Although I'm a big fan of scratch cakes, I'm not a purist and, honestly, my favorite white cake is the WASC (white almond sour cream) cake - the recipe is here in the recipe section. It starts off with a white cake mix and you add another seven or so ingredients to it. It's light buy sturdy and can handle carving and fondant if you need it to. It's also very versatile - you can start with any flavor cake you want to and add any kinds of flavorings to it, both as extracts and as substitutes for the liquid called for. Somewhere on here there's a very lengthy thread with suggested variations (I think it's called something like "Gourmet flavors" - anybody have that link?).
I recently tested at least 20 different white cake recipes, including the wasc made with a mix. I did not have the luck with it that many others have had. My cakes always sunk in the middle and were somewhat dense, and I did adjust for the new box sizes. Also, it tasted like a mix to me. I tried both DH and BC. (The chocolate version was was even less succesful - not very "chocolatey" at all). Admittedly, i was biased and preferred to find a scratch recipe for several reasons. 1) If asked, I would prefer to say "of course it's from scratch, 2) I like to send along a list of ingredients with every cake (CYA regarding food allergies). Have you read the ingredients on a cake mix? Chemicals that I can't pronounce or tell you what they do, and I was a chemistry major in college. 3) I am mad at the cake companies for decreasing the size of the mixes, charging the same, and hoping no one would notice. 4) It is far more satisfying and gives me greater satisfaction to bake things from scratch. (I am a hobby baker and admittedly have less concern regarding time and cost than many folks might have.)
Having said all that, the BEST white cake IMHO is from Michelle Bratko and can be found at fromscratchsf.worldpress.com. Most white cakes I tried were dry and had a floury taste. The really good ones all had sour cream, cream or buttermilk added. That seems to be the key to a good white cake.
Since she has posted it and it is readily available, I hope she doesn't mind if I post it here. I may have altered a few things very slightly.
Thanks for that post, yortma. I just saved the recipe and hope to make it soon. Just a quick note and a question - Beyond Buttercream's (used to be FromScratchSF) address is "wordpress" not "worldpress", in case anyone wants to check in at her site. The question is about what it says after doubling the recipe for the 11" x 15" cake: it says 2 layers 3/4" high, once leveled" - is that right?
I needed to make the recipe in an 11 x 15 pan, and noted that for my own reference - not part of the original recipe. It should be correct. ( For that size I use 2 heat core nails and wrap with bake even strips so that there isn't much to level). The height is after torting one cake into 2 layers. If not torting, of course it would be twice as high. HTH
I also agree that fromscratchsf's white cake is the best! I have tried many others and they were okay but nothing really stood out to me before I baked that cake. I just loved it. Someone that tasted the cupcake (and only makes cakes from a box mix) loved it so much that they asked for the recipe.
After making several white cake recipes only to be dissapointed for one reason or another I came across the white cake recipe posted on FromScratchSF and I can happily say that my search is over. I made the cake today and paired it with a true buttercream frosting (no Crisco no crust) and served it to my loyal "taste testers" and all agreed, hands down, this was the winner 
The cake was moist, had a nice crumb and great flavor. I HIGHLY recommend you try this cake recipe. Good Luck
http://fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/white-cake-part-3-with-recipe/
P.S. on her blog she explains the mixing method, why she chose those ingredients, and some options you can add to the cake mix to change flavors.
Do you guys buy cake flour, or do you make it from scratch as well. I've only seen 1 single box of cake flour in walmart as far as choices.
I was doing some cake searching and revisited this topic.
It looks like butter and shortening is in the recipe posted, but butter is never mentioned when talking about adding ingredients. The source says either butter or shortening. Is this recipe suppose to be "Either" as well? If so, does the butter need to be softened?
thanks!
HI,
I found this recipe somewhere. Either roaming around CC or elsewhere, not sure. Tried it yesterday and was very surprised and delighted. I've been using the WASC and love it but wanted to venture out and try a few other things since our cake mixes are being messed with in box size. I just wanted another route just in case
SCRATCH VANILLA SOUR CREAM CAKE
Roland Winbeckler TLC's Ultimate cake off
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T plus 1 tsp double acting baking powder
1/4 cup butter softened
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 whole eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 small pkg. dry instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp real vanilla
preheat over to 325
Brush pan with pan coat . (I used pam spray and it worked just fine )
combine by hand: flour, salt, sugar ,baking powder in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingred and mix with mixer on low speed . Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 min until well blended
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees F until center tests done.
I was very pleased with the results. I could of taken it out maybe a few min earlier. I baked it for approx 20 min in a reg. 9x13 pan. Not wilton cake pan. It wasn't dry on the outside but not moist on the outside like the WASC. I guess what I mean is that when I bake the WASC it is very moist on the outside and seems breakable to me. So I handle it carefully. But the inside was very moist and the taste was very good. I froze some to see how it would hold up and it was great. In my opinion it could be used for carving ..
Give it a try.
Wendy
WELL AFTER RE-READING , THIS IS NOT A WHITE CAKE ... DUH.... WHOLE EGGS. 
BUT A VERY GOOD SCRATCH CAKE
Wendy
yes, that is what I used also was All/p flour
I thought i commented on this when i say your post but i guess i didnt (x i guess im like a year late (x but thank you, i loved it! im going to be baking for my neice's 1st birthday and i need it to be perfect ! her 1st birthday is this year but i was looking for recipes i liked this whole time ! this is by far my favorite, if you have a new favorite, please tell ^.^ oh and THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH ! (:
Having said all that, the BEST white cake IMHO is from Michelle Bratko and can be found at fromscratchsf.worldpress.com. Most white cakes I tried were dry and had a floury taste. The really good ones all had sour cream, cream or buttermilk added. That seems to be the key to a good white cake.
OK.. So I just tired this recipe and I am in love with it. No need for me to look elsewhere for a different white cake recipe. I filled the cake with homemade strawberry filling.. definitely keeping this recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
I made Winbecklers cake this week. 6 of them 10in pans. Not one turned out. They all sunk in the middle. The taste was wonderful but they would raise and look perfect and awhile later I looked in the oven window and they had all sunk. I finally gave up and made the wasc. Turned out perfect. I used french vanilla Betty Crocker. I really want to bake from scratch but I was running out of time so I had to go back to WASC.
I bake 3 batches and didn't have that problem. I did lower my oven temp to 320. I also use the oven strips around my pans. not sure if that helped with not making it sink..
So I finally decided to try out this white cake recipe from fromscratchsf to see what the hype was all about. I have to say, I'm hooked! I think I will actually say goodbye to Mr. Duncan Hines and use this for my white WASC. It's really not difficult to make and the taste and texture are absolutely wonderful!
So I finally decided to try out this white cake recipe from fromscratchsf to see what the hype was all about. I have to say, I'm hooked! I think I will actually say goodbye to Mr. Duncan Hines and use this for my white WASC. It's really not difficult to make and the taste and texture are absolutely wonderful!
Did you use the original recipe from wordpress, or the one posted in this thread by the OP? I have not compared them, but the OP said she may have made minor modifications... I would like to compare this "scratch" recipe with a few others I have been playing with.
AI use FromScratch too, I always recommend it when someone here is looking for a scratch recipe. I also use Cake Flour, I've never tried making it myself but I've read about others doing it on various blogs.
Silva-I have frozen this cake with no problems, just wrap well.
AI've always had difficulties and variations in white cake recipes even tried WASC and I'm one of unluckies with it so I will give this recipe a try hopefully my search end soon...
I really like Whimsical Bake House's white butter cake.
I also use Colette's Brown Sugar White cake using 5 whole eggs for my vanilla cake.
I will have to try these other ones, though!
I tried FromScratchSF's white cake scratch recipe for the first time today. As my husband had said that my old Betty Crocker Silver White cake recipe was a little dry and crumbly (even with the addition of sour cream). So I tried hers. It was firm enough to torte, yet had a soft mouth feel, smelled wonderful, tasted delicious, was actually white, and was not dry or crumbly. Very nice scratch cake.
May I recommend that you contact her about how to get a copy of her recipe.
I actually had her cake for my dinner tonight with vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream. oh......and a diet pepsi. 
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