As a scratch baker I have experimented with many recipes. Could you please give me a GOOD scratch cake recipe that you use often? I would prefer basic butter/yellow cake and white cake recipes. Thanks
Ironbaker Forum Fanatic
Joined: Apr 25, 2005
Posts: 1908
Location: Atlanta, GA
Birthday: Oct 02
I love the yellow and white recipes from the Cake Bible and the Cake Book as well as Alton Brown's yellow cake recipe. I use them all the time and get rave reviews everytime. I do like to use a little simple syrup on all my cakes since scratch is more dense than box. I do this with different liquers or flavors or anything else that strikes me. Hope that helps!
tchrmom Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Posts: 370
Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:55 pm
I like the ones in Cake Decorating for Dummies. Their yellow one and their chocolate one are both good. So is their italian chocolate wedding cake (which involves the chocolate cake) buttercream and ganache. Good luck.
Kitagrl Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jun 16, 2005
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Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:46 pm
I'm not usually the whiney type, but as a scratch baker AND someone who doctors cake mixes, I tend to get a little irritated at the tone I've seen SEVERAL times on this board about "Scratch bakers ONLY" as if there is something better about them. My customers adore my doctored cake mixes as much as they love my scratch recipes. Whatever I use, I only use tried and true recipes that make people say "YUM", whichever type it may be.
The title of this thread could easily be "Looking for delicious scratch yellow cake" or something.
I'm sorry if I sound petty, its just that I see this type of title alot: "Scratch bakers ONLY" around here and its starting to get annoying. Some of us do both, and a few years ago I was only doing mixes....we are all in different stages of learning and decorating and its really not fair to get some kind of snooty attitude about people who use cake mixes.
Ya know? I'm still smiling....hope I don't get blasted for this...but its just something I've seen off and on for several months now so I decided to step out and say something.
TheButterWench Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 12, 2007
Posts: 687
Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:08 pm
I totally agree with tiptop and kitagirl. I don't mind sharing a doctored recipe but my scratch recipes are my own due to research, time and development and I'm not about to hand them over just cos someone asks.
If you want a good yellow recipe I suggest you do what a lot of us do, internet search and trial and error.
beccakelly Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jan 12, 2007
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Location: Cincinnati Ohio
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Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:15 pm
Kitagrl wrote:
I'm sorry if I sound petty, its just that I see this type of title alot: "Scratch bakers ONLY" around here and its starting to get annoying. Some of us do both, and a few years ago I was only doing mixes....we are all in different stages of learning and decorating and its really not fair to get some kind of snooty attitude about people who use cake mixes.
Ya know? I'm still smiling....hope I don't get blasted for this...but its just something I've seen off and on for several months now so I decided to step out and say something.
i don't think its implying that scratch baking is better. its just that when you have a question about scratch baking, you want the opinion of people who have experience doing it! i'm sure you know that scratch baking is a whole other ball park than using a mix, and if you don't bake from scratch then you won't know all the ins and outs. for example, i posted a question about baking scratch cakes on wednesday for sat events. i wanted the opinion of people who have done it with scratch cakes, not mixes due to the lack of preservatives. the majority of responses i got were from mix users telling me to freeze my cakes. i got a little frustrated since that was clearly not the answer to my question!!
am i even making sense or am i just rambling now? lol. anyway, i wouldn't get upset, people are just looking for advice from those with the experience in baking from scratch. i'd guess that almost all of us started out using mixes (me included).
Kitagrl Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jun 16, 2005
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Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:29 pm
Hm. I freeze my scratch cakes! They turn out just as nice if not better, just like the mixes. But that's beside the point...
I'm just talking about the undercurrent of an attitude I've detected and I guess tonight I just got fed up. Technically, there's really no harm in your thread attracting a "mix baker"? All you have to do is smile and nod a "thanks", really, instead of saying "Oh...I only want to talk to a SCRATCH baker." I'm exaggerating of course, just to make the point.
I mean...what if I started out a thread "For people who know how to make 3D cakes ONLY". That would send the idea that only people who can do carved 3D work are important enough to read my thread. Why couldn't I just put "Question about 3D cake". That leaves the thread open to anyone who wants to reply...and whether or not the replies are actually helpful to me technically does not matter, because some of them will be helpful.
Am I just rambling nonsense, or...? I feel like I am. I should be in bed. LOL.
beccakelly Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jan 12, 2007
Posts: 1231
Location: Cincinnati Ohio
Birthday: Nov 13 Gallery Supporter Member
Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:45 pm
Kitagrl wrote:
I mean...what if I started out a thread "For people who know how to make 3D cakes ONLY". Why couldn't I just put "Question about 3D cake".
i guess i just see both of those post titles as being equal. i wouldn't see anything wrong with someone posting it either wayl
Kitagrl wrote:
Hm. I freeze my scratch cakes! They turn out just as nice if not better, just like the mixes. But that's beside the point...
as i stated on the other thread, brides in this area are very prejudiced against frozen cakes. i personally see nothing wrong with it, but the brides do. i'm not willing to fight that battle and i'm not willing to lie to them. so i am adamant about not freezing. it has nothing to do with taste, its just marketability.
and i will say, freezing cakes DOES make them more dense, and when you bake from scratch you're cakes are already more dense than most people are used to. so there IS a textural difference that i find quite distinct. but this is off topic.
waywordz Regular Member
Joined: Feb 16, 2008
Posts: 130
Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:18 pm
I don't have any recipes I can give you either, most of them are still marked " under construction." I started trying my hand at it a while back when I had a lot of people asking me "Is this scratch?" I felt a little like you did kitagirl. More than a few were critical people in the story of my life. Then I realized I wanted to come up with my own recipes so that my cakes would be "all" mine. It feels good when it goes right and the flower beds get extra nutrients when it doesn't. (Can roses get fat?) Its fun either way. Good luck. And keep trying. : )[/i]
revel Frequent Member
Joined: Sep 27, 2006
Posts: 354
Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:47 pm
tiptop57 wrote:
Oh dear, so sorry as that is the one thing I don't share as I also enter baking competitions and they are my Grandmothers tweaked recipes.
But here is a bump to get the thread moving for you.
LOL..this reminds me of an episode of the Desperate Housewives..when Bree's new neighbour won't share her recipe!( I think it was for pie) The Bree tires to break into her house to get it! Watch it tiptop57 i might be lurking in your bushes! Hahaha!
tania9 Junior Member
Joined: Oct 19, 2007
Posts: 53
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Posted:
Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:57 pm
I LOVE cooking scratch cakes, I guess mostly because it's how my mum used to do it. I rarely use box mixes, I have tried doctoring some, but to me it just seemed easier to do it from the start, atleast I know what's going into it.
epicurious . com have some amazing cakes, like chocolate stout and a beautiful spice cake and all have written reviews.
I have no problem giving you my favourite cake vanilla cake
Trial and error can take ages, so I understand why you'd be looking for other people's favourites.
It's actually the Magnolia Bakery cupcake batter, but I love it for either cupcakes or cakes. It's quick and easy. I could eat the batter with a spoon.. YUM!
Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.
RECIPE
* 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 2 cups sugar
* 4 large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Kitagrl Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jun 16, 2005
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Location: NE Philly suburbs
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Posted:
Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:10 am
Yep some websites have some great rated cakes!
True, about the density....
And also true that some people have something against freezing and nonscratch... I had a lady raving about her 3D cake and then started asking questions....when she found out (by point blank asking questions) about the freezing and that one of the flavors was doctored cake mix (I use only tried and true consistencies for 3D work, I have a nice dense scratch chocolate but not a vanilla I like yet) you could just see her trying to have a poker face about both issues. She was still smiling and friendly yet I saw her eyes were slightly startled. I use freezing as a way to make the cakes better, most people do see it as something lazy or non-fresh. And truly, people LOVE my doctored mixes, but they don't know that's what they are...and I hope they do not ask.
Haven't people heard of ICE CREAM CAKE which is kept frozen
On the serious side;
Our FatFace was simply asking the scratch bakers for the answer to her/his question since they would have more knowledge using scratch with no negativity aimed towards us "box users" .
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scratch cake recipe that you use often? I would prefer basic butter/yellow cake and white cake recipes. Thanks 
Oh dear, so sorry as that is the one thing I don't share as I also enter baking competitions and they are my Grandmothers tweaked recipes.
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