Why is it so hard to find cake recipes that...

[eyesroll]

...don't call for cake mix?
...don't call for cola?
...don't require the use of some esoteric pan I'd buy for that recipe and nothing else?

I'm trying to make a two-layer chocolate cake. Simple. I'm googling, and while I did find an appropriate recipe, it took forever.

I'm a scratch baker, period -- I don't use mixes. OK, I'm a snob. But I've found it really takes little extra effort to make most things from scratch vs. a mix, and there won't be nearly the chemicals/preservatives/etc. (Besides, what's the point of using the mix if you're adding just as many ingredients to it to doctor it up as you would be to make it scratch?)

Grr...

At least frosting was easy -- just googled buttercream frosting and got 900 recipes that were basic variations on confectioner's sugar, butter, cream, vanilla.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

1. I don't think I've ever used a mix.

I'm not the best baker out there, but still I'd rather bake from scratch than use a mix.

Isn't there a cookbook that gives recipes for mixes & you add stuff to make it better? The Cake Doctor? I'm not sure if that's it, but if it is, you're right. What's the point?

Maybe we are snobs, though. :)

best

ps I've got hundreds of cookbooks. If you're looking for a particular recipe & having a hard time googling, just shout out & I'll see if I can find something for you.

[eleny]

2. I often use mixes

I Am Not Worthy! :cry:

[laureloak]

10. Me too .

I love cake mixes. Most of the recipes I've tried from scratch are too dry anyway.

[NMDemDist2]

3. wow, i never have any luck with cakes, i thought if i got pastry flour

it would make the difference

so at the store, pastry flour (small box) $4.29 and just down the aisle

cake mixes 10 for $10

I gave up......

[eyesroll]

5. Yeah, this recipe didn't go too well...

The three-year-old liked it, of course, because it was sweet and pretty. But it needed more chocolate, and it was dense (which could be a baking powder problem, I think).

I might tinker with it, or just try another recipe.

[fortyfeetunder]

4. Another SC (scratch cooker)

You are right, it doesn't take that much effort to cook from scratch.

With practice, you won't have to even measure because you've observed how much of one ingredient will yield the desired result in your recipe.

I keep cake mix around only for specific recipes, and then I don't use it that much!

[supernova]

6. Woman's Home Companion Cook Book, Collier & Sons 1944.

If I want an old-fashioned recipe, I go to the source: Woman's Home Companion Cook Book, Collier & Sons 1944. First pub was 1942.

I think my granddad originally bought the book; when my mom died I got it. I simply adore it because it's more like a cooking encyclopedia than a plain cookbook. Basic recipes can be found here for most cooking techniques: french, italian, some indian (basic curry anyway), most things except our recent forays into more global cuisine. It's a lot more sophisticated than what we remember of American cuisine at the time. Whenever I want to research a recipe, I start here.

This book also has great sentimental value to me, having 3 generations of scribbles in it! :D And stuff is falling out of it; recipes we heard or saw elsewhere and wrote down or cut out of the paper and magazines. :-) So spending time in it is spending time with them, too.

The book's method is to give a basic recipe then spend a couple of pages telling you how to modify it for different flavors.

I have to do my weekly Costco run now, but I'll come back later with what it says about layer cakes.

[supernova]

8. Milk Chocolate Cake

MILK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Cake Flour, 2 cups
Baking powder, 3 teaspoons
Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
Shortening, 2/3 cup
Sugar, 1 cup
Eggs, 3
Vanilla, 1 teaspoon
Semisweet chocolate, melted, 7 or 8 ounces
Milk, 3/4 cup

Sift flour; measure; add baking powder and salt; sift again

Cream shortening; add sugar gradually; cream together until light and fluffy

Add well-beaten eggs (unbeated of electric mixer is used); beat thoroughly; add vanilla and chocolate, melted and cooled; beat until smooth.

Add dry ingreadients alternately with milt, stirring only enough after each addition to blend thoroughly.

Pour batter into 2 greased 8-inch layer pans 1/1/4 inches deep.

Bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) 30 to 35 minutes

When cool put layers together with filling or frosting; frost top and sides. Suggestions for frostings: quick fudge, chocolate butter or mocha cream-cheese frosting.

Note: This cake has an unusually macaroon-type rust, characteristic of cakes made with sweet chocolate. This does not tetract from the fine quality of the cake.

Variation: MOCHA CAKE

Follow rccipe for milk chocloate cake, substituting 3/4 cup cold strong coffee for the milk. Proceed as directed.

[supernova]

9. White Cake

WHITE CAKE

This is presented in tabular fashion. Remember those? Everthing is charts now. :crazy: Anyway it's presented with the left column of ingredients, the middle column has amounts for 2 8-inch layers, the right column has amounts for two 9-inch or 3 8-inch layers. I'm giving the one for 2 8-inch layers.

BTW, down south, we usually make 3 layers. It makes you do more frosting, but the cake doesn't dry out.

Cake flour 2 cups
Baking powder 3 teaspoons
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Shortening 1/2 cup
Sugar 11/4 cups
Milk 2/3 cup
Vanilla 1 teaspoon
Egg white 4

Soft flour; measure; add baking poweder and salk; sift again

Cream shortening; add suguar gradually; cream together until light and fluffy

Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk, stirring only enough after each addition to blend thoroughly. Do not beat. Add vanilla

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter until throoughly blended.

Pour into greased layer pans.

Bake in a moderate oven (375° F.) 25 minutes.

When cool put layers together with filling and frosting; frost top and sides. Plain white frosting, cooked or uncooked, flavored with almond rather than vanilla and sprinkled with coconut accentuates the delicate quality of this cake. Honey-almond or coconut filling may be combined with an uncooked frosting. If a more colorful frosting is desired lemon or orange butter frosting or boiled strawberry frosting may be used. Chocolate frostingas are also suitable.

Variations for this recipe include:

White cupcakes: Fill cupcake tin about 2/3 full. Same baking instructions. Makes about 1/1/2 to 2 dozen cupcakes.

After-dinner Mint Cakes: (Prepare a mint fondant or melt thin after-dinner mints --not chocolate ones-- to frost the cakes)

White Dessert Cake: pour White Cake batter into a greased square pan (8x8x2). Spreak with coconut topping. Bake ina a moderate oven (350° F.) for about 50 minutes. Serve plain, with whipped cream, or with a sauce.

[housewolf]

7. "The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum..

has got to be THE best book for cakes I've ever laid eyes on...

She's the master baker, as far as I'm concerned. It's chock full of recipes for all types of cakes plus she explains a bit of the science of cake-making in easy-to-understand lay-person's language. It's a treasure and one I will NEVER part with. Her Yellow Butter Cake is indescribably delicious, as is the chocolate version of it, her Pound Cake is great, the cheesecake wonderful... I could go on and on.

One outstanding technique she presents is an alternative to creaming the butter & sugar then adding the dry ingredients in portions - she has you put the dry ingredients in your mixer bowl, stir it around for a few seconds, add the butter, mix and add the liquid. When you read her instructions, you'll understand why this technique is quicker/easier and why it works.

Another point she makes is about She ingredients - it really matters that you have fresh baking powder and/or baking soda, and the quality of your ingredients determines the quality of your finished product. She also explains why cake flour is a necessity - it's not only a lower protein wheat that is milled more finely, it's treated in a way that enhances the leavening.

Sometimes you can get "The Cake Bible" as one of your 4 free books when you enroll in the Good Cook cookbook club, or you can always get it discounted through them. 'Course Amazon & Barnes and Noble carry it, as well as you local bookstores. You might even find a good copy on Ebay.

It's not a cheap cookbook but it's an excellent investment in life-long baking. I can't recommend it too highly.

And here's a google hint when searching for cake recipes -
well, first of all you can always go to foodtv.com and search their recipes, they have lots. Or marthastewart.com (no matter what you think of her personally, her recipes are good).

When looking for something on google, try doing a search like
cake recipe chocolate flour butter -mix
that will get you some scratch recipes to look through - there are millioins of them out there! The thing to know is that all receipes on the web are not necessarily good ones, many are flawed in some way (wrong proportions of ingredients, wrong baking temps, wrong baking times, etc.)

Good luck! If you love cakes made by hand you'll treasure "The Cake Bible"

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

11. I've done some of hers. They are great.

I got it out of the library & have never found a used copy at the book store. I've never thought about getting one on ebay, but I bet I could.

Anyhoo, I agree, her idea of mixing the dry ingredients then adding the butter, etc. works well. It's pretty radical since every cookbook says to cream the butter & sugar then add dry ingredients & alternate w/liquid.

As an aside, recipes always call for room temp butter & eggs. My favorite pound cake recipe says you have to use cold butter & beat in the sugar with a wooden spoon. It builds up my arms nicely, but takes a lot out of me. :) Once I was in a hurry & thought I could do it in the standing mixer if I was careful & went slow. NOT. It didn't come out right at all.

Also, housewolf, do you use bakers sugar? I really like it & just wondered if serious bakers (like you) used it or it was only used by wannabes like me.

best

[joneschick]

14. my never fail chocolate cake

I've done it as a sheet cake, layer cakes, special shape cakes and cupcakes

Betty Jane's Wine Chocolate Cake
3 c. flour
2 c sugar
1/3 c cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 T. vinegar (I use cider vinegar)
2 c liquid (50/50 wine and water usually)
3/4 c oil
1 tsp vanilla

Mix thoroughly and bake in a lighttly greased 13 x9 pan for about 30 minutes (check with toothpick) at 350.

It's from an old boyfriend's mom, about 30 years ago. she made the wine too.

[cleofus1]

12. thank you all

some kick ass recipes here...my kids thank you!

[SoCalDem]

13. Go to a used book store and get a few OLD cookbooks

I have several, circa 1935-45, and they have the BEST recipes..

The art of scratch cooking is a dying art, but easily revived:)

I still have all my Grandmother's old cookbooks..one from when she was in home ec...back in the 'teens...

Some of the ingredients are baffling, since they mostly don't exist these days :)

[Lisa0825]

15. I haven't made this yet, but I had it, and it was yummy!

It's a sheet cake, but I thought I'd share anyway:-) My boss made it, and I LOVED it, so I asked for the recipe. I may make it this weekend.

Mexican Sheet Cake

1 cup margarine
1 cup water
4 tbsp cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

FROSTING
1/2 cup margarine
6 tbsp milk
5 tbsp cocoa
1 16 ox box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Bring the first three ingredients to a boil; combine with sugar and flour and mix. Add eggs one at a time. Stir baking soda into buttermilk and add to mixed ingredients. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Bake 18 minutes in 15x10x1 inch pan. Four minutes after cake is in the oven, prepare frosting. Melt margarine; add milk and cocoa. Pour over powdered sugar. Add vanilla and nuts and mix. Frost while cake is hot.

[ernstbass]

16. I've heard this called Texas sheet cake

It's moist and delicious - I may have to bake one this weekend!!

[Dora]

18. This cake was at all our family gatherings.

And if it was summer, we had it with homemade ice cream.

Excellent cake, and the leftover icing was perfect to use on donuts made out of refrigerated tube biscuits.

[watercolors]

17. Here is a great apple cake!

Just in time for fall



10' tube pan bake at 350 1 hr.

2cups sugar, 3 eqqs, 1 1/2 cups canola oil, 1/2 cup OJ or apple
juice; Blend well with mixer

3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda ,1 Tbl vanilla, 1 Tb cinnamon

Blend together

Fold in 3 cups diced apples, 1 cup coconut and 1 cup walnuts

Easy and so good and moist, be sure your apples are diced into into about 1/2 inch peices.

Cake can be frosted or a glaze of confec sugar, butter and apple juice on top. I enjoy just plain.