Dalis, this is the recipe I found:

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/02/09/sylvia.weinstock/yellow.cake.html

I think the new recipe calls for a cup of milk plus the sour cream (not 2 cups of milk) Both of the recipes can be found here or online if you google it.

I have been folding the egg whites in like the video now and the shrinkage stopped. I really don't know if this is the reason, but it is working! I had just seen a reference on cc about shrinking was due to folding in egg whites. I have NO CLUE if that is true or not, because I havent seen it refenced anywhere else.

oh and btw, there is no reason to do the "new" recipe! The old recipe is perfectly yummy! All of the cake tastings I have done lately, everyone is picking it. It stays moist for a long time, has a nice crumb, it's sturdy, freezes well, I love the "tang" from the sour cream, it's nice and flavorful....it's great. You can't go wrong with this.

does anyone have the "Updated Recipe"????

just google it.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/ild/2009/cakes/yellow-cake.html

This should be it

thank you so much... when they say cake flour..... do they mean cake flour like Presto or Cake Mix like a boxed cake?

I might sound s_t_u_p_i_d for asking... but just want to make sure....

To me, cake flour means CAKE FLOUR like Swan's Down, Wondra, etc. not the cake mixes. Hope that helps.

yes, cake flour is a type of flour (as opposed to all purpose)

got it.... thanks.. just making sure

The original recipe I found doesn't have ginger in it, but the new recipe does. So I guess ginger and milk are the changes/additions.

Yes, I think so.

has anyone tried Kim Morrison's WASC? which one do u think is better? I tried Kim's and I found it to be very light and crumbly... it might have been that I did something wrong.... I know she is an acclaimed cake designer and bakers for many years and I know if it didn't come out "right" it's 'cause of something I DID...

I will be trying Sylvia's today.... but still debating if trying the new improved recipe or the original.... as I read here there is nothing wrong with the opriginal so I am leaning toward the original... but then again... if she tweaked it... it must be for a good reason and I should trust that she improved it and try the new one...

what's a cakester to do? what's a cakester to do?? lol

My vote is just to do the original recipe. I really don't even know why it was changed. I don't know, maybe I'll try the new one sometime, but I am quite satisfied with the original. I know a lot of people had difficulty with the "new" recipe in that it was soggy. Search around cc or internet and see what people say. That is what I did.

I don't know how many scratch cakes you have made, but it does take some practice. So sometimes if things don't turn out right it is the baker and sometimes it's the recipe. The thing i have learned it to make sure that your butter is creamed long enough to be really light and fluffy. Having room temp ingredients is best. Also with scratch recipes I convert the volume meausements for flour and sugar and sour cream etc. to weights. You'll have a more consistent and percise recipe. (for example 1 cup of sugar is 7.1 ounces, 1 cup of cake flour is 3.9 ounces, 1 cup of AP four is 4.4 ounces. The more careful you are with the recipe, the better the results.

I also convert my "original" recipe to weights but I use grams...so much easier than oz. I make large volumes of cake so this saves me time.

After reading about the egg whites I did the cake again...I have tastings today so I had to make a sample cake...anyway I think my problem has been that I havent' been folding the whites in throughly(sp?)! My cake didnt' shrink this time!

I also use this cake recipe as a base for my champagne cake and lemon cake.

I sometimes use grams too, I just couldnt remember them off the top of my head!

Glad to hear that about the egg whites. It worked for me too, so that must be the answer!

Would you be willing to share how you change the recipe for champagne,lemon?

I use champagne compound that I order for Amoretti. You can also add food coloring to turn it pink for pink champagne. For Lemon use fresh lemon juice and lemon peel.

I am a scratch baker.... have never used box cake or doctored mixes.... but I have my "go to" recipe and it's not a WASC... but since I have seen so many posts about it here... I want to try it....

I do weight my ingredients.... and I agree that in order to achieve a good product, you need to be as precise (sp?) as you can.... so I do feel that using a scale is the best way....

Anyways.. I think I will try to original...

thanks for answering my q's...

Hey dalis I haven't gotten emails that this thread was updted but I think you should try the original first! :]

I agree....did you try it yet?

Yes, for the lemon I add 1/4 C fresh lemon juice and zest of the lemons, I replace the vanilla with lemon extract and then I use lemon simple syrup.

I was thinking the first time I made this cake that it would make a YUMMY lemon cake! :]

ladyonzlake - A couple questions on your lemon cake:

How many lemons do you zest?

When you say "lemon simple syrup," do you add this to the cake or spray/brush it on? If added to, how much?

Also, I suppose you could flavor this cake orange, almond, raspberry...any flavor you want just by changing the extract, right?

Thanks!

I use 1 large lemon or 2 small lemons to make the 1/4 cup and I use the zest from those lemons.

For the simple syrup I use 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 water, peel the zest of 1 lemon and bring to a boil. Once boiling take off the stove and let cool, then add 1/4 cup of lemon juice. I use a patry brush to brush onto the cake.

Sorry if this has already been asked, but does this recipe make good cupcakes or is it too dense? Thanks!

decent

It make great cupcakes! Scratch cakes are not as light as a cake mix but this recipe is still very moist!

Does anyone know how many cups Sylvia's original yellow cake recipe makes? I wanting to use it for a 10x2 pan and make it into a marble cake. Wasn't sure if one recipe would be enough.