First off, please excuse any typos, bf and daughter are to bed and I've had a bloody mary...or three.

...moving right along..

I made this wonderful recipe yesterday:
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dtxcrsv_94f2877ghh

Raspberry Almond Cupcakes

From Joy the Bakers blog

*Courtesy of Candes



1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup fresh raspberries, roughly chopped


makes 12 cupcakes

Put a rack in the middle of the oen and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt inside a bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and almond extract. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until incorporated. Fold in the raspberries.
Divide the batter among lined muffin cups. Bake until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto a rack to cool completely.
Spread frosting on cupcakes once cooled.


I frosted the cuppies with my usual vanilla buttercream and ate one about two hours later. The taste was WONDERFUL, however, the texture was dry and crumbly. SOOOO crumbly! I mean, like, mess all over crumbly.

My question is, is this the expected texture, or did I over bake? I did bake for about five minutes longer than the recipe called for because they were still very pale and a toothpick came out pretty much covered in goo.


Any input/ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Mandy

I don't think you overbaked... homemade cakes definitely have a different crumb and texture. The taste is incredible I'm sure but you'll need a glass of milk!

That's a scratch recipe for you. That's one of the reasons why people use box mix just doctored up. Smells so good though. For some reason I have always thought that scratch recipes smell much better, weird I know. Maybe not taste better but the smell....mmmm. Box mix no matter what flavor cake smells like cake. Scratch you know if it's choc, almond,lemon...etc.

Ya what yeastconfection said , but here's what I alway's do add sourcream it will alway's help moisten it up and maybe a dab of corn syrup or alittle more butter here and there , but ya the sc trick is the best i'd say for a 9x13 cake recipe 8 oz or little less . Just a bit ok hope u continue to scratch bake I do both mix and scratch and love both , depends on my mood . Hey any one ever tried cream cheese poundcake yum !

I always take my scratch cakes out while there is still a slight mush when you touch the top of the cake. There will be crumbs if tested at this point too.

Remember that a cake will continue baking after you remove it from the oven. So if you take it out while "perfect" it will continue to cook a few minutes past that.