Frustrated with scratch cake baking, help!
I have tried the Wiltons white cake recipe but I had to many ingredients in my KA mixer and it didn't mix the whites in very well, not even sure if I over whipped or under whipped them but the cake was dense, dry and flavorless!
I was all excited about my KA stand mixer and seriously it doesn't mix the sides in and I am not sure if again I am over or undermixing with the thing. I am wondering if its the model that I bought.
So there is a recipe on Allrecipes.com for scratch cake,. I use it as my go to recipe because it makes a decent cupcake and the flavor is nice. Its pretty much a one bowl mix and goes against all the "rules" no creaming the sugar and butter,no alternating milk and dry liquids etc etc.... I made it today hoping for some good results in a 9inch cake pan, while the cake has good flavor and seems moist enough its texture is alot more like corn bread with bigger air bubbles, its just not the texture I am looking for, I want it to be a little tighter but moist if that makes since.
I have heard so many good things about the WASC cake but I am not one to use box mixes because I don't have HFCS or hydrogenated oils in my foods, organic cake mixes have only the dry ingredients and they are totally different then a box so I dont think it will work.
MY daughters birthday is next month and I am hell bent on making the perfect Alice in Wonderland cake for her with a bunch of petit fours for all of kids. I am sooo stressed I feel like I will never be able to figure this out and get it right!
Any help anyone can give would be great, maybe I should just try and use my hand mixer.
I need a tried and true recipe.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Nur Ainee Muhammad on
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Hi Tiana.
Try this recipe for starters :-
200g butter
200gm flour
200gm sugar
4 eggs
1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Add in flour until just mixed. (you can also mix this in by hand)
Bake in 8" round pan at 180C for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Its a very simple basic cake. Try this first. Once you are happy with it. let me know, I will teach you how to make variations from it.
Pls email me as sometimes I simply dont have the time to get to this site.
My email :- ainee@dchamps.com
Good luck and have fun.
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Permalink Reply by Mandy Sims on
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Why don't you try using a sponge cake recipe? That is what a lot of the professionals use. It has a nice texture, is moist and holds up to torting. There are tons of recipes out there for sponge cake. I use a hand mixer on most everything. I use my stand mixer only when I absolutely have to. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Theresa Happe on
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It's hard to say what's going wrong with which recipe you are making, but it's not the mixer. A one bowl recipe is going to come out denser. When you have a recipe that calls for the egg whites to be whipped separately, the whole point of doing that is to incorporate air which makes the cake lighter. Then the beaten egg whites are folded into the cake batter. For the folding process, you do not even turn your mixer on. Egg whites are added at the end and you take the bowl off of the mixer and gently fold them in using a rubber spatula. Don't mix and mix and mix. You just want to fold them until the egg whites are blended into the batter. If you beat the egg whites in, then you are just deflating all the air that has been put into them. The WASC recipe is good, but is also denser than the regular cake mix cake.
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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on
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Hi Tiana
Here is a recipe that is ages old It comes from a 1950's Sunbeam mixmaster manual. I have been baking this cake since I was around 13 yrs. old. First with my Mom, and now use for family and my cake decorating. Since I am 60 yrs old now, thats a long time.
Hope you give it a try
2 1/2 c sifted cake flour
1 1/2 c sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1/4 c oil
1 c milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond flavoring
3 eggs
I cream the eggs/sugar/butter, add the oil. I have all the dry ingredients in another bowl, already incorporated.
I add alternatly to creamed mixture with the milk, adding flavorings last.
350d for 30-35 min.
I have no trouble doubling this recipe in my KA. But I do have the large glass bowl, which does hold a little more.
I also have the book "The Cake Bible". Her recipes are based on the science of baking. Pretty sure you could google a white cake recipe from the book. There is also website for Rose Levy Beranbaum, who wrote the book.
If you send her a message to her from the site, she is pretty good about giving a answer. Trust me, she knows her cake.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Marie on
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Hello Tiana:
Sounds to me like technique rather than recipes. First of all everytime you add an ingredient you shut off the KA and scrape down the sides and under the paddle, especially after adding each egg. That way when you turn on the mixer you get everything to blend more smoothly. Also mke sure you have ALL ingredients at room temperature. Let the eggs, milk, butter etc., sit out about an hour before using.
Another thing you can do to your cake recipe is substitute buttermilk or sour cream for some of the milk. This will make your cake very moist. Also turn down the temp 25 degrees and bake a few minutes longer. There are some great recipes on this forum you might try. Hope that helps. I bake from scratch only and my cakes always come out beautifully.
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Permalink Reply by Jen Howard on
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I too am debating scratch cakes versus boxed cake recipes. I didn't want to use the box cake mixes because of the HFCS and the hydrogenated oils, etc. BUT, I've come to the conclusion that it's CAKE. It's not like people should really expect cake to be good for you. Sure, you don't want it to be dangerous, but I personally have relaxed a little on the subject and am going to try Jeri C's cake recipes that start with boxed mixes. Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Becker on
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Thank you!!!! I've been saying this for years and people still gawk at me. IT"S CAKE!!! It's not supposed to be healthy - you are not to eat it everyday (maybe 4-6 times a year)- you are not to eat more than one industry determined slice (1*2*4 or 2*2*2). And if you are allergic to anything inside the cake - eat something else- don't call around looking for a horrible disgusting allergy-free (or diabetic friendly) cake. Accept that you can't have it at all and eat something else! It's cake - it's actually supposed to be bad for you to be good. IMNTBHO
Don't bother telling me how wrong I am - I won't listen. Haven't in years, won't start now. ;-p
Bake whichever (scratch vs mix) YOU make better - that's the way you should go.
Jen Howard said:
I too am debating scratch cakes versus boxed cake recipes. I didn't want to use the box cake mixes because of the HFCS and the hydrogenated oils, etc. BUT, I've come to the conclusion that it's CAKE. It's not like people should really expect cake to be good for you. Sure, you don't want it to be dangerous, but I personally have relaxed a little on the subject and am going to try Jeri C's cake recipes that start with boxed mixes. Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.
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I almost always use boxed cake. Most people do not have a discriminating palate. They are, sadly, use to "store bought" cake. I do "doctor" the mix tho. I make from scratch for family & clients that ask. Good from scratch ingredients are $$$, & being a hobby baker, I can't write it off. If your cakes taste good ( no one has complained about mine ), and your customer is satisfied, then everyone is happy. If anyone wants excellent scratch recipes, with the science of how, why, utensils, pans, etc., then get "The Cake Bible" cookbook. My go to for all cakes from scratch.
Like Dawn said, you don't eat cake everyday.
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I totally agree with you. I can almost bet you that some bakeries use a form of a box cake. I worked in a bakery one time and they accused one of their competitors of using box cake. It was funny how they pointed fingers. My family loves my cake, but it is because of my icing mostly. :-D
June Kowalczyk said:I almost always use boxed cake. Most people do not have a discriminating palate. They are, sadly, use to "store bought" cake. I do "doctor" the mix tho. I make from scratch for family & clients that ask. Good from scratch ingredients are $$$, & being a hobby baker, I can't write it off. If your cakes taste good ( no one has complained about mine ), and your customer is satisfied, then everyone is happy. If anyone wants excellent scratch recipes, with the science of how, why, utensils, pans, etc., then get "The Cake Bible" cookbook. My go to for all cakes from scratch.
Like Dawn said, you don't eat cake everyday.
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Yes, it us HOW, you actually make the cake that matters. Whether it is box or scratch. And ya, I totally am with you about icing. I have several wicked recipes for icing & fillings.
My daughter made cupcakes for my 60th B-day a week ago, & everyone at the party Raved about them. They Loved the icing. SOoooo, I taught her well!!!!
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LOL, I bet you did. It took me about 15 years to come up with the perfect icing recipe. I tried just about all of them and the last one is the one I stuck with. My husband has always been my biggest fan/critic, so when he tells me something is GOOD, I listen. Turns out everybody else loves it too, so I don't let anybody change my mind.
June Kowalczyk said:Yes, it us HOW, you actually make the cake that matters. Whether it is box or scratch. And ya, I totally am with you about icing. I have several wicked recipes for icing & fillings.
My daughter made cupcakes for my 60th B-day a week ago, & everyone at the party Raved about them. They Loved the icing. SOoooo, I taught her well!!!!
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Yup.....you r right about that. My husband is also a good critic. Once you find THE icing, it is a keeper. My daughter has mentioned I might "tweak" it, ie: flavoring ( I have found a smidge of wilton's butter flavor + almond work best, they compliment, don't over power )
Cause she doesn't like almond flavoring.
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