The Great Scratch-Off...yellow Cakes

Decorating By Lita829 Updated 31 Jan 2018 , 3:49pm by MBalaska

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maryjsgirl Posted 13 Jun 2009 , 10:15pm
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Originally Posted by moreCakePlz

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Originally Posted by maryjsgirl

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Originally Posted by moreCakePlz

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Originally Posted by Lita829

Sure,Cupcakeshoppe, I don't see why not icon_smile.gif Thanks for your critique.

Oh....I agree with SayHellojana. I sampled my cakes at room temp, also.



I test at room temp also, except if it is a cupcake. I eat one of those babies hot out of the oven. It burns but it is so good that way. icon_surprised.gif

I have Sylvia's new yellow cake recipe in the oven now. Did anyone else notice a funny lumpy texture to the batter after the milk was added to the creamed butter and sugar? It almost looked like it curdled. The batter tasted okay, but I'm a little worried about it.



Was the milk cold when you added it?



The milk was cool, but not cold. I had everything (eggs, butter, sour cream, milk) sitting on the counter for about an hour before I started mixing.




I may be wrong, but I always thought that is what caused that curdled look. The cold ingredient being introduced causing the butter to solidify again and sort of separate.

I don't know if it actually hurts anything though.

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moreCakePlz Posted 13 Jun 2009 , 10:27pm
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Originally Posted by maryjsgirl

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Originally Posted by moreCakePlz

Quote:
Originally Posted by maryjsgirl

Quote:
Originally Posted by moreCakePlz

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lita829

Sure,Cupcakeshoppe, I don't see why not icon_smile.gif Thanks for your critique.

Oh....I agree with SayHellojana. I sampled my cakes at room temp, also.



I test at room temp also, except if it is a cupcake. I eat one of those babies hot out of the oven. It burns but it is so good that way. icon_surprised.gif

I have Sylvia's new yellow cake recipe in the oven now. Did anyone else notice a funny lumpy texture to the batter after the milk was added to the creamed butter and sugar? It almost looked like it curdled. The batter tasted okay, but I'm a little worried about it.



Was the milk cold when you added it?



The milk was cool, but not cold. I had everything (eggs, butter, sour cream, milk) sitting on the counter for about an hour before I started mixing.



I may be wrong, but I always thought that is what caused that curdled look. The cold ingredient being introduced causing the butter to solidify again and sort of separate.

I don't know if it actually hurts anything though.




Sounds logical. Maybe the friction created by the act of creaming heated the butter, sugar, and eggs so that they were warmer than the milk. Next time I may microwave the milk for a few seconds just to warm it up a bit.

Thanks for your insight.

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sweetpea223 Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 12:03am
post #183 of 425

Hi Ladies!

I've been following this blog since the beginning and got hooked to how all these cakes would turn out. I am a scratch baker and I like trying out recipes that looked interesting. Since there are so many different versions of yellow cake and I wasn't sure whether I could bake some, I couldn't really chime in and say I'd try one of the recipes. Anyway, I needed to try out Sylvia's recipe since everyone was raving about it and to make sure I can make this for my niece's birthday in 2 weeks. So, I tried some other cakes... Martha's red velvet ( of which now I shld've used Cakeman Raven's), Vanilla Buttermilk I got from the internet but very similar to the recipe included in this scratch off (only there would 4 eggs instead of 5 and 2 egg yolks) and Sylvia's yellow cake.... (all made in half recipes)

I did something wrong with Sylvia's recipe icon_cry.gif ... so it flopped but it really tasted good. Vanilla buttermilk I made was moist and very tasty... I would make both of them again...but for my niece's birthday...Vanilla Buttermilk is what I will make for her. Will try to attach photos later

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dynee Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 12:06am
post #184 of 425

Lostbaker,
Did you give us a numerical rating(1-10) for the Cshell cake? If so I must have overlooked it. Thanks for the clarification

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cakesweetiecake Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 1:09am
post #185 of 425

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I am an exclusively scratch baker. I am making Sylvia's new recipe now. I experienced curdling after adding the milk and vanilla. However, I wasnt too worried about it. I figured I'd continue on and see what happens. The mix came together just fine after adding the flour and sour cream. There are other recipes that I've made in the past that also curdled. However, there is usually a warning telling you, "the batter may look curdled". LOL! Perhaps, this is normal for the recipe and it just wasnt stated? In the recipe that I am thinking of, that recipe also calls for creaming the butter and sugar, adding the eggs and adding another ingredient before adding the flour. Adding that ingredient before the flour causes it to curdle in that recipe. While curdling may not be the norm in this recipe, it may not be cause for alarm.

Also, I didnt have any ginger on hand and I didnt want to shell out $5 for something that I probably wouldnt use much outside of this recipe. So, I substituted allspice for ginger. I tasted the batter and it is oooooooooo, soooo good!

I will report back with my results.

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moreCakePlz Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 4:05am
post #186 of 425

Well my test of Sylvia's New Yellow Cake was a total flop. I baked it this morning, and because I had a wedding to go, I wrapped it in plastic wrap (after it had cooled) to keep it fresh.

When I unwrapped it this afternoon I noticed that the bottom of the cake had an oily look. I cut out a test piece and found that the cake was super, super moist to the point of being wet. It didnât taste undercooked (actually the flavor was great), but it tasted like the cooked cake had been soaked in melted butter. Yuck. I threw the whole thing in the trash.

Iâm not going to rate the recipe because I guess I did something wrong to make it come out so horrible.

I needed a cake for a family event tomorrow, so I whipped up the Downey Yellow Cake recipe this evening. Iâll have a full report tomorrow after the family has a chance to taste it.
LL
LL

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artscallion Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 11:28am
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I also had a problem with the new SW recipe. When I cut into it, the top half of the cake looked fine. But the bottom half was a thick, almost solid, mass. I did substitute buttermilk for the sour cream (something I do often with no issues) so that may have been the problem. I won't judge the recipe until I've tried it again. I didn't taste it to see if it tasted, as moreCakePlz stated, like it was soaked in butter, as it looked a little too nasty to eat. So I just tossed it.

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notapro Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 1:39pm
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Gosh, I wasn't going to post that I tried the new SW recipe last night, but after reading the posts by artscallion and moreCakePlz, I decided to. I got the same exact results they did.

First, the cake shrank immensely. Instead of baking in two 8x3" pans, I baked it in two 8x2 inch pans. I only filled the pans 2/3 full (3 1/2 cups batter in each pan) and had around a cup of batter leftover. I expected the cake to rise, but it shrank instead. The two layers were only 1 1/4" high each.

When I cut into it the top looked ok, but the bottom was almost solid looking (like artscallion described). I figured I under baked it even though I did the toothpick test as the recipe suggested and the sides of the cake were pulling away from the pan (as the recipe said it would). I really couldn't get pass the gross texture to determine if the flavor was good. I took a picture and will try to figure out how to post a picture when my toddler naps this afternoon.

I wasn't going to post my results since I figured I might have made a few mistakes, but after seeing others with the same result, I thought I would share. I am going to try it again and see if I get different results. This time I plan to make sure the milk is at room temperature (I used cold milk) and will use whole milk instead of fat free, lactose free milk (which is the only thing I had in the fridge last night). Any other suggestions?

edited for typos

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moreCakePlz Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:07pm
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Has anyone had success with the New SW Yellow Cake?

Iâm wondering if there is a misprint in the recipe?

If the original SW recipe worked and tasted perfect, how can a whole cup of milk be added without throwing off the balance? Wouldnât you have to add more flour, eggs, or reduce the sour cream to get everything to even out again?

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CourtneysSweets Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:16pm
post #190 of 425

I have the new SW yellow cake in the oven.. We'll see.

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Lita829 Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:24pm
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I haven't tried the NEW SW Yellow Cake recipe yet but I was thinking the same thing as MoreCakePlz....that adding a whole cup of milk to a perfect recipe could throw off the balance.

Just my 2 cents. I'm not a professional baker but I was just wondering.......

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CourtneysSweets Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:36pm
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The recipe says the top should be browned but mine still looks white.. and the sides are actually dark brown.. I'll take it out in about 10 minutes..

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lostbaker Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:44pm
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Sorry I forgot to give a rating... I'd give it an 8!

An about the SW recipe, I'm kinda thinking, why mess with a good thing. The old recipe is pretty good, and comes out well! Why change it?

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CourtneysSweets Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:52pm
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Wow that was disgusting.. it's seriously like mush.. I couldn't even swallow what I tasted.. icon_cry.gif
Did the other reviews come from the old recipe? If so I'll be making that.. I definitely don't recommend this!


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Deb_ Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:54pm
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I've made it 4 times now with the addition of the milk and ginger and it came out perfect all 4 times.

I'm wondering if those of you that had a problem with it are rushing the mixing process.

I found even with her original recipe that I cream the (room temp) butter/sugar for a lot longer then the recommended 2 minutes.

It is very important that all of your ingred are at room temp, including the milk and sour cream. (artscallion I think subbing the buttermilk for sour cream in this recipe is too much liquid along with the cup of reg milk).

I cream the butter/sugar (on speed 3) for a good 5 minutes, until it's almost white in color and double in volume in my KA bowl. I then add 1 egg yolk at a time and mix an additional 2 min after adding each egg yolk.

I slowly add the room temp milk (1/4 cup or less at a time) mixing at least 2 min after each addition.

Same method with the vanilla.

When I begin the flour/sour cream additions I turn the KA down to a 2 and very slowly add flour scraping down the sides, then sour cream scraping down the sides until all is added.

I think the most important step in this cake is the addition of the whipped egg whites. You want them to be soft peaks but not too soft, yet not stiff and dry either. They need to be well incorporated right down to the bottom of your bowl. Gently folding so as not to deflate them.

Your batter should never look curdled, if it does your ingredients are too cool/cold. Even your egg yolks should be room temp. I've never gotten the curdled look.

The batter should look and feel like silk, it should not be gritty (if it is, use super fine sugar or put granulated sugar through a food processor to make it fine) It should have a "sheen" to it.

You can't rush the mixing on this cake. It takes me a good 30 minutes to mix one batch the right way.

I use 3" pans (2- 8") and it rises about 1/3" above the top of the pan.

Another important thing to remember is to bake in the center of your oven and don't open the door at all during the baking process. When you start smelling "cake" it's finished.

The cakes will be "barely golden", not brown. The sides and bottom will be a beautiful "golden" yellow color, not brown.

It will shrink back a little but not too much.

Your finished cake should be very light and fluffy, extremely moist and buttery but not soggy and oily.

It should "melt in your mouth" when you eat it.

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AKA_cupcakeshoppe Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 2:54pm
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Has anyone succeeded with the new recipe?

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Deb_ Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 3:01pm
post #197 of 425
Quote:
Originally Posted by moreCakePlz

Well my test of Sylvia's New Yellow Cake was a total flop. I baked it this morning, and because I had a wedding to go, I wrapped it in plastic wrap (after it had cooled) to keep it fresh.

When I unwrapped it this afternoon I noticed that the bottom of the cake had an oily look. I cut out a test piece and found that the cake was super, super moist to the point of being wet. It didnât taste undercooked (actually the flavor was great), but it tasted like the cooked cake had been soaked in melted butter. Yuck. I threw the whole thing in the trash.

Iâm not going to rate the recipe because I guess I did something wrong to make it come out so horrible.

I needed a cake for a family event tomorrow, so I whipped up the Downey Yellow Cake recipe this evening. Iâll have a full report tomorrow after the family has a chance to taste it.




morecakeplz........are you baking in the middle of your oven? The reason I ask is your pic's of the crumbs and bottom of the cake look very dark. Either your oven temp is not correct or your rack is too low.

Also your cake color looks really yellow and it shouldn't be. I'm not sure if it's your camera or not. What I'm thinking is that you are not creaming your butter/sugar long enough.

This cake is actually "almost" white in color when it's finished. It's a very very pale yellow.

I think undermixing and baking at too high a temp or too low in your oven are the problems.

Oh I just thought of something else. I have a 6qt KA and when I'm finished mixing this the batter is almost to the top of the bowl. There is a lot of "air" incorporated into the batter and it becomes very fluffy.

I'm sorry so many of you guys are having problems with this recipe. It really is a great one and I hope you don't give up on it.

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dynee Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 3:04pm
post #198 of 425

dkelly,
I'm sure you are right, and having never tried either cake, I am a little reluctant to try the newer version. I don't like finicky recipes that even have the chance of failing. If something can go wrong, it will with me.
Tell me is the end result worth the extra time and care?

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CourtneysSweets Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 3:08pm
post #199 of 425

Mine isn't as bad as the others said but for me I find it too moist.. I've had cakes like this before and just rather my cakes a little less moist.

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Deb_ Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 3:16pm
post #200 of 425

Hi dynee, you're right it is a "temperamental" recipe but I truly feel it is worth perfecting.

courtnchris..........your cake color was perfect, see how much lighter it is then the pic above yours. That tells me that you mixed it enough but that maybe your oven temp was off a little.

What temp did you bake at? I find about 340 degrees is perfect.


I've been using her original recipe for quite a while and while I always liked it I did notice that it was easy to "dry it out" if you over baked it.

I find the newer version is just what this recipe needed. The addition of the milk makes this moist every time.

But having said that....it shouldn't be "wet" moist. It definitely should be light and fluffy.

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CourtneysSweets Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 3:18pm
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I felt like it needed to be less moist, maybe 1/2 cup a milk instead of the whole cup would have been okay. But for me I didn't feel texture in the cake.. Just mushy. icon_sad.gif I wanted to like it, and also didn't even taste the ginger! Had a great flavor just the texture.
ETA: Baked it at 350

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Deb_ Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 3:30pm
post #202 of 425
Quote:
Originally Posted by CourtnChris

I felt like it needed to be less moist, maybe 1/2 cup a milk instead of the whole cup would have been okay. But for me I didn't feel texture in the cake.. Just mushy. icon_sad.gif I wanted to like it, and also didn't even taste the ginger! Had a great flavor just the texture.
ETA: Baked it at 350




Yea I get what you mean. But, did you cut into it while it was still hot?

If you do try it again try lowering the temp and baking a little longer. I'm not sure where you live but maybe cutting back on the milk a little would help too.

Judging from your picture you almost got it, it looks great.

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pattycakesnj Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 4:37pm
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I tried the new SW recipe yesterday, it came out great though it did shrink a lot (and I mean a lot) the top was a little wet but all in all was very good

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notapro Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 5:32pm
post #204 of 425

dkelly- Thanks so much for the suggestions. I am going to try your ideas out on my next test run of the new SW recipe. I used her recipe (including suggested mixing times) exactly as it was written since our "scratch off- yellow cake "rules" said to follow instructions and don't make substitutions. I am going to try and increase the mixing times to see if I get better results and really appreciate that you took the time to make the suggestions, but can results of a recipe that we revised (albeit slightly) invalidate the "official" (do we even have official?) results?

Anyway- one more question for you (if you don't mind answering). I am sitting here watching my eggs (already cracked and in a bowl) and milk on the counter getting to room temperature (for the paula dean cake) and I am getting nervous. I get soooo paranoid about food poisoning or the food going bad. Obviously I am a rookie, so can you tell me about how long it's safe to leave out things like milk, eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese in roder for them to get to room temperature?

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cas17 Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 6:21pm
post #205 of 425

dlkelly you are so right about rushing the mixing process will give poor results. i have made sw recipe many times and if i rush it does not cook up correctly and will fall & shrink (where it looks kinda like a pyramid is the best way i can describe it) into a mushy mess. but when i take the time to mix things fully, like the eggs (i put the whole egg in but only 2 of the yolks) and add the liquids in a slow stream, mixing well till it looks well mixed and creamy, then the cake comes out perfectly. i mostly do doctored cakes but i do love sw when i need to do a scratch and i really have to switch gears in my head as to how to proceed.

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CourtneysSweets Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 6:29pm
post #206 of 425

Just wanted to update that I made the New SW with only 1/4 cup milk. I think it's perfect! icon_smile.gif

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Deb_ Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 6:36pm
post #207 of 425
Quote:
Originally Posted by notapro

dkelly- Thanks so much for the suggestions. I am going to try your ideas out on my next test run of the new SW recipe. I used her recipe (including suggested mixing times) exactly as it was written since our "scratch off- yellow cake "rules" said to follow instructions and don't make substitutions. I am going to try and increase the mixing times to see if I get better results and really appreciate that you took the time to make the suggestions, but can results of a recipe that we revised (albeit slightly) invalidate the "official" (do we even have official?) results?

Anyway- one more question for you (if you don't mind answering). I am sitting here watching my eggs (already cracked and in a bowl) and milk on the counter getting to room temperature (for the paula dean cake) and I am getting nervous. I get soooo paranoid about food poisoning or the food going bad. Obviously I am a rookie, so can you tell me about how long it's safe to leave out things like milk, eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese in roder for them to get to room temperature?




I'm with you I don't like to let my ingredients sit out for more then an hour. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry though I'll separate the eggs and place the bowl that holds the yolks over a bowl of warm water to take the chill off them. Then I do the same thing with the whites so when I need to whip them they're room temp to the touch.

You can slightly warm your milk if you need to, but you really don't want it "warm" because then it will melt your butter. So maybe 15 seconds in the microwave (depending on how powerful yours is) would be enough to get the chill out.

cas17 you're absolutely right about the mixing time. I've adjusted them over time and the less I rush it the better the results. I'm not sure about the rules of the "scratch off" but I do think some of the times should be edited, especially the creaming of the butter/sugar.

courtnchris.......awesome! Wow you guys are gonna have a LOT of cake to eat...........hey we'll be right over to help ya! thumbs_up.gif

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cakesweetiecake Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 7:02pm
post #208 of 425

My batter came together in the end, even prior to mixing the in the flour. I creamed alot longer than the recipe suggested, as I always do. My eggs were out for a while. Perhaps, the yolks could've still been a little cold. Everything else had been out for a while and was room temperature.

I made sure to whip my eggs enough, too. I also used 3 8inch pans. The batter rose while cooking, but there was alot of shrinkage once it cooled.

I still have yet to slice it. I am procrastinating on making the icing. LOL! I plan to have it for dessert tonight.

Even if this turns out to be good, I doubt that I will replace this with my go-to yellow cake. It's just much more involved. Perhaps, I could use other spices in it and have it as an alternate flavor.

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cakesweetiecake Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 7:09pm
post #209 of 425

Ok, I am back. I couldnt resist trying it. I figured I'd try it before spending time to make the icing.

Well, er um - it's going in the TRASH! I definitely did something wrong. It tastes great, but there was a "gumminess" in the texture! What a hit to my ego! LOL! I considered myself to be a pretty good baker. Geez! lol! I'm thankful for this thread b/c it lets me know that it was my human error and alas, there is hope for the recipe. I will take the advice given and give it a try again in the next couple of weeks!

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CourtneysSweets Posted 14 Jun 2009 , 7:16pm
post #210 of 425

It was definitely too much milk for me. I did everything exactly the same second time around except used 1/4 cup milk and it's PERFECT! Great cake, definitely going in my recipe binder!

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