Have You Tried The Whimsical Bakehouse Yellow Cake?
Baking By cookielicious Updated 18 Jan 2006 , 8:27pm by acquarius
I just got this book and I think I am going to try the yellow cake recipe. has anyone tried this and what were your thoughts on it? Thanks!
Yes I have its one of my favorites cake book. The yellow cake is wonderful, enjoy.
Thanks for the replies! I'm actually baking this cake right now! I'll post my thoughts soon!
i haven't tried this one, but have tried quite a few of the others in the book. So far, everyone of them have been wonderful!!!
Well, I made this cake yesterday! The yellow one in the book. It turned out nicely, but baking at 350 degrees as suggested was too hot and my edges started to burn. I used a 9 x 13. It made enough batter for that size pan. I turned the oven down to 325. I should have known better! I usually bake at 325 anyway. It tasted pretty good. It wasn't real buttery flavored though. It turned out a light yellow. It was semi-moist. Overall, it was pretty good, I'm going to use it for a birthday cake I have to do soon.
Oh my word..I haven't tried the yellow cake recipe from WBH but I have tried some of the others. The Cookies and Cream..whooo-hoo Nellie! And I made the Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Cheesecake that is to die for!
Well, I made this cake yesterday! The yellow one in the book. It turned out nicely, but baking at 350 degrees as suggested was too hot and my edges started to burn. I used a 9 x 13. It made enough batter for that size pan. I turned the oven down to 325. I should have known better! I usually bake at 325 anyway. It tasted pretty good. It wasn't real buttery flavored though. It turned out a light yellow. It was semi-moist. Overall, it was pretty good, I'm going to use it for a birthday cake I have to do soon.
Do you have an oven thermometer?? To me it seems like your oven is hotter than 350 degrees. This one of the things i learned from mistakes and reading.
I know my oven (and it 's a new one ) is about 50 degrees higher even if you put it on the right temp yourself so that's why i have an oven .
And that's of of the reason i think the edges started to burn.
Also what kind of pan did you use ?/ Darker pan or glass pan tends to burn faster from my experience.
These are some of the reasons why a scratch cake does not come as moist as it should be.
Good luck
ashianadotkom, I don't have an oven thermometer, but you are probably right about my temp. being wrong. I baked the cake in a wilton 9x13 pan. Does it help to use the flower nail in the middle? I have those bake even strips too. I've never used them on a sheet pan before though.
I don't think the flower nail is for that use, it is so the cakes in a deeper or higher pan bakes in the middle.
I never used the baking even strips because i never had the need to buy it
It is definetely worthed to buy an oven thermometer. I think you can get them at walmart or bake at 325 degrees (which is actually higher)like you said you do until you get one so you don't have to guess!!
Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.
I just do not have good luck with scratch cakes. I have tried all the different methods and all the tricks that come down the pike (so to speak!) and it is just always disappoining to me how they turn out. I am one that was raised on the cake mixes, and just cannot get used to the "quirks" of the scratch cake baking. The Cake Mix Doctor has been my saving grace.
I just do not have good luck with scratch cakes. I have tried all the different methods and all the tricks that come down the pike (so to speak!) and it is just always disappoining to me how they turn out. I am one that was raised on the cake mixes, and just cannot get used to the "quirks" of the scratch cake baking. The Cake Mix Doctor has been my saving grace.
me too... I keep trying, but I get more Kudos when I use a cakemix, and add my own stuff...
It was not my attempt to start another cake mix or scratch baking post.
I was simply trying to help someone with a sratch baking question...see title!!
We are trying to do the same.....everyone has a different opinion, and none of them are wrong. 
I try to let folks know when they make a scratch cake and it isn't what they thought it would be that they are not alone. It sure beats them getting all depressed about it....letting them know that there are those of us who have issues with them too. (not wanting to get anythning started or aggravate anyone here!)
What I was really wondering was what (in the scratch cake ingredients) will make it moist. Is it the eggs? Is it the milk? What can I add to make it more moist?
I know that most of the folks that make the scratch cakes usually pour a simple syrup on them to add the moistness. Some use a mister to spray it on. SquirrellyCakes has one that a lot of people like - the watered down apricot glaze. There are some that add a nice liquor to the simple syrup (or use it alone!) that is a flavor that enhances the scratch cake flavor too. Good luck!
There was a post that explained that those of us who grew up with the texture of a mix have a difficult time with realizing that a scratch cake is going to be a different crumb and texture.
It's everything. 
You can add more butter, but that might make the cake too heavy. I haven't tried the WBH cake so I don't know how it turns out. I don't change my oven temp since I realized that my oven is different temps depending on where the thermometer is placed. I just check the cake 10min before it's supposed to be done. I do not cook any cake (scratch or cakemix) till a toothpick no longer has crumbs. I take the cake out while crumbs still stick to the toothpick.
Syrups are used for added flavor or to keep a scratch cake moist when it will not be eaten for a couple of days. I make scratch cakes for myself and family/friends. I keep them in the fridge and they stay moist approx 3 days. You can take a yellow scratch cake and use different syrups to make different flavors. Since the scratch cake is heavier, it can absorb the syrups and not fall apart.
hope this make sense. dd is talking a mile a minute to me.
Ohhhh.... I know what I did wrong..... I mixed that sucker until it was thouroughly mixed! I am used to cake mixes that you mix for 2 minutes on high! Yikes! I guess I created a lot of gluten? I will make it again in a week or so (this is KILLING my diet!) and stir until moistened.
"When making any butter cake, it is very important to cream the butter and sugar thoroughly. This incorporates air and is the key to producing a high-rising cake. Remember that baking powder or baking soda will not create bubbles in a batter; they will only make the existing bubbles larger. Only thourough creaming can create those all-important bubbles.
Be sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature to reduce the chances of curdling. Scrape down the the sides of the bowl often during the creaming and mixing stages"
This is quoted from the "Our Favorite Butter Cake" from The Baker's Dozen Cookbook.
Not sure if that will help you or not....thought I would post what they had to say about the butter cake in their book though. Good luck!
No, never need to mix the batter that long. If the recipe is an alternating dry/wet ingredient type, just give the mix a whir for about 20-30sec after each addition.
I'm going to do some baking this week and I will give the WBH yellow cake a try. I would also like to try a banana cake, but am afraid I might not be able to part with it. Who willingly gives away a good banana cake?
Just wanted to second what Quadcrew said. I have a basic scratch cake recipe that I use and initially the cakes were coming out good, fine crumbs. I guess I got over confident with my new KA and using the same recipe I began to get cakes with larger crumbs. I did make cakes to give for other people for a while until I figured it out.
What I was doing wrong was NOT creaming the sugar and the butter long enough! I found out this past weekend. I creamed longer and followed the same inst. and adding the same ingredients and Wooalaaaaa!
Just wanted to add my 2 cents.
I don't have the book you are talking about though.
How do you know when you have creamed the sugar and butter long enough? I have always thought I did it okay, but now I am not so sure. Is it not supposed to look gritty anymore?
Wcgirl, from my experience, which is not long- must warn you I have noticed that the sugar never dissolve or dissapear completely. Last August I did the first Wilton course and the Insturctor told me that it will disapper. The day I went home I creamed for almost an hour so I called a lady who makes cake in the area and she told me that with the recipe I have, that is not true, after all that creaming the cake was fine textured. Since then I have followed the following.
I add the butter to the mixer, cream about two minutes until it is smooth, then I add one cup of sugar at a time ( I make one pound of cake, meaning my recipe uses one pound of flour) and cream after each addition of sugar. I haven't timed myself really but the point I try to reach now that I realize it is when the butter and sugar gets fluffy, but like I say from my recipe the sugar is well blended or creamed with the butter, but if I rub the creamed mixture bt. finers, I can feel the sugar, it's not smooth.
I would like to hear the experiences of other cc members on this.
Wcgirl, ignore the line in my previous post which says " since then I have followed the following" because, in the beginning I used to do as explained, but when I got my KA I just added the sugar all at one and I just didn't get that fluffy looking creaming anymore because I believe I just wan't creaming enuf.over confidence I guess.
Then recently when I started following that creaming method again-making sure to achieve that fluffy cream.
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