Hi Everyone:

Does anyone have a GREAT Yellow Cake receipe from scratch that's moist that you can share with me? I saw a posting out there that states that Duncan Hines changed their formula -- I believe it because the yellow cake I made the other day was kinda dry! So I'm in desperate search of a yellow cake receipe that's moist. The chocolate cake on the back of the Hershey Coca can is REALLY moist and I'm looking for something with that texture. Any help? Do you think adding oil, sour cream, pudding would help with the texture? Any help out there is appreciated!!!

Thanks a million ....

Not sure if I did this right

Do a search in the Recipes and Recipe Tips forums. There are more than a few threads on best yellow and white cake scratch recipes with lots of baker's comments and tips. My preference is for Cook's Illustrated yellow and white cake recipes. You will find both of those recipes posted plus more.

Plan to devote some time to trying different recipes until you find what you're looking for in terms of taste, texture, etc. Then you can tweak from there to get your own perfect yellow cake.

Scratch baking takes care, trial and error. Weigh your ingredients, don't overbeat, make sure your oven is calibrated and watch your bake times. If you can do these things you will be able to create a moist cake from scratch.

Thanks snowboarder.... You are right .. it defintely takes time!

I really like the Whimsical Bakehouse Yellow Butter Cake recipe.


And their chocolate recipe .. the book is worth every penny, I think.

Toba Garrett's yellow cake is a great American style cake.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/109358

Thank you !! I actually tried making Toba's receipe and mine came out a little too flourly Maybe I put too much flower in.. not sure. Also it was a little dry so I make have overcooked it? Not sure...

What has been your experience..? Any tips?

Scratch cake aren't like mixes. You can over mix them and that can definitely lead to dryness. I bake my cakes at 300 degrees. The never crown ( meaning they stay nice and flat) and they're quite moist.

Try adding an extra 1/3 cup sugar as well. Sugar is a humectant. It holds moisture, and most people people who eat mix based cakes are used to an oversweet cake and a mouth feel that is completely different and unachievable without loads of transfat and propylene glycol. A good scratch cake will feel velvety compared to a sort of rubbery texture in a mix cake.

If you think your cake is too floury then make sure you sift your cake flour before you measure.Scooping flour out while measuring can compact it and you can end up with too much flour. I always measure ingredients by weight rather than volume to make sure the amounts are accurate.

Oh, and always double the amount of vanilla in a yellow cake recipe. I never use less than 2 tbs. of vanilla in anything.

Thanks so much for the tip!!! I'm going to try and make this receipe again!! Using the tips you gave me. I'll let you know how it turns out!

txkat: Also, crazy question. The receipe calls for buttermilk. My store only has low fat buttermilk.. will that make a difference in the cake?

Yes, try it again! I have made Toba's recipe several times, and it is so velvety and moist. Were you using cake flour? I think that's very important to the texture and taste of this cake.

Sugarbunz: No I didn't use cake flour -- I cheated and used all purpose flour. I'll go get cake flour in the morning and try it again.. along with adding more sugar and vanilla. Also, I'll turn my oven down to 300 and see what happens. The cake I made was heavy and floury and didn't have enough vanilla. Also, I get concerned with the buttermilk... where I live I can only get lowfat buttermilk... Not sure if that makes a difference or not? Are you able to get "real" buttermilk? Look forward to the responses!

It's very hard to find buttermilk other than nonfat in some markets. I have to special order mine for the restaurant. If you can't find it, melt 3 Tb. sour cream and add it to the buttermilk before adding it.

I can only find low fat buttermilk, and on occasion when the store is sold out or I can't get to the store I use 1 tbsp vinegar and fill to the cup with milk for every cup of regular milk (buttermilk substitute). It tastes pretty much the same either way for me.

GREAT! Thanks for the tip!!! I'll do that. The receipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk. Is there a formula for how much to add or does it matter?

One tbsp for every cup of milk. But you want to FILL to the cup, so technically it's one cup of milk - one tablespoon so that you can add the vinegar, for every cup of milk the recipe calls for. Does that make sense? In other words, if a recipe called for two cups of milk, you would first put in two tablespoons of vinegar and then fill up to the two cup line with milk. You can also use cream of tartar but I forget what the exact measurements are for that, and it's more expensive. The vinegar method is cheaper.

Ok - this really helps. So here's my options:
1. Melt 3 Tb of Sour Cream to the buttermilk before adding it to the mixture
2. Add 1tbsp of vinegar for every 1C up regular whole milk.. correct?? that will make buttermilk?

I can't wait to make this cake over?? Unfortunately I won't be able to make it until Monday night or Tuesday morning - gotta go to my 'real" job

I add 1 tb of sour cream per 1/2 c of buttermilk, and so I advise 3 tb. I never measure less than 1 tb of bulk ingredients.

ok- thanks a million! I'll post to let you know if I had success!!

As far as the vinegar option, I think that's close enough...I use whatever milk I have, usually 2% or 1%. It probably would be even better with whole milk. Not sure as the recipe doesn't specify. The recipe is not moist like the mix cakes are, but it is very good. I was really shocked this weekend because I made the white almond sour cream cake (doctored mix) and since I've done scratch for a while, I almost thought it was TOO moist. So I guess it's all in what your definition of a moist cake would be. I definately would not say this is flour-y though.

ok- thanks for the tips. I have to go get the white almond receipe on this site and try it out. I Love this site!! Where else can you go and get great responses like this!

I personally love the Southern Heirloom Cake in the recipes section.

This is the one I use.

Great American Cakes
by Barbara Kafka
December 1987

Yellow Cake Layers
This is probably America's favorite layer for any kind of cake;
it is what the cake-mix people try to imitate and never get right.

Makes two 8-inch layers

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Into a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter, add sugar gradually, beating, and beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour mixture and the milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, add the vanilla, and beat the batter until it is smooth. Divide the batter between 2 lightly greased and floured 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans, smoothing the top, rap each pan on a hard surface twice to expel any air bubbles, and bake the layers in the middle of a preheated 350-degree F. oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean and the layers pull away slightly from the sides of the pans. Let the layers cool in the pans on a rack for 8 minutes, run a thin knife around the edge of each pan, and invert the layers onto the racks. Let the layers cool completely.

Naty:Thanks for sharing. Is this receipe moist as wel or light and fluffy.. Just wanted to get your view.
Thanks!

Yes!!!! It taste better than the boxed cake mixes (IMHO - sorry, don't mean to offend those that use cake mixes ).
I use it all the time.

Naty

Great. I have 2 versions to try.. Need to get to the store and get the cake flour

Forgot to mention....use regular salt..no need to buy kosher salt. I also use a simple syrup to brush on top of the cake.

I PM you!

Naty

ok--great

i like the all occasion downy yellow cake in the Cake Bible,. I believe it is also posted on the website www.realbakingwithrose.com. see the link below
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2005/10/roses_favorite_yellow_layer_ca.html#comments
i find it is nice and moist, and has a great flavor and texture.
using cake flour does help and so does weighing out the flour instead of measuring. also, if no cake flour, i think you are supposed to use bleached all purpose, not unbleached.
good luck!

thanks