I Tried To Love Toba's Butter Cake...i Really Did
Decorating By Cakepro Updated 17 Sep 2007 , 4:14am by Cakepro
After reading rave reviews here and on Epicurious, I made Toba Garrett's Moist Yellow Cake recipe. (Recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/10935
Although it baked perfectly and smelled wonderful, and it torted beautifully into four layers (baked in two 8" x 3" rounds), it is not moist at all!
To be fair, the first time I made it, I disregarded her instructions to let the cakes cool in the pans, and I turned them out on a cooling rack to cool. I figured this was probably the cause of the dryness, so I made it again, this time allowing the cakes to cool in the pans. When they had cooled, I torted them and thought the cakes looked dry, so I made a simple syrup with Grand Marnier and brushed it on all of the layers. It's STILL dry!
On the plus side, though, I made ShirleyW's version of IMBC, and it was wonderful! I love IMBC and the little dash of orange extract in it was really good.
I am oh so sad about the dry cake, though... 
Anybody have a really moist butter cake recipe that doesn't start with a box? I wasn't really impressed with Colette's white cake, nor Rose Levy's. *Sigh*
Sherri
Have you tried Sylvia Weinstock's yellow cake? It's DELICIOUS! I use 90% of the time -- adding different extracts to get different flavors (i.e. lemon extract for lemon cake). As far as moist, after testing tons of recipes, this was the most moist AND the older it is, the more moist it gets. You must try it.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I found the recipe here:
http://www.baking911.com/asksarahbb/index.php?showtopic=1168
You might have to be a member to log in and see the forums, though.
The Confetti Cakes vanilla cake is really good. It's moist and delicious and tortes beautifully.
I have used this recipe but someone here on CC told me to take it out of the oven when it is "just" done...not a moment longer...I still have crumbs on the toothpick...then it is moist enough.
I find it's good when you do that but I am always on the lookout for different ones ...I don't know why but I always think of the taste of pancakes when I eat that cake..
I've had great luck with all the recipes in the WBH book - all except the freckled mocha cake which was dry and crumbly, but I also had to bake it to death to get a tester to come out almost clean.
In any case, the butter cake, the pound cakes, the banana cake that I've made from that book have been delicious and moist. The thing I learned (from the madeira brick that I once created) is that you can't over bake a scratch cake at all or it will be dry.
I did a very unscientific experiment using only myself and my husband as taste testers. I was making several cakes over a few weeks. I'd make a small cake (cupcake sized) and freeze. Then we tasted all of them at once.
My favorite was the Sour Cream Butter Cake from Margaret Braun's cookbook. My second favorite is the 1-2-3-4 Cake from Kate Sullivan.
I LOVE the almond cake from Toba Garret (but it's almond, not vanilla cake).
I recently made the Confetti Cakes butter/yellow cake. Easy, but a little sweet. Her BC icing is also sweeter than I usually make.
I've made the Toba Butter cake -- her times on all of her cakes seem to be off for my oven. Cut back the times.
Also, I've found that cakes made with all purpose flour have a coarser texture than those made with cake flour. It makes the cake taste drier, even though it may not be.
I thought I saw a thread a few weeks ago about people's favorite scratch cakes. You may want to look for it.
I think it's already been suggested but the Ultimate Butter Cake from Baking 911 has been good, although it does tend to dry after several days.
I find it ironic that Maragret Braun has a cookbook, since she doesn't bake, but I do love sour cream enriched cakes, so I'll have to seek that one out.
I have had very good success with Toba's yellow cake, which I have changed up several times. First- You absolutely must use bleached cake flour, unbleached, or pasty flour make the cake come out with an odd almost corn-bread like taste and texture. I also grind my sugar in the food processor for 10 quick pulses before adding it to the butter. Secondly, her directions are unnecessarily complex. I add the sugar to the butter, beat for seven minutes, scraping down three times- Alternate wet and dry ingredients, ( I put eggs buttermilk and extract in a four cup measure & sift all dry ingredients together) folding the last batch of dry ingredients by hand. I also use 2 tablespoons of top quality vanilla, not 2 t. It turns out fabulous.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I found the recipe here:
/asksarahbb/index.php?showtopic=1168
You might have to be a member to log in and see the forums, though.
I tried this link but it doesn't take me to the recipee...is there any chance u can post it?
Thanks for the recommendation!
I found the recipe here:
/asksarahbb/index.php?showtopic=1168
You might have to be a member to log in and see the forums, though.
I tried this link but it doesn't take me to the recipee...is there any chance u can post it?
There's been some trouble with posting Sarah's links and information on this website, so no, I cannot post the recipe here.
You will just need to copy the web address and paste it into your browser's address bar. www(dot)baking911(dot)com/asksarahbb/index.php?showtopic=1168
Replace the (dot)s with . and you should be able to see it. You will need to be a logged-in member of Sarah's site to see the forums.
hmmm, i LOVE toba's yellow cake recipe. everyone loves it, as well as her chocolate cake. maybe you overbaked it? or beat the flour into it instead of folding it? when i add the flour (by her weight measurements) i stir on the lowest setting of my kitchen aid, for a few seconds, then i finish by hand with a few stirs. i also use generous amounts of simple syrup (as i do on all my cakes, because it makes them incredibly moist for days).
thanks txkat for suggesting a simpler version. i will try that next time i make it.
Here's Sylvia's Recipe - found it on about.com
Classic Yellow Cake
Ingredients
2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and line two 8 x 3-inch baking pans or one 12 x 3-inch pan with parchment.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy and light.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, being sure each is well incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Be sure the mixture is completely blended after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat for 1 minute.
In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake in the preheated oven, 60 minutes for the 12-inch square pan or 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch pan. The top of the cake should be nicely browned. Test for doneness with a skewer or a toothpick; the tester should come out dry and clean.
maybe you overbaked it? or beat the flour into it instead of folding it? when i add the flour (by her weight measurements) i stir on the lowest setting of my kitchen aid, for a few seconds, then i finish by hand with a few stirs. i also use generous amounts of simple syrup (as i do on all my cakes, because it makes them incredibly moist for days).
.
LOL, this isn't my first rodeo. 
I weighed, I sifted, I creamed, I respected that the flour forms gluten when overbeaten, I used Swan's Down cake flour, I removed the cake with crumb on the toothpick...I'm fairly certain there wasn't an error on my part. 
Obviously, I'm not saying I'm perfect or incapable of making errors, but I'm not a novice at scratch baking.
I'm going to give these other recipes a go...I just want to find that *perfect* recipe. Thanks for all of the suggestions!
maybe you overbaked it? or beat the flour into it instead of folding it? when i add the flour (by her weight measurements) i stir on the lowest setting of my kitchen aid, for a few seconds, then i finish by hand with a few stirs. i also use generous amounts of simple syrup (as i do on all my cakes, because it makes them incredibly moist for days).
.
LOL, this isn't my first rodeo.
I weighed, I sifted, I creamed, I respected that the flour forms gluten when overbeaten, I used Swan's Down cake flour, I removed the cake with crumb on the toothpick...I'm fairly certain there wasn't an error on my part. Obviously, I'm not saying I'm perfect or incapable of making errors, but I'm not a novice at scratch baking.I'm going to give these other recipes a go...I just want to find that *perfect* recipe. Thanks for all of the suggestions!
i don't know what to tell you then, because its not a dry recipe. i've been told numerous times my cakes are far more moist than any other bakery. its usually my brides first comment, how moist my cakes are. i've used sylvia weinstocks recipe, and its good, but no better than toba's and a lot more work. i use Buttermilk in every recipe i have for cakes, so its a bother to keep around sour cream just for her 1 recipe. i hate having to separate eggs and whip the whites in at the end. i would have changed it up and added the eggs all at once, and used buttermilk to sub for sour cream, but then i basically have toba garrett's recipe.
I love Toba's yellow cake. It's my main yellow cake recipe. It always come out moist for me. Maybe you have to take it out of the oven sooner?
Jacqui
Cakepro, I understand where you are coming from. I have been baking for years. I make many cakes from scratch but I can't get Toba's cake to come out for me either. I have even used Softasilk cake flour which seems (IMHO) to make any cake lighter. It is always dry. You are not alone LOL
I've had good success with Barbara Kafka's yellow cake layers. The three times I tried the Ultimate Butter Cake from baking911, it comes out like cornbread, so I gave up on it!
It's entirely possible that I'm overbaking the cakes. Her instructions say to remove the cakes from the oven when the tops are golden brown and the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan, but I don't like removing cakes from the oven at that point since it doesn't take carryover baking into account.
I might give this recipe one more try, this time removing the cakes several minutes earlier. I am very excited to try some of the other recipes recommended here though!
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