I have tried to make this recipe twice now. I really like the taste. The first time I made it I thought maybe it didn't turn out because I added whole eggs and maybe didn't add enough. The second time I added the right amount of eggs but it still turned out the same. The cake comes out gooey and crumbly even though I am baking it a long time and a toothpick comes out clean. What am I doing wrong?

I think I will stick with just box cakes for now as I want to practice decorating.


Erin

Hmmm - that's odd. I have made it a few times now, white and chocolate versions - and not had a problem. Try again, maybe? Sorry you are having such trouble with it. It's a great cake.

Maybe your oven temp is too low. What kind of pan are you using?

No help on the WASC (Im a decorator first, with an interest in baking. ) but have you considered using dummy cakes to practice on?

I just did a 11 x 15 tonight and I had to bake it at 325 for an hour and 15 minutes before it was done. The oven can't be any higher, and it takes longer than the recipe says. Hope this helps, because this is my favorite cake and it's too bad you're having trouble with it! Try again!

Hi, I just made my first WASC this past weekend. It turned out great. I think you might have just baked it to long. I preheat my oven to 325 for most of my cakes. I also remove the cake when a toothpick comes out almost clean. For me thats the key.

MaxTRexmom - I have used a regular 9" cake pan the kind with the bottom that detaches also a 6" springform pan but both of them turned out the same. The recipe says to bake at 325, should I try 350?

CakeMakar - I might just do that. I am only just working on my second cake since finding this site recently and I am already sick of cake!

tracey1970 - It does taste really good! Maybe after it cools it will firm up a bit.

Thanks,
Erin

Have you tried my **original** WASC recipe??
That cake does have a tendency to be a bit sticky on the top when it is done but should not be dry and crumbly.
My *original* recipe uses whole eggs not just whites.

What is your "original" WASC recipe? Were you the first to make a WASC? (I'm not being a smart-arse, I'm genuinely questioning - why the *original*?)

l am so glad you wrote this post.
l have tried making WASC 3 times. Each time it comes out very crumbly, dry and barely rises, although it does taste good. l follow the instructions perfectly each time.
What am I doing wrong???
l never have problems with any other cakes and everyone else raves about this one! One day l will try again, but after so many failures it hardly seems worth it.

There was a post recently about alleged 'bad' Duncan Hines white cake mixes dated around April 19-23, 2009. Apparently, they don't rise properly. That may be the source of your problem.

what the @#$% is a WASC????

White
Almond
Sour
Cream

Cake

Oops double post.

Oh, you must keep trying this cake! It is abslutely the best recipe I have ever had for white cake and get soo many compliments on it. I have been playing with some variations of it and all have been wonderful! Dont give up!

Here is the link for the original recipe:
http://www.recipezaar.com/309528

I have found that mine turns out better when I half it when mixing. I tend to over mix to get it all incorporated. Then it sinks in the middle and will tend to be a little gooey. I think adding the whole eggs will help also. The first time I made it I used a hand mixer and it turned out great! My Kitchenaid stand mixer bowl just isn't big enough to mix the whole recipe without over mixing.

It may not be you...I was never really impressed with WASC. It's rubbery dense and a little bland IMO.

Try this cake:

Cake:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 large egg whites
2 t. vanilla extract ( must be real vanilla)
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped.
3 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk


To make the cake: Place one baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350-f degrees. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour (or spray with baking spray).

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanillas and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add about half of the buttermilk and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping the bowl down and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick and glossy.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean and tops are flat and browned. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one me be done at a different time.

Set the cake pans on racks to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely before frosting.

Thanks for the "original" recipe. I can't wait to try it! I love WASC but I get holes.

i tried the recipe without the oil in it, and didn't like the texture at all, it was sticky & gooey. i've never tried the other recipe with oil.

but i figured out, it must have been my mistake that it turned gooey, maybe overmixing? tho i did follow the directions to mix only for 2 minutes (if i am not mistaken, on medium.. had a timer on for that).
i will try again until i get this right.

however, i used almond essence & wasn't thrilled with the taste, maybe if it was extract, it might taste awesome, not sure. my 'failed' wasc ended up being turned into cake balls.