Hello everyone. I posted this in the wrong forum this morning and just realized it. I am now putting in the correct forum ( I think) so, if you have by chance read this before, please forgive me. I am in search of a few tried and true scratch cake recipes. I really would love to try a few of your favorite recipes if you would be so kind to share them. My mother in law is an avid scratch cake fan and even though I'm 50 years old, I'm still trying to impress her Please if you can help me out, I'd appreciate it soooooo much. Thanks and I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!
Margie

I am too!!! I have been in search of some great ones. I am so glad you posted this!!!

Hi, the one I always use is from Gourmet Magazine. It is very good and is fluffy and moist....kinda like a boxed cake but better.

Here it is:

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 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans, smoothing the top, rap each pan on a hard surface twice to expel any air bubbles, and 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.

I do use parchment rounds and grease and flour those too so that the cake doesn't stick.

Let me know how it turns out.

Regards,
Naty

This recipe for chocolate cake has been in my family for a long time (wish I knew exactally).

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2cups sour cream (fat free works excellantly)

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
3 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
5tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups boiling water


Preheat over to 350 F Spray and flour 9X13" pan.
Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and sour cream.
Mix in dry ingredients until well incorperated.
Mix in boiling water.
Bake in oven for 50 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

You can also bake in round pans or cup cakes. What ever just adjust the baking time and be advised that this rises a lot so don't over fill your pan or you will get a nice mess!!!!!

mmmm sounds yum, does the sour cream help to make it moist.. I ask because often the chocolate cakes I make with cocoa in them are very dry.. does the sour cream help that balance...


going to give this one a try.

I ditto the Barbara K recipe. It is the best I have found yet. I am not into heavy homemade cakes. Yuck. I like this recipe because it is almost as fluffy as a cakemix but you can control the ingredients and no preservatives!

Yes. Its a really moise cake, but it does hold up well. Never had a problem with it being dry. Usually when I make one we just eat it with out icing, unless its for a special occasion.

I don't really care for chocolate (i won't get shot for saying that in a group of woman will I? hehe)

However this chocolate cake I will eat it all if I can and don't have to share. My favorite way to eat it is with a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top, however it is good with my BC recipe also.

I received this from my Great Grandma about a year before she passed and I think I am the only one in the family that has it... or no one else wants to make it. But I love it.

If you try it let me know what you think.

Leily

Moist Chocolate Cake

2 C.  All Purpose Flour
1 tea.  Salt
1 tea.  Baking Powder
2 tea.  Baking Soda
3/4 C  Unsweetened Cocoa
2 C  Sugar

1 C  Oil
1 C   Hot Coffee
1 C   Milk
2  Eggs
1 tea.  Vanilla

  Sift together dry ingredients. Add oil, coffee, and milk. Beat 2 min. Add Eggs and Vanilla. Beat 2 min. Batter will be thin.
   Lightly grease and flour pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min. Up temp to 350 degrees and bake an additional 10 min.

For an angel food or bundt pan bake for 15 min. at 350 degrees

Here are my recipes for White Cake and Chocolate Cake. The chocolate one is from the back of the Hershey's cocoa container. It is my favorite chocolate cake, very moist.

White Cake

1 c milk, at room temp
¾ c egg whites (about 6 large) room temp
2 t almond extract
1 t vanilla extract
2 ¼ c cake flour
1 ¾ c sugar
4 t baking powder
1 t salt
12 T unsalted butter, softened

Prepare two 9x2 round pans or one 9x13. Mix milk, egg whites, and extracts in small bowl until blended. Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery ingredients remaining.

Add all but ½ cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed on stand mixer for 1 ½ minutes. Add remaining ½ cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium speed and beat 20 seconds longer.

Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans. Bake until cake needle or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto greased cake racks. Reinvert onto additional greased racks. Let cool completely, about 1 ½ hours.



Chocolate Cake

2 C sugar
1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C cocoa
1-1/2 t baking powder
1-1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 t vanilla
1 c boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Ok I finally tried the recipe by

Great American Cakes
by Barbara Kafka

The one posted by Naty

It was pretty good. I think I may use it again. It is definitly moist. I am really impressed. I don't think I will be able to use my Crisco based frostings with it though. I will have to make real buttercream or IM buttercream. I think the greasyness of the Crisco detracts from the cake texture. Again...I am very happy with it. Happier than I have been with a scratch cake. I am hoping to use it instead of cake mixes. Don't get me wrong...I love using cake mixes. But this is the scratch cake I was looking for.

I'll post when I have tried the chocolate cakes.

Miracle Whip Cake

This is my husbands favorite - my grandmother told me that the recipe came out during WWII with rationing. You would use Miracle whip instead of the eggs and oil in mix. I don't tell people that it is Miracle Whip until they try it. We will make it and not even ice it because it is so moist.

Miracle Whip Cake

Ingredients

1 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder


oven 350 F. Grease 2 - 8 inch layer pans, or one large cake pan. Mix the ingredients in order. Blend well after each addition until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Frost as desired

It is a great chocolate cake. I always play around with the cocoa and the vanilla levels.

dara

Naty...I would love that recipe....could you PM me with it???

Thanks!

darandon- My grandma makes the Miracle Whip cake too! It is really good!

Euphoriabakery - I had never heard of a Miracle Whip cake until I met my husband. My first reaction was , but after tasting it I'm totally hooked. I love the story that my grandmother told about how it came about. I make it every chance I get. It even works great with the light/reduced fat type of Miracle Whip. I have tried it with regular Mayo and it doesn't tastes as good. It needs to be Miracle Whip.

Thank you so much for your willingness to share recipes! :D