Yellow cake

[Michele]

So I really love the boxed yellow cake...Betty Crocker...pudding in the mix. But I want to be able to make it from scratch. The yellow cake recipe I have from my Betty Crocker Cookbook Bridal Edition doesn't cut it. I tried adding pudding mix instead of some of the flour but that was a disaster. I haven't googled it yet, but I thought I'd ask here since we have such baking goddesses!!

Rose Levy Beranbaum is a cake goddess. See if you can find her recipe. Also, see what http://www.baking911.com has to say.

[Michele]

thanks!

You've referenced her so much that I think I may need to pick up one of her books. OK I just looked up HOW many books she has....maybe I'll pass the name to my mom....she loves to buy me cook books.

I've mentioned RLB?

I have the cake bible, pie and pastry bible, bread bible. Love them all.

Found it:
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2005/ ... er_ca.html

[Vanquisher]

Found it:
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2005/ ... er_ca.html

Nellie, like I really needed that website. Are you trying to sabatoge my diet??

Sorry.
Maybe I'm just trying to bring everyone along with me.

[Michele]

I'm going to try to hold out baking it until my sister comes on Monday. Russ and I ate a whole boxed cake with frosting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

[samssugarmomma]

We love this one - http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/re ... id=1054821

Yellow cake with chocolate frosting is DH's favorite kind of cake. Yum!

Found it:
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2005/ ... er_ca.html

ohmygod ... that is the most anal bunch of bakers I've ever encountered! the questions were so specific!! it cracks me up! but now i want to run out and buy her books

Isn't it great? I read it and think...oh, for Pete's sake. Wait...tell me more.

Isn't it great? I read it and think...oh, for Pete's sake. Wait...tell me more.

Exactly.

I'm tempted to ask: should I rotate my cake pans clockwise or counter-clockwise? Or alternate that pattern? When I measure the inside of the bottom of my cake pan, it comes out to 8 15/16" -- what adjustments do I need to make to the recipe?

[Michele]

Re: Yellow cake

I found this recipe a while back and just tried it last night. It was yummy!

The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated and the article the accompanied the recipe was all about how to bake a homemade cake to come out like a boxed cake! The author was pretty thorough in his methodology and why he chose the ingredients he did and why he put them in that order.....there was also a ton of trial-and-error....mmm to be on that tasting committee....

Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake

Nonstick cooking spray can be used for greasing the pans (proceed with flouring as directed). Bring all ingredients to room temperature before beginning.

2 1/2 cups (10oz) cake flour, plus extra for dusting pans
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp table salt
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 oz) sugar
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk, room temp
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks plus 3 large egg whites, room temp

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease paper rounds, dust pans with flour and knock out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 1/2 cups sugar together in a large bowl. In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and yolks.

2. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks just form, 30 to 60 seconds (whites should hold peak but mixture should appear moist). Transfer to bowl and set aside.

3. Add flour mixture to now empty mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachmen. With mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Stop the mixer, and scrape whisk and sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds.

4. Using rubber spatula, stir 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Lightly tap pans against counter 2 to 3 times to dislodge any large air bubbles.

5. Bake until cake layers begin to pull away from sides of pans and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pans with small knife, then invert onto greased wire rack and pull off parchment. Invert cakes again and cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

I used the Pillsbury spray with the flour in it....skipped the parchment paper and had no problems with sticking. It also took me way longer to get the stiff peaks, but maybe I was doing something wrong....other than that it was as directed.

I made a TON of dishes though....it was nice to have everything pre-measured in little bowls.....but using 3 different mixing bowls was annoying.

The cake was yummy though!

It also had a chocolate frosting recipe with it...and I'll post that later....I'm tired of typing.

I've still yet to try the recipe on Rose's site....I plan to soon.