I need everyones help! I recently ate a sheet cake from a local cake company.. and my god.. it was the BEST yellow cake i've ever had in my life, ever. So.. I need to find an AMAZING yellow cake. I've never found one i'm 100% happy flavor wise.. that has a great texture and is very moist all at the same time. I know.. I'm probably asking for too much, lol.
Anyway, could you all share your favorite tips, recipes, suggestions, favorite emulsions/extracts to make an amazing cake. I have tried the wasc for yellow.. and while it's fun to play around with, I need something better. I like scratch as well as doctored, but I'm looking for more of a scratch recipe, or a flavoring that y'all love.
Thank you thank you thank you!
Good point kakaladi. You know.. i'm not even sure what I think is a great tasting cake.. haha. It was just so FLAVORFUL! Mmm.
I've never tried your original version, or the other version exactly, just a hybrid (lame I know). I will try the original tonight.
Any favorite flavorings y'all add to your 'yellow' cake? ML creme bouquet? Madagascar Vanilla?
Ok well for now I'm off to bake the *original wasc*, mermaid bakery vanilla butter cake, and Toba Garett's moist yellow cake. 
I use Serious_Cake's recipe as a base for almost every flavor. It's delicious as yellow cake. I use 3 tsp. pure vanilla instead of 3.
Here are some photos of me making it (I just started my own blog!):
I've tried at least 5 or 6 scratch yellow cake recipe, and this one is by far the best. I get very consistant results. The texture is soft and the cake is moist. Plus, it uses shortening instead of butter, which is nice because butter just hit over $4/lb in my area.
HTH
This is a very tasty one:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1932-14-Basic-Yellow-Cake.html
Here is Kakeladi's WASC:
Ingredients
* 1 (18 ounce) package betty crocker white cake mix
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 3 whole eggs (even for white cakes)
* 1 cup water
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 teaspoon almond emulsion (stronger than flavoring)
m1m - it's only on her youtube. It's worth adding to your favorites or bookmarking it, very tasty
m1m - it's only on her youtube. It's worth adding to your favorites or bookmarking it, very tasty
Jana,
I have her recipe and have watched her video too. How do you incorporate that recipe with so many variations of WASC as in gourmet flavors thread? Do you use liquid part of this recipe as the flavors? Could you explain that so that I can give it a shot.
Thanks,
m1m - it's only on her youtube. It's worth adding to your favorites or bookmarking it, very tasty
Jana,
I have her recipe and have watched her video too. How do you incorporate that recipe with so many variations of WASC as in gourmet flavors thread? Do you use liquid part of this recipe as the flavors? Could you explain that so that I can give it a shot.
Thanks,
I dont use WASC at all. I've made it, it's good, and adapted it to scratch. to flavor it differently, I replace the liquids with fruit purees, use lorann oils, add zests and juices. It's all fairly simple and I've never had a dud. If there is a particular flavor you want to try, let me know and maybe I can help
this is the original WASC recipe I came up with and shared on the internet many years ago.......like maybe 15 yrs - long before others jumped on the bandwagon with all kinds of changes and tweaks
Read thru the whole recipe before you start. Note the extra info at the end. Enjoy your baking! Smile
The *original* WASC cake recipe by kakeladi
1 box cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker) *see notes at end
1 cup flour*
1 cup granulated sugar
generous dash of salt
1 cup sour cream*
1 cup water *
3 whole eggs
1 tablespoon flavoring*
In bowl mix together dry ingredients. It's helpful if you use a wire whisk, but optional. It's important w/choco cake not so much for other flavors.
In mixer bowl place next 3 ingredients. Add about 1/2 of the dry ingredients and blend together, then add the rest of the dry ingredients & blend. Mix for 2 minutes. Some tell me they just dump all ingredients into the bowl together. Some tell me they sift all dry ingredients together.
Pour into prepared pans * and bake as usual.
*NOTES: any cake flavor can be used. Match the flavoring to the cake flavor such use lemon/almond mix for lemon cake; strawberry/almond for a strawberry cake etc, etc. For most flavors you can use a mixture of vanilla, butter, and almond which is what I do most of the time.
You can use milk or cream for the liquid.
This recipe is based on mixing in a kitchenaid mixer. I use position #1 to stir it, then #4 to mix the batter.
Most of the time I forget to add the salt
On rare occasions I have used other brands of mix.
This makes the amount of batter as if you used 1 1/2 mixes and is perfect for a 10" sq OR 9x13 OR one 8" & two 6" round;OR two 8"rounds OR a 12" round; and other combinations of pans.
I prefer to bake at 300 degrees for about 20-30 minutes (depending on size of cake) then turn oven up to 325 for about an equal time. If cake has pulled away from sides it is overbaked. After cooling, the top might be a bit sticky.
Some people have told me they use plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
I've always used all purpose flour. Some tell me they use cake flour but then the amount is less - maybe 3/4 cup - not sure.
The flavoring I most often use is this mixture:
1 part vanilla extract
1/2 part butter flavoring
1/4 part almond flavoring
A "Part" is any measure be it teaspoon; tablespoon; cup or quart. Since I made many wedding cakes and usually used this flavoring in both my cakes and icing I usually mixed it up by the cup about once a month
Happy baking
Here is Serious_cakes yellow cake recipe on CC
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7267-4-Easy-Yellow-Cake.html
This is my favorite yellow cake recipe, I got it off of wilton's site.
cassandrascakes post from march 3, 2006
I have searched high and low to find a thread on mixing up more than one cake mix at a time for making a large quantity of cake batter at one time. I have mixed several suggestions from others and came up with this and it is wonderful. It produce a wonderful flavor with a fine crumb. I used it for a stacked 14"square, 12"round, 8"square and 6"round wedding cake that a bride wanted. It held up beautifully. I frosted my cake with Earlene Moore's cream cheese icing and it turned out great.
This cake recipe is the maximum quantity for your 5 quart mixing bowl. It mixed up perfect in my Kitchen Aid Accolade. It yielded 15 1/2 cups cake batter.
2 Duncan Hines Butter Recipe cake mixes (I guess you could use any flavor)
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
4 Sticks Butter (I used half butter, half margarine)
2 2/3 cups water
6 eggs
1 box French Vanilla Pudding Mix (instant)
2 tsp Baking Powder
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, mix until blended. Add cake mix, pudding, flour and baking powder. Blend on low while drizzling in water in a thin stream. Mix until smooth (doesn't take long), and bake according to directions for your pan size. I had to share this because it turned our so good. I hope someone else enjoys!!
I always make half the recipe with out any problems.
After reading MacMoms Gourmet Flavors I am going to have to try the WASC cake one of these times. I've always wanted to try other types of cakes, BUT - everyone always wants my yellow cake.
Happy Baking
Thanks! I'm going to have to try it. I've now tried BOTH wasc versions and they are rubbery to me... much like most box mixes but I'm always up for trying something new. I like that it uses 1/2 cup less sugar than the WASC. DH has more sugar (IMO), which is why I believe it doesn't work as well with the WASC cake. With the reduction in sugar in the recipe you posted.. hopefully it will work well!
Do any of you all use simple syrup on your cakes? Or use the zest of an orange/lemon for your standard yellow cake? I'm trying to punch up the flavor but still have it as a 'standard' yellow cake.. not an orange or lemon cake.. get my drift?
Thanks again for all the responses!!
I use my own modified version of the WASC using yellow cake mix and whole eggs and dark Vanilla. Awesome! 
Here is Serious_cakes yellow cake recipe on CC
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7267-4-Easy-Yellow-Cake.html
Whoops. Guess I was wrong. Sorry!
Alexandra -- you changed your avator!! Where's that pretty smiling face at?
Haha you noticed! I thought it might be a bit too close up and be on the annoying side to people seeing that big ole grin of mine every time I post a reply 
hehe.
Heck, it's always nice to see a smiling face!
Blah I tried two more recipes, this time doctored ones and they were TASTELESS. I loved the texture the butter gave them.. but the taste just wasn't there. They were white cakes w/ butter, eggs, milk, and flavored extract. I'm about to give up on the ultimate yellow/white cake.
I'm going to go simple syrup them and add some orange zest and see how that goes.
Tomorrow i'm trying two more scratch ones.. wish me luck!
Blah I tried two more recipes, this time doctored ones and they were TASTELESS. I loved the texture the butter gave them.. but the taste just wasn't there. They were white cakes w/ butter, eggs, milk, and flavored extract. I'm about to give up on the ultimate yellow/white cake.
I'm going to go simple syrup them and add some orange zest and see how that goes.
Tomorrow i'm trying two more scratch ones.. wish me luck!
Alexandra,
I don't know which recipes you are planning to try. I had copied these from an old scratch recipe thread . Posting here in case it helps you.
Moist Yellow cake by Toba Garret
Ingredients
3 cups (330 g) cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (8 oz or 230 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (454 g) granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz or 300 ml) buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and line with parchment paper two 8x2-inch (20x5-cm) pans. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cut up the butter into 1-inch pieces and place them in the large bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters. Beat for 3 minutes on MEDIUM-HIGH speed until the butter is light and creamy in color. Stop and scrape the bowl. Cream the butter for an additional 60 seconds.
4. Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time.
5. Reduce the mixer speed. Stir vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a knife. Lift up the pan with the batter, and let it drop onto the counter top to burst any air bubbles, allowing the batter to settle.
7. Center the pans onto the lower third of the oven and let bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake is lightly brown on top and comes away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Note: Let the cake cool in the pan. Storage: Double wrap the cake in plastic wrap. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Yield: Two 8-inch (20-cm) cakes
Classic Yellow Cake by Sylvia Weinstock
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and line two 8 x 3-inch baking pans or one 12 x 3-inch pan with parchment.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy and light.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, being sure each is well incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Be sure the mixture is completely blended after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat for 1 minute.
In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake in the preheated oven, 60 minutes for the 12-inch square pan or 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch pan. The top of the cake should be nicely browned. Test for doneness with a skewer or a toothpick; the tester should come out dry and clean.
alexand - have you tried Serious_Cake's yet? I'm telling you - that is where it's at!
photos on my blog
Valli_War, te first yellow cake you posted is almost like the one I make, but mine has 2 eggs instead of the 5 mentioned in your recipe. Does putting more eggs make it more moist, or more dry?
Thanks.
It is not my recipe. It is from Toba Garret. I copied it from one of the older threads which was for scratch cakes. I have never baked an yellow cake. It usually is always some kind of fruit or spice flavored one. I believe more egg means more moist, don't know for sure though.
More egg will make a more "cakey" texture, not necessarily more moist. For moistness, use sour cream in place of milk.
The Sylvia Weinstock cake tastes good but it doesn't bake consistently. Sometimes it bakes up fine and other times it bakes up dry. I've had all kinds of problems with it which is why I stopped using it. Others have too, so it wasn't just me (thankfully!) 
The Sylvia Weinstock cake tastes good but it doesn't bake consistently. Sometimes it bakes up fine and other times it bakes up dry. I've had all kinds of problems with it which is why I stopped using it. Others have too, so it wasn't just me (thankfully!)
Ditto! I baked it twice this week. Once with ok, but not wonderful results, and the other time it wasn't good at all. I know how to bake and understand the science behind baking so I don't believe it was an amateur error. It just isn't a very consistent recipe.
I used the "original" wasc with yellow cake mix and butter flavor...it was to die for!!! I couldn't stop eating the scraps. Good luck!
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