Ok, this isn't specific to any one recipe... EVERY SINGLE vanilla cake recipe I've used at least once comes out tasting more like conrbread than cake! Has anyone had something like this happen? and if so do you have any idea what I'm doing wrong?

The recipe I used last night was crumb boss's vanilla cake.
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1Tbsp vanilla

I made it twice last night and the first batch came out perfectly, the 2nd like cornbread!
I'm so frustrated!
Thanks!!

I have used a recipe very similar to this except it calls for 1 cup butter and it comes out like an excellent sponge cake every time. Very light and fluffy. I did find 1/2 cup of butter to be very little for this recipe you posted. Also, the standard 1234 cake recipe below which I used for years works really well.

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups bakers flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk


I use pound cakes now and not sponge cakes but this works really well. I found it as a victorian sponge cake recipe some years ago. Are you accustomed to scratch baking and the creaming method? I posted a thread last week called "Why is scratch baking so difficult". Lots of great responses on things that go wrong with scratch baking.

Probably how you mix or how you measure. If you get cornbread you probably developed too much gluten and overmixed, or you didn't weigh so you used too much flour.

Or used the wrong type of flour!

I agree with FromScratch. I tried a scratch white in my more novice baking days, not using the called for flour thinking it was no big deal. Cornbread every time!

Save yourself a lot of frustration and try ScratchSF's white cake recipe! Great recipe with lots of info.

I have also had a yellow cake come out tasting like cornbread. I used ap flour instead of cake flour like the recipe called for. Made it again with cake flour, and it came out great.

I've made the crumboss' vanilla cake a few times and it has always been perfect. I have used unbleached all purpose flour, no issues. You need to make sure that you whip the eggs until they look like soft whipped cream, at least 5 minutes, then slowly add sugar. Also if you are measuring by cups, make sure that you fluff up the flour in the container and lightly scoop into measuring cup and level off.

Every time that I've made this it has been soft, spongy and tender. This is a very technique driven recipe, and following the technique and proper measuring is crucial. This cake is relying on the bubbles created with the eggs for most of its volume with a little help from baking powder. Very little mixing is done after adding the flour.

I've made the crumboss' vanilla cake a few times and it has always been perfect. I have used unbleached all purpose flour, no issues. You need to make sure that you whip the eggs until they look like soft whipped cream, at least 5 minutes, then slowly add sugar. Also if you are measuring by cups, make sure that you fluff up the flour in the container and lightly scoop into measuring cup and level off.

Every time that I've made this it has been soft, spongy and tender. This is a very technique driven recipe, and following the technique and proper measuring is crucial. This cake is relying on the bubbles created with the eggs for most of its volume with a little help from baking powder. Very little mixing is done after adding the flour.

So sorry I never came back to this post! With the chaos after my girls party I thought I responded and apparently didn't. Thank you so much everyone. The recipe does call for AP flour, and I've made it with that just fine in the past. The only 2 things I can think of is that 1, maybe I didn't whip the eggs long enough, and 2 I may have over whipped it. I made her chocolate cake and it was amazing! I'll be making the vanilla again for this weekend so I'll see what happens