Hello CC,
I started baking using a "Scratch" recipe but for some reason I'm not a big fan of the taste of a Scratch made Cake. So before giving up on the recipe I'd like to ask a few of you. What brands do you use for your products? I have a feeling its the Vanilla Extract brand that I use (Mccormick) but from what I've read its a good brand. I also seen another bourbon brand that was $11.00 for the bottle. I use Lank O lakes butter and everything else is good quality too, atleast I think. Is there any suggestions to make my scratch cake taste better?
Help. I use Yolanda Gamps recipe!
Hi
I bake from scratch. I use LOL butter, King Arthur's Unbleached Flour, Egglands Best Eggs, Nielsen Massey Vanilla, Rumford Baking Powder (aluminum free), Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Friendly's Buttercream or Sour cream, I also use Magic Line's Creme Bouquet.
The recipe you use, accurate measuring, baking temp, the pans you use, how you fill them, following the recipe EXACTLY, all play a part in how well your cakes bake.
I will say this, in general what people had when they were growing up, be it box mix cake or scratch cake, that's what they expect a cake to taste like. Taste is a subjective thing. A great recipe will make a great cake even if you only use the ingredients you can afford. Case in point, my grandma's cakes were the best tasting ever, buying top of the line ingredients just was not in her budget.
When you try a new recipe, I think you should make at least 3 attempts at it before you give up on it. HTH
It's probably not the brand you are using. It is either a bad recipe or you are not executing the recipe correctly. Don't feel discouraged you just need a little more practice and knowledge. I'm sure everyone has had this same delemia in the beginning of their scratch baking quest, I know I did. Some of the problems I remember having was cake tasted like flour, too dry, huge domes in the middle. It would be great if you could describe what you don't like about the taste and texture of your scratch cake. recipe would be usful to. Those brands you described are fine
Thank you! I've heard good things about the Massey Vanilla Extract.
That's probably the problem @carolinecakes I was brought up on enhanced boxed cakes I'm not used to Scratch made cakes and a lot of people in my area are the same. So far I've had great compliments on my recipe and there's nothing wrong with the texture, how moist it is! It's just "Scratch made" I want it to have more of a commercial flavor if that makes sense!
I use really expensive products. The only thing I could think of was the Vanilla Extract. I came up with a plan to only do scratch made cakes with flavor in it such as Red velvet, Chocolate etc and using box mix vanilla. It's just not as flavorful as I'd like it to be!
@littlejewel I don't know if you've watched How to cake it on youtube but that's the recipe I follow! I make it exactly how she does same timing and exact instructions. My cakes have came out beautifully.
Also while I have not used her recipes, there are folks on CC who rave about her recipes.
i didn't read all of the previous answers so if i'm repeating i apologize and defer to the wisdom of whosoever said it first here in the thread -- but basically jack it up with some more vanilla -- i mean how else could you go wrong with a sweet sugary batter -- unless you want to add other flavors like lemon or almond --
'taste of a scratch made cake' is kinda vague -- what flavor do you want to avoid and what do you want it to taste like
@-K8memphis That sounds bad now that I read it over. It's not rich enough so to speak and it barely taste like vanilla cake to me! I love the advice though. Put extra vanilla :)
So my next batch I'm going to buy a good quality vanilla and add another tablespoon or so!
Thanks.
Sometimes it takes a little tweaking to get the flavor you are looking for. For example my chocolate cake that everyone raves about, has a little coffee and that makes all the difference, the coffee really enhances the chocolate flavor and you do not taste the coffee. Similarly when I make vanilla cake, I have been adding Creme Bouquet ( Magic Line Brand) and a little almond extract. Its like they enhance the original flavor. I've been playing around with it, and I like the result. Even my lemon cake when I added a tsp of that Creme Bouquet to the recipe, it was amazing. Just my take HTH.
Thank you so much @carolinecakes that's a great idea! I'm excited now. Glad I came to you all instead of giving up.
I will agree with what @carolinecakes said and that what you grew up eating for cake will influence how you expect a cake to taste. Me personally, I never understand why people want their cakes to taste like they came from a box. My mom always baked from scratch though so to me box cakes have a weird aftertaste.
I do think the vanilla could make a difference but again, that's a personal preference. I have a bottle from Mexico that I use for my sugar cookies and it makes a world of difference! I try to use a quality vanilla in all my other baking as well especially if it's a vanilla recipe.
Good luck in getting the recipe suited to your taste.
Hi, all. New to posting, long-time "reader." If you've grown up with box mixes, scratch cakes don't have the enhanced taste that the added chemicals, i.e. "natural" flavorings give, especially to vanilla cake. I think scratch cakes, once you get used to them, have a much more "real" taste. So keep baking, try different recipes, tweak the ones you like, and boost the vanilla extract (I use McCormick) and/or add some real scraped vanilla bean to the liquid ingredients. That should punch up the flavor. Don't over mix when adding the dry ingredients, but beat the crap out of the butter/eggs. :-) Love this column and all the pics.
Hey Tootie!! Thanks for reminding me......over mixing......so you are finished mixing the batter and you taste it........hmmmm..........needs something......kwim.........at this point I use my spatula to fold in any additional flavorings I add.
Pretty sure you do this already, but, write down the changes you make as you go........how much you add of what. Last week I was in a rush making some lemon velvet cupcakes and I forgot to add the creme bouquet. Did not taste the batter like I always do, sure enough when I bit into a cupcake I knew something was missing. Checked the recipe and I had not written down that I added the creme bouquet to the recipe. 
Nothing is quite as good as vanilla bean, it can be a tad expensive , so if you need an alternative, try vanilla bean paste (Lorann)
I have not used these but they are highly recommended by long time CC member leah_s who is a professional - Hero Fruit Compounds - expensive for me as a hobbyist, but the flavors are tempting.
@KalizCakes You are very welcome!!
I use that recipe and have had rave reviews from clients. I also use the Nielsen Massey extract. Now that I think about it... I put about a tablespoon of vanilla in a 5lb batch and I think Yolanda uses less vanilla. All my other ingredients are Aldi's brands.
Also, don't be afraid to soak her recipes with simple syrup like she does. It really does kick them up a notch.
there's nothing wrong with mccormick vanilla extract -- it's fine
and since it is a bit less expensive than some of the others, you can use more freely kwim -- i use a lot in my cakes & icings --
i buy the squirt bottle from sam's club it's 16oz squirt bottle -- so i once measured 'my squirt' and it's nearly a tablespoon and i put two squirts in my pound cake :) --
my motto:
if a little is good a lot is better 
True ......... McCormick is the stuff I grew up with.......and I still use their clear vanilla in my homemade fondant.
I just took a gander at Yolanda's vanilla recipe. I would definitely at least double the vanilla in that recipe. If you like the texture of the cake and it's just the flavor that's lacking adjust the flavor enhancers - salt and extracts. I find that adding just a bit of almond extract (1/4 t.) to a vanilla cake makes a really nice addition. I have yet to try creme bouquet.
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