Ok,
So some people have been saying they have problems with scratch cakes. Let's all post our best scratch recipes so we can all learn from each other! I can't wait to see what yummy cakes are out there!

Yes, I'd love to see some as well. Convert me to a full time scratch baker..

This is my all time favorite recipe for White Cake.

Decadently Moist White Cake (from Shubox bakery on epicurious website)
-Once you try this cake, you will think you have died and gone to heaven. It is SO good! (warning, it can sometimes be a little bit tricky to ice because it is so moist, so I stick it in the freezer for a few before icing or slicing and never have a problem). Also, although it has coconut cream in it, it is not coconutty tasting really, and goes beautifully with most any flavors. I have made many many cakes and this is by FAR the most requested cake I have ever made! So buttery rich, just melts in your mouth!



COMBINATIONS I LIKE WITH THIS CAKE
This cake (recipe above) is perfect with vanilla buttercream and strawberry/orange filling with a grand marnier syrup, OR mango-pineapple filling and coconut buttercream (see recipe belwo) OR my personal favorite combination with Lemon Raspberry buttercream and lemon-raspberry syrup and raspberry filling (recipes for lemon raspberry cake to follow).


COCONUT BUTTERCREAM

Lemon Raspberry Cake
(adapted from epicurious recipes)
This frosting, syrup and filling should be combined with the Decadently Moist White Cake listed in a prior post. This recipe is so good, the epitome of summertime! The natural OVER THE TOP - and yet is easy to make!

1. Add 1 and 1/2 (1.5) TB of lemon zest to the batter of Decadently Moist White Cake when you add the buttermilk.

2. After baking and cooling layers, brush with Lemon Raspberry Syrup (you won't need it all).

3. Spread organic raspberry jam between the layers. Or, instead of the jam, you can use a layer of fresh raspberries when they are in season.

4. Top with Lemon Raspberry Buttercream. You will only need 1/2 recipe of the buttercream to ice this cake, I usually freeze the rest or throw it on some cupcakes.

LEMON RASPBERRY SYRUP
For the syrup:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
zest of 1/2 of a large lemon removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
5 TB fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons eau-de-vie de framboise*

*This is clear raspberry brandy, literally translated as water of the raspberry, it has the most wonderful, pure raspberry flavor (not articifial like so many liquors) and is worth tracking down.

LEMON MERINUGE BUTTERCREAM

Makes about 12 cups.

For lemon curd:
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

For buttercream:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
8 large egg whites
3/4 tablespoon cream of tartar
10 sticks (5 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened to cool room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons eau-de-vie-de-framboise

Make lemon curd:
In a small heavy saucepan whisk together yolks and sugar and whisk in lemon juice, butter, and a pinch of salt. Cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, until it reaches boiling point, 5 to 7 minutes (do not let it boil). Strain curd through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool, its surface covered with a plastic wrap. Chill curd, covered at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make buttercream:
In a heavy saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, undisturbed, until it reaches 248°F on candy thermometer. While syrup is boiling, in a standing electric mixer beat whites with a pinch salt until foamy and beat in cream of tarter. Beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks and add hot syrup in a stream, beating. Beat mixture at medium speed until completely cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until it is thick and smooth. (Buttercream will at first appear very thin but as more butter is beaten in, it will thicken.) Beat in lemon curd and salt, beating until smooth, and drizzle in framboise, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating. Buttercream may be made 4 days ahead and chilled in an airtight container or 2 weeks ahead and frozen in anairtight container. Let buttercream come completely to room temperature (this may take several hours if frozen) and beat before using.

This is the best chocolate cake I have found, YUM! I usually use Vahlrona Chocolate to make it, and wow!

DEEP, RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE
(recipe from epicurious)
*Chef Ed Kasky uses Callebaut semisweet chocolate for the cake and Guittard French-vanilla chocolate for the frosting, but any fine-quality semisweet chocolate will produce a wonderful result in either.

mmmm.....those sounds delious!!

I am very eager to see this also.

This recipe is my grandfathers (from the Joy of Cooking), who used to own a bakery. It is an old-fashioned icing, also sometimes called Burnt Sugar Icing. It is SO good, everyone who tries it loves it. The best way to describe it is like a praline - sinfully rich, buttery and caramel-y. It is perfect with the chocolate cake I listed above, and topped with pecans, which I call Turtle Cake, because it is like those turtle candies - chocolate, caramel, and pecans. The one thing I will say about this icing is that it kind of sits on top of the cake and slightly drips down. It makes a beautiful cake, but does not lend itself to fancy decorating. However, everyone loves it! You have to try it.


Penuche Frosting
Makes enough for one 9-10 inch 3 layer cake (really good with a chocolate cake, or a spice cake).

Put in a saucepan 4 cups dark brown sugar packed down hard, 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, and 1 cup cream. Boil gently to the soft ball stage or 238* on candy thermometer. Let cool just a little bit then add 2 tsp vanilla and beat with mixers until it starts to look less shiny then quickly dump between layers and on top of cake and spread (don't bother icing sides, just let it drip down ever so slightly. Top with whole pecan halves toasted with butter and salt if desired.

Come on guys! I want to hear more of your favorite recipes. Even if you don't feel like typing them in, tell us the source and how we can find it.!

Ok... I can see that this is going to be one of my favorite threads!

OK----where is txkat??? This is her moment to shine!!!!

wow- only two scratch bakers out there?...

my most requested cake is the Chocolate Fudge Cake:

Here it goes..... i dont generally bake the cakes too high... this fits a 9inch pan 3inch high

230gms Butter/soft margarine
230gms Sugar
4 eggs
310 gms Self Raising Flour
30 ml Milk
65 gms Cocoa powder.

cream the butter n sugar. Add the eggs one at a time n lastly Flour and Cocoa.

I ussually soak the cake with basic syrup n fill and ice with dark chocolate ganache.

hope ull like it too!

I think this is going to be an excellent thread! Can't wait to see what becomes of it!

ooops forgot to mention to bake at 300 for 35 to 40 mins!

I second the recipes that brittanydear posted!!! that one with coco lopez is wonderful...and the choc cake is my most requested.

I use a white cake from here... "a better white scratch cake" in the CC recipe section... very consistent... I usually add some more flavoring to it depending on what people have asked for... but it's a great moist cake and easy to make.

Okay, I'm watching this thread

I am a scratch baker, never baked a cake mix. I search for great recipes in books and the internet.

my favorites (I'm at work, can't type them all out):

WBH banana cake
WBH chocolate butter cake
WBH golden butter cake

From the Essential Guide to Cake Decorating:

Madeira cake (I like to add champagne to this recipe and make champagne frosting) customers love it.

From the Essential Guide to Baking:

chocolate cake, the jam in the recipe makes it so moist.

Wow, the one with the coco lopez creme sounds delicious. But, would it still be considered a white cake if it has egg yolks? I thought that white cakes only used egg whites. I will definitely try. Any recipes by Toba Garrett are great (can't post, copyright issues) but I think that her chocolate ganache and chocolate icing are both posted in www.epicurious.com with her permission so you can check it there.

Thanks for the thread.

the coco lopez is a lighter yellow cake IMO.

I made a bride three cakes to sample and used a yellow, a white and that one for an in-between. LOL


I would love to hear from anyone who uses the cooks illustrated white and yellow!! those are my next to try!

I love the sweet potato cake from the Foodnetwork, the one by Cassandra Thomas.

Red velvet cake, the one here on CC, Sarah's recipe.
Mango cake, from CC.

I get asked for this cake at least 1 out of every 3 orders and I get asked by my family way too much. I think we have single handedly with this recipe killed more diets than we've ever dreamed of trying!
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipes_rate-4083-5.html
Now I use a chocolate ganche recipe from here to fill this alot. People love it!

tyty -

Which red velvet cake is that? I went through the recipe archives, and none use the name Sarah on it.

Also, there are two mango cakes - do you use the one that says "with filling" or the other one?

And thanks to all who have posted so far.

Thanks!

Theresa

Thanks, tyty!

Theresa

This cake (from Epicurious site) is the best Chocolate cake I have ever had...

Chocolate Guinness Cake

My best scratch recipes are Toba Garrett's Moist butter cake and Slyvia Weinstocks's Classic yellow cake. First of all, Always have ingredients at room temperature. Don't overmix when adding flour. (And that would be SOFTASSILK cake flour) Nothing works better. And I always use Watkins Vanilla.

How do you find new recipes for cakes? My family has been box bakers my entire life (I remember my sister just a couple years ago being surprised it was possible to make a cake without a box mix- seriously), but I want to make cakes that don't taste like boxes. I've seen descriptions of cakes that sound absolutely divine, but have no idea where to start finding a recipe for them.

Just take a look on-line.. allrecipes.com and epicurious.com are a good place to start. I look here.. as here in the recipe section. Take a trip to the library and look in some cake books if they have some and any book store will have cake books too. Just don't be afraid to try.. if it comes out wrong.. try again. It takes practice.. but it's fun.. for me anyway.. LOL.

You can Google to get Toba Garrett's "Moist yellow cake and Classic Yellow cake By Slyvia Weinstock" Just type in "Classic Yellow cake" And "Moist yellow cake" Make sure they're The ones made by these Bakers.