Hello friends! 

Is been  loooot of years that I have not enter to cake central forums, I retired for a little time while working in oder projects. 

I am from Puerto Rico, 6 months ago I got married and moved to Missouri. After some time,  I decided to start the cake business again. I pay for some ads and here I am, with a lot of requests... I’ve been baking my puertorrican recipe vanilla cake for more than 20 years and everybody loves it, at least the people in the island.  

The problem is, here I think they don’t like it.  I handed a cake last Friday, same recipe, the one people always like, again in Puerto Rico. The lady told me she didn’t like the texture or the taste, that non of the people in the activity like it, that was a shock and very sad for me.  

I have more cakes to come and I am very concern about the results.

other than that, the cake recipe I used was very difficult to achieve, maybe the temp here is too cold to make it here in Missouri.

Can someone help me find a good recipe for vanilla cake that I can use and people in the states will like it?  

I’ve here people here like box cakes mixes better than scratch ones but for me that is very disrespectful for customers, also my believe is that those cakes are not strong enough to hold another one on top and most of the cakes that I make are 2 tiers up.

please I desperately need help!

thanks im advance to those that can help! 

NixieM  Sometimes regional tastes/recipes don’t always translate well to new areas. Not knowing what your Puerto Rican cake recipe is, it’s hard to give any advice. Don’t know if it’s a dense cake, a light and fluffy cake??  I make a Polish style cake (husks Polish) that my family likes, because they have grown up on it. My son/daughter-in-law aren’t keen on it, nor some of my friends. I personally bake from scratch, don’t use a cake mix often.  But you can add /doctor up a cake mix and you certainly can use to do a 2/3 tier cake. Here is the recipe from CC.

https://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/7445/the-original-wasc-cake-recipe

I have used vanilla cakes from both Sugar Geeks and Cake, Paper Party, and my cake school. I love all three. Made many times. I’ve posted the recipes below. Hope this helps.

https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/white-velvet-cake/

https://www.cakepaperparty.com/2014/05/vanilla-cake/

https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/white-cake-recipe-from-scratch-new-version/

Can’t correct my post. Should have said..... “husband is Polish” . 

Thank you for your fast response and help. puertorrican cake is 12 eggs separated(at least the one I use) firm whites not dry, reserving yolks for the last part, 3 sticks of butter ( room temp but liquify) 2 cups sugar, 3 cups of self rising flour, 1 tbs of flavor/ work with egg whites first add sugar, egg yolks (one by one) and flavor mix well, add butter and then flour had mixed . It is firm but is kind of sponge (not fluffy). I agree with what you said about regional tastes/recipes. I will try the recipes you kindly send me and I will let you know the outcome. Thanks again!!! 

PR cake inside is like this...

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Hmm, I'm not sure. The cake you make sounds lovely, but maybe too dense? I'm in the Midwest too, and people seem to enjoy lighter cakes. I used to do just from scratch, but wasn't getting rave reviews, then I started the WASC recipe, and everyone loved it. So many compliments. I have people that tell me they left bakeries in town because they prefer my cake. I know it feels like you're cheating or whatever, I get it, because I only like to bake and cook from scratch, and it was hard for me to overcome that, but since you are adding to the cake mix, it is not just a cake mix. People told me to never go back to the scratch recipes I used to use. Some people here only grew up on cake mixes, and this way they are satisfied, and yet, people who like 'from scratch' recipes are happy too. It could just be a cultural thing. I know people in Europe like crunchy decorated cookies. People here want them soft. I would consider the cookies overdone for what they serve there, and would never serve that here. It's just a difference of what people grew up with and are used to. I use the WASC recipe for all my cakes now, changing up the flavors. They stack fine, I have never had any problem with that.

I will try that one today... yes is dense and what you explain about it is the same I was imagine. Thanks for your feedback!

Having grown up with a mom who was an excellent baker, I have always eaten scratch cakes and it came as a big shock to me to learn that many people prefer cake mixes.  To me, they are tasteless.  The link shared by June for the *Original* WASC Recipe is a fabulous compromise.  It starts with a cake mix, but has so many additions, it is practically from scratch and it has a delightful, moist texture.  My cake mix loving friends love it and so does everyone else, including me.

Ditto for my Mom too Sandra. My Mom never bought a cake mix until I was probably in high school. Mostly so I could make a quick cake myself without a lot of fuss. And it was convenient when pinched for time.  Didn’t have to drag out the large mixmaster. Just a bowl and a wooden spoon. My Mom was a super busy dressmaker, and suffered bad migraines like me. Many times I came home from school and had to throw together a quick dinner cause Mom was flat out on the couch. I’d pop a cake into the oven while I prepared dinner. Was never anything fancy. Eggs, mac & cheese, sausages, or good ole soup and sandwiches. 

Do you need to put syrup in the cake after done?

I never apply simple syrup to any of my cakes. Either scratch cakes or doctored cakes. My cakes are moist enough.

Thank you all

Agree w/ June when the”original “ WASC recipe is used it results in a very moist cake I’ve even heard a few say too moist — but of course I don’t agree

So maybe there is the problem, PR cakes are ones that need to have simple syrup, if not, it will be to dense and hard. Of course we grew up in those so for us are very delicious, and they are but not as fluffy as what people like here. For example: Angel Cake in PR is not something people will love. So yes I think the problem is the texture As soon as I try it I will give my opinion and what is the difference between one and the other. Again, thank you all for always be so helpful and kind.

That is a pic of how our PR cake looks inside, lot of syrup there : )

So my customer told me this last week... 

“ Did not like texture or taste of cake. On next one can you plz use box cake and do not burn it  .  Plz. Thanks”

The cake was not burn and the texture was perfect, fr me, I’ve been baking for more than 20 years,  Had a successful business in Puerto Rico. First time a complain about my cakes, it was hard to process and put me in bed all day next day, seriously. I moved here 6 months ago, got married, and I am trying start the cake business here so I have time to pick up my girls from school.

we love “burn” sides with guava paste and is what people always ask when you are cutting a cake, ti give them the edges...  I understand the culture is different and with that, the way we like things. So I will need to adapt in order to survive.

again, thank you all... I forgot that Cake Central was super helpful 20 years ago, still is. : )

Your cake looks delightful, kafa.  Yes, I think a cultural difference.  As you try new recipes, you really cannot go wrong using the *Original* WASC recipe because it can be adapted to just about any flavor cake, is sturdy enough to carve, super moist requiring no syrup, and it seems to make everyone happy, whether they are in the scratch cake corner or the box mix corner.  It embraces the best characteristics of both combined into one yummy cake.

I understand about feeling sad, but please don't take it personally. It really is just a cultural thing. Your cake sounds and looks delicious honestly. A cake like that would be considered more of a tropical dessert cake, and not an everyday celebration cake here. The WASC recipe is wonderful, and everyone should love it. No syrup needed. I remember someone posting some cookies that they called "burnt" because they were browned, and some bakers in the UK thought it was so funny because that's how they like them there. It doesn't make a cookie here that is soft with no browning wrong, it doesn't make their cookies there that are crunchy and browned wrong, it really is just a cultural difference. Switch the bakers to different countries, and there may be complaints. 

Well said, inthekitchen2, exactly right.  Kafa, you should not take the criticism to heart.  We can all see that it is obvious that you are a very accomplished baker.  You just need to discover recipes more in line with your clientele's taste.  Also remember, most customers are not that familiar with really good baking, more so with grocery store cakes.

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Hey ladies, I see the recipe call for 18 oz box, but what I found is 15.25 oz . Do you add the extra oz from another package to equal 18?

Yes, you can’t get the 18 oz boxes anymore. You can either add the extra amount from another box, or add some flour. It’s such a small amount, I just usually add flour.

Thank you!

What about baking in pans 3” or 4” tall? Sorry for all the questions : )

In regards to the 15 oz box vs. the 18 oz box...….I have found for me the smaller size works just fine w/o any changes to my *original* WASC recipe.  Others say they buy an extra box of white cake mix and divide it into 3 oz packets that they keep in the fzr & add to any mix they are needing.                       I  found baking in 2" deep pans gives me the best results. 

Do not apologize for seeking knowledge.  There is always something you & I don't know and seeking the answers is never wrong.

I use the Original WASC recipe a lot.  Sometimes I add an extra 1/2 cup from a second box of mix and sometimes I just use the one box of cake mix and follow the recipe as is.  It works perfectly either way.  Honestly, I can hardly tell the difference.

I use 2" and 3" pans and get about the same results from each of them.  Don't own any 4" pans, but I am sure they work just fine.  I always line my 2" pans with parchment paper around the side because I have a tendency to over fill and my cake runs over in the oven.  If you have good self control, it is not necessary.  I fill the 2" pans approximately 2/3's full and the 3" pans 1/2 full.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Best cake recipe of all!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Best cake recipe of all!!!

You are very welcome!  Now you are well on your way to satisfying all of your picky customers!

See??  A box mix isn't all bad:)  They can be very handy and make your customers very happy

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