I was just wondering how long it took you guys to come up with your final cake flavours that you offer. I have baked TONS of cakes, but I feel like none of them (except my carrot cake) have been that "must use again" cake.

TIA

I don't offer cakes (not in business). I'm just picky. After 8 months I finally have a chocolate cupcake I like, actually two. One is a little denser than the other.

I'm still working on a vanilla one, but I think the problem might be my pans, so I switched out those.

And now I am researching red velvet. Right now I have 6 dozen cupcakes destined for the trash bin. They are just too dry to eat even with frosting. So, yeah, a long time for me. But I don't bake every day either.

This probably does not help you, I just wanted to give you encouragement to keep at it.

I have tried several, and the one that continues to be my favorite (and others) is the WASC (with oil). It has the best flavor of all of them. I don't consider it to be gummy, but very moist.

I've been working on finding my recipes for a year. So far I have yellow and maybe chocolate. I say maybe because I'm not sure I can get reliable results from the recipe. That's my biggest problem: getting the exact same results every time.

After about 2 years of playing around in my free time, I've found a white scratch recipe that I like. My chocolate has always been scratch though. BUT, I am always willing to try new recipes!

Rose_N_Crantz, would you be willing to share your go-to scratch white cake recipe? The recipe I use for chocolate cake is called Black Magic Cake -- it works for me every time! I also have a carrot cake recipe I love, but I'm looking for those perfect white and lemon cake recipes. Red Velvet's never really done where I live.

I agree with everyone else. I've been baking and lol throwing away cupcakes for about 18months now. I've found a handful of cupcake recipes that I'll stick with, but it has been the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes I've found the most challenging because there are so many variables within those flavours. I have found a couple of chocolate recipes that I really like, but like cheatize, I still need to test that I get tha same results every time.....I'm a hobbiest so I don't bake every week......

It's a work in progress. SO MANY types and flavors of cakes. Dunno that I'll ever be done. Currently I'm on a mission to find a more amazing totally scratch vanilla layer cake, this one I think is tough as the light fluffy cake is quick to dry out without all those magic ingredients of a cake mix using extenders to make it taste better. I really want an all natural super yummy moist fluffy vanilla cake though and while I have many recipes none are IT yet. Also going to have to work on Hummingbird cake.

My favorite white is also the WASC w/oil...everyone LOVES it and just tonight we had friends over and one commented that he doesn't really like white cake but can't stop eating the grad cake I made for there son last weekend! I love getting feedback like that. I am working on a kaluha cake now

Would anyone be willing to share their from scratch chocolate recipe? RIght now I use the WASC - choco variation. But would like to have a yummy chocolate cake from scratch that is fudgy!-- very chocolately!

My go to scrath recipe is "Yellow cake" found at www.wrenscottage.com .Click down at the bottom FROM KARENS KITCHEN. Lots of great information and recipes.

This is what I use. It comes out super-moist:

Original Recipe Yield 1 - 9x13 inch or 2 - 9 inch round pans

Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups white sugar
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup strong brewed coffee
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
2. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.

I've found my go-to scratch chocolate recipe: the chocolate stout cake from epicurious.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Stout-Cake-107105

It's incredibly dense, almost like a brownie when it's chilled, and that makes it really good for carving. I sometimes fill it with a Jameson-spiked ganache and frost it with Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream for a "shamrock bomb" cake.

I HAVE to try that stout cake out on my hubby!!! Love that wrens cottage site going to try the humminbird II cake off there. Shallot that choc. cake sounds a LOT like my favorite from scratch choc. cake recipe, I'm sure it's a winner.

Not only do I have the challenge of finding a recipe I love, but then I have to adapt it to altitude (I live at 5,000 feet) and make sure I get consistent results. I finally have a chocolate recipe I love and a yellow that 2 out of three times has been a hit.

Thanks for your responses! I'm glad to see that clearly, I am not the only one. I was beginning to think that maybe I was just being too picky.
I can't believe how DIFFICULT finding a good chocolate and vanilla recipe is I used to think they would be the easiest, boy was I wrong.
I am just a hobby baker, who 100% loves to decorate, but this baking is proving to be much more of a challenge.
To top it off, my hubby doesn't even like sweets (crazy, I know), so asking him to see what he thinks is pointless, lol. My kids, well kids will love everything if it's called dessert.
Again, thank you for your reponses, it really gave me that kick in the behind to keep at it

Steplite, thanks so much for sharing Karen's Kitchen website with us! I just made the yellow cake recipe and it's delicious! One website I'm fond of is www.bakingbites.com -- it's actually a blog with some fantastic recipes!

Your welcome Shalott. I like the Bakingbites site too.