour. Would that create a problem?

I also put the temperature at 325 degrees. The recipe called for 350. I have checked my oven also and it is about 25 degrees too warm so when I say 325 I actually put it on 300!!!

Anyone else have any ideas?

I was just reading an article about cupcakes, and the author split the batter into three batches. One batch was baking soda only (flat flat cupcakes), one she added cream of tartar and kept the baking soda (domed tops) and the last she added baking powder and kept the baking soda (domed tops). She also mentioned that some cake batters do NOT lend themselves to cupcakes - the more delicate cake batters.

So is your recipe baking soda only? Or do you add one of the others? And are they all fresh?

Sharon

Interesting!!! The recipe called for baking powder only - and I just opened a new can! Maybe I should be looking for a recipe with both baking soda and powder.

At least that gives me some direction for finding a good white scratch recipe for cupcakes - I'm starting to get a little frustrated and time is running out!!!

thanks

I know this won't help you but I think they look cool. I would put some sort of fruit filling in the divit and then ice as usual. Remember, some of the best recipes were made by accident...

Lazy_Susan