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FINALLY!!!!!! That perfect homemade yellow cake

1M views 421 replies 230 participants last post by  buffece9 
#1 ·
I have been trying to find a good (from scratch) yellow cake recipe that’s moist, tender and has good flavor. After months of searching, testing and tinkering I’ve finally found what I was looking for.

This is a combination of two recipes; one was a pound cake and the other was a yellow cake. All of the yellow cakes that I had tried were the fat and sugar cream method and it was just not giving me what I wanted in a cake. Then I came across a pound cake recipe that dumped everything in a bowl and beat it up. It turned out moist and tender but heavier of course than a yellow cake.

So I decided to try combining the two recipes and hit the nail on the head the second try. I’ve made three more since just to be sure it would come out the same each time and it does.

Here is the recipe.

Basic Yellow Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (do not sift the flour)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
Vegetable oil
1 stick butter (not margarine), softened
1-tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°

Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of (3) 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pans. Spray the pans with cooking spray, place the wax paper in the pans and spray the paper.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well.

Measure the 1-1/4 cups of milk in a 2 cup measuring cup….then add enough vegetable oil to bring the liquid up to 1-1/3 cups.

Add the milk/vegetable oil mixture, butter and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Add the eggs and continue beating an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.

Cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

Frost as desired.
 
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#54 ·
I will admit to being less than perfect at cake making. It's not my forte whereas my pies are up there.
Pretty much resolved to realizing this one hasn't worked for me.
I think I'll give up now.
I do thank you for listing because look how many it did help.
Look how many benefitted from it.
Sadly I'll stick to what I'm better at, thanks though, really enjoyed the comments.
 
#57 ·
I am looking forward to trying this cake! One question - Salted or Unsalted Butter?

Thanks.
It doesn't matter I just use what I have on hand.
 
#58 ·
Wow, all your cake look so yummy. I can't wait to try some of the recipes myself...Thanks for sharing your talent, and most especially the tempting pictures you uploaded. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gifSession data
Your welcome.
 
#59 ·
Hi Betty!

Wow after reading all the reviews this is a must try! It is such a non-traditional way of making a "scratch" cake which is why I am

going to try it! I have searched high and low looking for a moist delicious "white" or "yellow" cake recipe and have not had much

luck? I am not a pro but for some reason have better luck at making chocolate, red velvet and other flavored cakes - but when it comes

to a basic yellow cake I BOMB! My daughter's 16th Birthday is coming up and I was hoping to get out of not having to make a cake

and go to a bakery - but no....she begged me! Of course her favorite cake is Vanilla/Vanilla Frosting!! So I have a couple of questions and hope you or other readers can help! :)

1. I live in Salt Lake City with an altitude of 5000 - has anyone with high altitude made this cake and succeed?

2. How soft should the butter be since it does not require creaming with sugar?

3. Has anyone been tempted in sifting the flour and it bombed?

Hope I get a quick response...any suggestions ...anybody!! :p
 
#60 ·
I wish you the best of luck....

1.    I live on the Gulf Coast…I’m afraid I have no experience baking at altitudes.

2.    The butter should be at room temperature…70° to 80°.

3.    Living in the Southern US, the all-purpose flour here is very soft. If the all-purpose flour you use is hard enough to make bread with no added gluten then it would be best to sift it.
 
#63 ·
Betty,

I have never been thrilled with any of the yellow cake recipes I've tried for the same reasons you mentioned.  I'm going to try this one.  I have a Masonic barbecue I'm attending, and the host's fiancee is going into the Eastern Star.  Her birthday is this weekend, and I was able to find a star-shaped cake pan.  I love chocolate, but I think I'll try a French buttercream to frost it.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Pomzdad
 
#66 ·
I have been trying to find a good (from scratch) yellow cake recipe that's moist, tender and has good flavor. After months of searching, testing and tinkering I've finally found what I was looking for.

This is a combination of two recipes; one was a pound cake and the other was a yellow cake. All of the yellow cakes that I had tried were the fat and sugar cream method and it was just not giving me what I wanted in a cake. Then I came across a pound cake recipe that dumped everything in a bowl and beat it up. It turned out moist and tender but heavier of course than a yellow cake.

So I decided to try combining the two recipes and hit the nail on the head the second try. I've made three more since just to be sure it would come out the same each time and it does.

Here is the recipe.

Basic Yellow Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (do not sift the flour)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
Vegetable oil
1 stick butter (not margarine), softened
1-tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°

Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of (3) 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pans. Spray the pans with cooking spray, place the wax paper in the pans and spray the paper.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well.

Measure the 1-1/4 cups of milk in a 2 cup measuring cup….then add enough vegetable oil to bring the liquid up to 1-1/3 cups.

Add the milk/vegetable oil mixture, butter and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Add the eggs and continue beating an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.

Cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

Frost as desired.
The procedure for the cake is here and it has not been deconsctructed.
 
#68 ·
I just tried this recipe and it was very good - it's my new go to yellow cake recipe.  It was moist even 3 days later which is my issue with most butter cakes.  I made it almost exactly as the recipe says except I used cake flour since I noticed that some of the other reviewers said the cake was dense and I was trying to get a lighter cake.  Also, I thoroughly beat in the butter before adding the wet ingredients.  The only problem I had with the recipe is it didn't come anywhere close to filling three 9" round pans.  It barely filled two 8" rounds!  Has anyone else found that?  Is it possible that the changes I made to the recipe could alter the amount of batter that much?
 
#71 ·
I just tried this recipe and it was very good - it's my new go to yellow cake recipe. It was moist even 3 days later which is my issue with most butter cakes. I made it almost exactly as the recipe says except I used cake flour since I noticed that some of the other reviewers said the cake was dense and I was trying to get a lighter cake. Also, I thoroughly beat in the butter before adding the wet ingredients. The only problem I had with the recipe is it didn't come anywhere close to filling three 9" round pans. It barely filled two 8" rounds! Has anyone else found that? Is it possible that the changes I made to the recipe could alter the amount of batter that much?
I live in the South, I think our AP flour is softer here than in other places in the US. I have never used cake flour because I get good results with AP flour so I really don't know how to answer that question.

I'm so excited to try this cake! Has anyone tried buttermilk instead of whole milk? Just curious because "they" say buttermilk makes for a moister cake. Also has anyone made this into cupcakes? Trying to figure how the baking time/temp would differ while making cupcakes.
If you use buttermilk you will need to add some soda to counter the acid in the buttermilk. For a cup of buttermilk I would add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Don't change the amount of baking powder.

Yes, I have made cupcakes with this recipe, the temp stays the same just check after 18 minutes of baking.

Betty, how much Vegetable oil?
That info is in the directions.
 
#73 ·
I tried this recipe with high hopes but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations.  It came out dense like a pound cake and very light in color (not yellow enough).  Perhaps I should try it with cake flour instead of all-purpose, as I notice someone else did.

Personally, my favorite from-scratch yellow cake recipe (and I've tried a few!) is Cook's Illustrated Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake.  It comes out yellow, moist and tall, keeps well and freezes well.  It's a bit too sweet for my taste though so I usually reduce the sugar by a few tablespoons.  I also substitute all-purpose flour for the cake flour, using the standard substitution of 1 cup minus 2 Tbs all-purpose for every 1 cup of cake flour.

I will have to try your Cooked Chocolate Frosting though... it looks amazing. ;)
 
#74 · (Edited)
I found this simple yellow cake recipe but have not tried it yet. Maybe I should try making it and get back to the rest of you on the results before you try using it. However, if someone would like to give this Yellow Cake Recipe a try:

Yellow Cake

Ingredients Full Batch Half Batch

Flour, wheat, sifted, general purpose. 4lbs 2 lbs

Sugar, granulated 4lbs 2 lbs

Salt 1 1/2 oz 3/
4oz


Baking Powder 3 oz 1 1/2 oz

Milk, nonfat, dry 6 oz 3 oz

Shortening 1 lb 8 oz 12 oz

Water 2 lbs 4oz 1 lb 2 oz

Eggs, whole 2 lbs 4oz 1 lb 2 oz

Water 12 oz 6 oz

Vanilla extract 2 oz 1 oz

Method

1) Sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and milk into mixer bowl.

2) Add shortening and water to dry ingredients; beat at low speed 1 minute until blended. Scrape down bowl; continue beating 2 minutes.

3) Combine eggs, water and vanilla. Add slowly to mixture while beating at low speed. Scrape down bowl. Beat at medium speed 3 minutes.

4) Pour about 20 ounces of batter into each greased and flowered 9" round cake pan .


5) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

6) Remove from pan after a brief cooling rest but while still hot. Cool completely and use as desired.

Full batch makes 12-9" round layers. 6 double layer cakes (96 portions cut by 16)

Half batch makes 6-9" layers. 3 double layer cakes (48 portions cut by 16)
 
#76 ·
Greetings!

I tried your perfect yellow cake recipe today and made cupcakes.

While the flavor was good I think it's just to dense for a cupcake. They turned out more like iced muffins.

I followed the recipe exactly for the cupcake, added two tsp of Chai spices and then iced with a Chai Buttercream

What can I do to take a perfect cake recipe and make it light enough for cupcakes?

Thanks,

Mrs. B
 
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