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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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#3 ·
I have been coming to this site to pick up cooking tips and recipes for a couple of years but this is the first time I have felt the need to make a post.

I joined today just to tell you thank you so much for this recipe, this is the best from scratch yellow cake I have ever made and I’ve made a few in my time. It’s moist and tender with a wonderful flavor and it’s also very easy to make. I was also very happy with how well it kept. So many of the from scratch cakes that I’ve made in the past would go stale after a day or two, they were never as good as the day they were made. This cake held its freshness for about 4 or 5 days.

Now if its not too much trouble would you please post the recipe for that beautiful frosting that’s on the cake in the picture. I would really appreciate it.

Thank you again.
Cricket
 
#4 ·
I don’t know what happened to my first post but I joined this forum to tell you thank you for this recipe.

I have enjoyed this cake more than any homemade cake I’ve ever had. It’s moist, very tender, has wonderful flavor and was so easy to make.

I was also very impressed at how well the cake keeps. Most homemade cakes are good the day they are made but the next day they are already starting to get dry. This cake stayed fresh for 4 or 5 days. I will never buy another cake mix again.

I also used your recipe to make a red velvet cake for a birthday party and it came out wonderful. This is a very versatile recipe.

I was wondering if I could bother you to post the recipe for the frosting that is on the cake in your picture? It looks wonderful and I would really appreciate it.

Thank you,
Cricket
 
#5 ·
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake; I'm going to give the red velvet a try.

The frosting on this cake is a really old frosting recipe handed down in my family for generations. I updated it just a bit and adapted it to the microwave, it’s my son’s favorite he calls yellow cake with this frosting Grandma cake.


Cooked Chocolate Frosting


Mix together in a large microwave save bowl:
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch; packed
7 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon salt

Stir in with a wire wisk :
1-1/2 cups boiling water

Cook in microwave on high at 1 minute intervals stirring well after each with the wire whisk. As mixture begins to thicken cook at 30 second interval until the mixture is very thick.

Then stir in 6 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of vanilla; stirring until the butter is melted; cool to frosting consistency and frost cake.

If you prefer to cook it on the stove just stir the boiling water into the dry ingredients and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick and bubbly; remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla.
 
#6 ·
I peeked at your public profile and noticed you have 2 American Mastiffs so do I; where did you get yours? They are a very rare breed; I very seldom-meet people who even know what they are much less own one.

I have a 2-1/2 year old brindle and a 3-year-old fawn; they are in my opinion the best dogs in the world. I wouldn’t trade mine for a king’s ransom.
 
#8 ·
BettyR-

Thank you for the frosting recipe.

I also have a brindle and a fawn. Mine are 4 and 5 years old. I got mine in Ohio from Frederica ….I think her place is the Flying W or something similar to that. It’s been a while since I’ve seen or talked to her.



My husband about had a heart attack when I told him where I was going to get my dog and what I was going to pay for her. A year later he was the one that wanted to get the second dog. In my opinion they are worth 3x what we paid for them. I will never own another breed.
Cricket
 
#11 ·
Your welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it.



Your welcome; I hope you enjoy it.
 
#12 ·
Not a cake fan? I didn't know that was possible!!:D

Thanks for the kind words.
 
#14 ·
If you do make the cake let me know what you think, I would be very interested in your opinion of the recipe.
 
#16 ·
Thank you for your kind words...If you do give it a try, let me know how it turned out for you...
Betty
 
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#17 ·
Betty,
I made your cake with your dark chocolate frosting recipe for our Xmas dinner. OMG it was soooooo good!!!

My MIL, who thinks she's the best cook in the world was green with envy as everyone was heaping praises on my "from scratch cake". You have no idea how painful it was for her to have to ask me for the recipe.

I like to think of myself as a kind person but I enjoyed every evil minute of her discompfort. Shame...shame...on me :eek:
Cricket
 
#18 ·
Cricket...
I'm really glad your family liked it...

I made one for DH to take to work for their Christmas dinner and he brought back an empty plate. He had several email addresses in his pocket with requests for the recipe. His boss asked him how much I would charge for the recipe!!!:suprise:

He told her that I didn't play that silly "this recipe is a secret" game and the recipe would be free.

LoL...It never crossed my mind to charge for a recipe!!!
 
#20 ·
Hi BettyR
thanks for the recipe - it looks wonderful, both cake and frrosting
siduri.
 
#21 ·
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake!!!
 
#23 ·
I just gained 6 pounds looking at the picture.
This would be my husbands favorite type of cake.
I myself like very very chocolate or anything completely over the top.
He likes a white or yellow cake and chocolate frosting.
If I made this for him, he'd be mine forever more.

Since this is about cakes, can any one tell me about the genoise cakes that I've seen made a few times on the TV show Chopped?
The judges are always so impressed that anyone would attempt a genoise cake.
Are they hard, is it something that one has to master, I know nothing of this kind of cake, help please if you can..............
 
#24 ·
luvpie,
My opinion is that genoise cakes are not difficult, they just aren;t that good. If the kind of cake you like is the one in this picture, you may not like genoise at all. It's sort of spongy, rather than moist, and in fact, they generally soak it in syrup to make it moist.
I think, if you like moist cake, make moist cake, don;t wet a dry cake.
I will be a lone voice here on that. Genoise is European and thus "must" be better. However, having come to Europe to live and having looked forward to what I thought and expected must be far superior cakes, I wad deeply disappointed. And found that my very banal american cakes were a huge hit with everyone who was used to dry or syrup-soaked cakes.
It's all a matter of taste, of course, but don;t expect a genoise to be like an american cake. You may not like it.
It is NOT difficult, though.
siduri
 
#25 ·
If you like chocolate cake you should give this very old depression era cake a try...

1 Pan Fudge Cake

1 Pan Fudge Cake Recipe : Recipezaar

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an ungreased 9 x 13 pan- yes UNgreased, sift all dry ingredients.

Add the liquids and stir just until blended.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Frost with your favorite frosting, cake is extremely moist so care must be taken that you don't tear up the top of the cake.

I came across this recipe a while back and it is very similar to a cake that my Gram used to throw together for us kids.

I used this recipe to make this ice cream cake for my son's birthday.
 
#26 ·
Oh my on both accounts.
I love the looks of that cake, wow, is it gorgeous or what?
Thanks for the recipe. Looks wonderful.

About the genoise recipes, I just looked several of them up.
I don't want to replace many of the standards I've come to like or love, just wanted to know what all the hoopla over genoise cakes was/is. Now I know. I want to do a chocolate one with white filling in the middle like my MIL used to make, our daughter loved that one and the recipe, although I may be able to find, I could probably come close. But for her son < my husband, I'd love to do a white one with raspberry jam or strawberry jam filling inside, hum, sounds like a winner.
 
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