So I just tried this recipe today. I halved it, not sure if I got all the halfs right (how do you split 1/3 cup?) so I just filled my measuring cups by half. Anyway, batter was really running (I read that in previous posts) so I am assuming that is right. I filled a 9" round pan about 1/2 - 3/4 full (normal for me) and 8 cupcakes. The cake only baked up about 1 1/2", is this normal? Maybe I should have filled the pans fuller to get a taller cake?
I used Sweetex for the shortening, AP flour with cornstarch and I used butter flavor, vanilla and almond extract to flavor.
It taste fabulous! (I have eaten 3 cupcakes, with no icing. Yummy!)
Which version of the recipe were you using? You shouldn't have had to halve 1/3 at all. There are 1 1/3 cups and 3 1/3 cups but if you halve that all together you get easier measurements like 2/3 and 1 2/3. Does that make sense? Don't halve the 1 and then try and halve the 1/3. 
Which version of the recipe were you using? You shouldn't have had to halve 1/3 at all. There are 1 1/3 cups and 3 1/3 cups but if you halve that all together you get easier measurements like 2/3 and 1 2/3. Does that make sense? Don't halve the 1 and then try and halve the 1/3.
LOL at myself! Yeah, that is exactly what I did... Half the 1 cup and then tried to half the 1/3 cup... I guess I was never good at doing good old fashioned fractions! Thanks!
So after baking I tried the cupcakes I made, for dessert I tried out the cake for my family and boy was it a dense cake! I love dense cakes so it was great for me, I am not sure how great it would be for the world at large however... Was it that dense because I used AP flour with cornstarch instead of cake flour?
i think someone earlier on this thread had the same result when using ap flour. i think that cake flour does produce a lighter result.
Which version of the recipe were you using? You shouldn't have had to halve 1/3 at all. There are 1 1/3 cups and 3 1/3 cups but if you halve that all together you get easier measurements like 2/3 and 1 2/3. Does that make sense? Don't halve the 1 and then try and halve the 1/3.
LOL at myself! Yeah, that is exactly what I did... Half the 1 cup and then tried to half the 1/3 cup... I guess I was never good at doing good old fashioned fractions! Thanks!
So after baking I tried the cupcakes I made, for dessert I tried out the cake for my family and boy was it a dense cake! I love dense cakes so it was great for me, I am not sure how great it would be for the world at large however... Was it that dense because I used AP flour with cornstarch instead of cake flour?
Hahaha! How do you think I learned to do fractions the right way? After trying to divide 1/3 in half! Actually, I just use a calculator. I type in 1 1/3 and divide by two and then turn it into a fraction.
As for dense cake, I have always had cakes that are too dense, in my opinion, when I use ap flour. That is why I will only use cake flour. I just find that i get a better result.
the op, lorienskye shared a "divine dark chocolate" recipe on page 8 of this thread.
i tried the recipe today. it is divine! very moist and rich.
i have a question to everybody who uses cake flour--where do you buy it? i get mine from walmart, swans down brand in a 2lb box. but buying it in such small quantity is not economical and i'm always having to run out for more. sam's club only sells all purpose. please share!
Has anyone tried to use regular flour with this recipe? I don't usually have cake flour in the house and was just wondering if it would change the texture that much.
I was thinking the same thing and have been reading around and they say it might not have such a fine texture as it would with cake flour but i don't think it would make THAT much difference if you couldn't get cake flour.
I also read that if you substitute plain flour for cake flour you should use 2 tblsp's less per cup and maybe sift flour twice to get it airier and finer
That's all i can add, maybe someone with more knowledge can chime in
Cake flour seems like it has cornstarch added to it. I was thinking of using regular flour subtracting the 2TBs of flour per cup and adding 2TBS cornstarch per cup. Has any ever tried this?
earlier on this thread someone mentioned trying ap flour.
cake flour has less gluten so produces a lighter product.
you can google "cake flour vs all purpose flour" and find lots of information.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_871023.html
I found this picture months ago, which shows 2 cut cakes -one made with ap flour, and one made with cake flour. You can really see the difference!!
Has anyone tried 1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter in this recipe? Does the hi-ratio shortening make a difference in a baked cake compared to crisco? I know it's a HUGE difference in frosting, and won't use crisco for frosting EVER AGAIN!
I can't wait to try this recipe, but I have craft shows this weekend
i have a question to everybody who uses cake flour--where do you buy it? i get mine from walmart, swans down brand in a 2lb box. but buying it in such small quantity is not economical and i'm always having to run out for more. sam's club only sells all purpose. please share!
That's exactly what i use too. I buy five or so boxes each time so I don't run out. I have looked at Sam's club to see if they sell cake flour in bulk but they don't at my store. Not sure if you can buy it on the internet in bulk. Of course, then I wonder where I would store 50+ lbs of flour!
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_871023.html
I know it's a HUGE difference in frosting, and won't use crisco for frosting EVER AGAIN!
I can't wait to try this recipe, but I have craft shows this weekend
How does the hi ratio shortening differ in frosting? I have not tried it. I make mine with half butter and half shortening. Also, where you buy it? Thanks!
"How does the hi ratio shortening differ in frosting? I have not tried it. I make mine with half butter and half shortening. Also, where you buy it? Thanks![/quote]
a bc made with hi ratio has a much better taste and mouth feel than with regular shortening. it also holds more moisture so it's a lot creamier. i wouldn't use anything else. i get mine from my local cake supply shop but it can certainly be ordered online now that the weather is cooler.
i have no idea what it would do in a cake batter?
Hi Ratio shortening is what Crisco USED to be, until they took out the Trans Fats. Crisco doesn't whip up nice and fluffy, and leaves a super greasy film on the roof of my mouth. I know it comes in 50LB boxes, but lots of cake supply stores put it in smaller containers to sell to hobby bakers. It's more costly, but definitely worth it, if you use a lot of shortening.
Thanks for the info. I've seen hi ratio shortening mentioned on here lots of times but still really didn't know what it is. So it is like crisco with trans fats? Got it. How much pricier is it? I wish we had a local cake supply shop so I could try some without ordering a ton online.
well in my area at one shop i can get 50lbs for $129 or 1.5lbs for $4.50. another shop has the ck brand $11.99 for 3lbs. so per lb it's cheaper the larger the amount you buy but definitely more expensive than regular shortening. don't know how much crisco is as i haven't bought it in so long.
Trans fats have nothing to do with hi-ratio shortening. Hi-ratio shortening has emulsifiers which allow the shortening to absorb more liquid resulting in a fluffier, creamier more heat tolerant icing.
Crisco is vegetable shortening with or without the trans fats it never was hi-ratio.
HTH
Oh, thought I'd add Sweetex hi-ratio is a very good brand and through trial and error it's the one I prefer.
Trans fats have nothing to do with hi-ratio shortening. Hi-ratio shortening has emulsifiers which allow the shortening to absorb more liquid resulting in a fluffier, creamier more heat tolerant icing.
Crisco is vegetable shortening with or without the trans fats it never was hi-ratio.
HTH
Oh, thought I'd add Sweetex hi-ratio is a very good brand and through trial and error it's the one I prefer.
Thanks! I'm all for a creamier, fluffier, more heat tolerant icing! I'll have to try it sometime. Where do you buy your Sweetex?
Trans fats have nothing to do with hi-ratio shortening. Hi-ratio shortening has emulsifiers which allow the shortening to absorb more liquid resulting in a fluffier, creamier more heat tolerant icing.
Crisco is vegetable shortening with or without the trans fats it never was hi-ratio.
HTH
Oh, thought I'd add Sweetex hi-ratio is a very good brand and through trial and error it's the one I prefer.
Yep... everything deb said.... double ditto about the Sweetex.. other brands are no where near the same quality...
Trans fats have nothing to do with hi-ratio shortening. Hi-ratio shortening has emulsifiers which allow the shortening to absorb more liquid resulting in a fluffier, creamier more heat tolerant icing.
Crisco is vegetable shortening with or without the trans fats it never was hi-ratio.
HTH
Oh, thought I'd add Sweetex hi-ratio is a very good brand and through trial and error it's the one I prefer.
Thanks! I'm all for a creamier, fluffier, more heat tolerant icing! I'll have to try it sometime. Where do you buy your Sweetex?
Here's one place that sell Sweetex
http://www.fondantsource.com/swhirash50lb.html?gclid=CJiq1ZP0kp4CFdA65QodFhf6pg
I'll PM you. I love the regular WASC, but as soon as I finish using up my cake mixes, I am definitely going to try this one. You can't always get the same brand of mix on sale, and that can change the results. And I need to buy on sale as I am using this as a fundraiser! I have to raise $4700 by September for the honor of participating in the Nike Women's 1/2 marathon next October with Team in Training.
this is well worth trying as is the op's chocolate recipe on page 8 of this thread!
over the weekend i tried the chocolate wasc recipe (doctored version of a cake mix) and made a batch of the above referenced recipe and compared the two.
i found that they involved as much work and i think cost about the same but the page 8 recipe was in my opinion much tastier.
as has been pointed out in mix/scratch debates, it's a matter of what an individual likes but to me the recipes on this thread are well worth trying.
This is a fascinating discussion and I've been looking for a scratch WASC recipe for the longest time. My normal WASC cakes are plagued by two problems: they fall in the middle (I see that this has happened to a lot of people) and they just won´t ever finish baking on top. I'm going to try this one for the very next cake I have that doesn't have a specific kind of cake attached (this week I'm down for twp almond cakes and one carrot cake, but the first week in December I have three "Do whatever you want to´s", so I'm going to do two variations on the scratch WASC and one of the incredibly seductive chocolate cakes that the OP put up here. Thanks, LorienSkye, and thanks to everyone else who has had suggestions. I love discussions like this: they may tend to go all over the map, but you learn such a lot from them!!!
I need a lemon wasc too for next week.
how would i make a scratch lemon wasc? tia... tried the chocolate one on this thread. and the butter one... both made up beautiful.. will be eating them this week end..will post how good they are.. now for the lemon wasc?
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