Best yellow cake recipe?

I am in need of a good yellow cake recipe to use for cupcakes. The last yellow cake I baked was from the Vanilla Buttermilk Cake Sky High, and I found the cake to be kind of dry. Now I am debating between CI's Fluffy Yellow Cake, CI's Yellow Cupcakes, Restaurant Eve's Cake or Carole Walter's Absolutely The Best Yellow Cake. Does anyone have personal experiences with any of these recipes? I considered Rose Levy Beranbaum's All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake and the Epicurious Moist Yellow Cake, but there are so many yolks in those recipes compared to the others! Thanks

Those yolks are a good thing!

Pucca, take what I say with a grain of gluten, because I bake everything gluten free, so my results may not be the same. I've made the CI yellow cake (coverted to GF) and I thought it excellent. Not at all dry. It was rich and delicious. But, as with most things, how we feel about a recipe is so subjective...

(I also didn't try RLB's recipes because of the egg yolks. There are good, but yikes!)

I have to say that I have had incredible success with anything Carole Walters has written. Her recipes are precise and delicious and have never failed me.

And though I don't particularly love Mark Bittman -- I can say that his yellow cake recipe in How To Cook Everything is light and fluffy and always very very good. It has a tiny bit of almond extract in it and that really makes a difference.

Have you considered the King Arthur's recipe? That's my favorite of the ones I've tried (though never done cupcakes). It's rather dense, tilts a little more toward pound cake than light and fluffy, so maybe not your style, but I think it's delicious and it's always a hit.

If you are looking for light and fluffy, maybe consider a sponge/chiffon cake. I am crazy about them these days!

I made the Elvis Presley Pound Cake and it was pretty light and fluffy for a pound cake...

Oh, btw... I am making a Lapis Surabaya cake tonight and the recipe calls for 30 egg yolks! Talk about yolks! Thank goodness for Costco!

CrazyC,

You're not tossing the whites, are you? You might want to get them into ziploc bags to freeze for use later.

I want to see a picture of this cake you're baking tonight, please!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:CrazyC,

You're not tossing the whites, are you? You might want to get them into ziploc bags to freeze for use later.

I want to see a picture of this cake you're baking tonight, please!

Regards,

Not tossing the whites. I have 2 ziplock bags in the freezer! The cake is a major MAJOR disaster. I am going to cry over my 15 egg yolks now...

Aaron Deacon wrote:Have you considered the King Arthur's recipe? That's my favorite of the ones I've tried (though never done cupcakes). It's rather dense, tilts a little more toward pound cake than light and fluffy, so maybe not your style, but I think it's delicious and it's always a hit.

Is this the cake you used for your wedding cakes? Is it moist?

I did consider this, but since many reviews commented on it's similarity to pound cake, I didn't think it would be the right crumb for a cupcake.

Thanks for all the replies.

CrazyC - so sorry to hear about your baking mishap tonight.

Pucca wrote:Is this the cake you used for your wedding cakes? Is it moist?

I did consider this, but since many reviews commented on it's similarity to pound cake, I didn't think it would be the right crumb for a cupcake.

Yep, well, for one; the other was the Rose Beranbaum white cake. The KA yellow is very moist, which was a main reason we chose it over some white recipes we tried that were drying out (though had pretty much figured it out by the second cake). Though a little heavy, it still had the volume to be a good wedding cake. The taste, mostly, is a little pound cakey, but I would think the crumb is fine for cupcakes. I'm not much experienced in cupcake baking, though, so don't know the vagaries you might encounter.

In the front (or back?) of the KA book is an email address or phone number for a help line, which I highly recommend if you have questions about any of their books. The woman I talked to sent me a cake calculator spreadsheet which allows me to adjust any of their cake recipes by volume, based on ratio of ingredients to quantity of flour.

Rose Beranbaum has a baking powder multiplier, where the ratio of powder varies with the size of your pan (something about how the cake needs to rise faster with less surface area, because the top sets more quickly, I think). I don't think that's an issue with the KA recipe, for some reason, but is the only thing I can think of with the small diameter of cupcakes.

Sorry, this is probably way too much useless information. I'll ask my wife, who I believe has used the KA recipe for cupcakes.

Aaron Deacon wrote:Have you considered the King Arthur's recipe? That's my favorite of the ones I've tried (though never done cupcakes). It's rather dense, tilts a little more toward pound cake than light and fluffy, so maybe not your style, but I think it's delicious and it's always a hit.

I used this recipe last night as the base for my banana chocolate chip cake. Haven't tasted it yet, but the cake appeared pleasingly dense, and jumped from the cake pan with alacrity. I've been disappointed by many yellow cake recipes before - so much so that I often just use, shudder, cake mix - but I really have high hopes for this one.

I found two King Arthur yellow cake recipes-which one is the one you are all referring to? I need to make a yellow cake today for a friends birthday at book club tomorrow night. Thanks!

Yellow Cake
from page 352 of the The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

Makes 12 cupcakes

12 Tbls. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 oz) sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 3/4 cups (11 1/2 oz) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, buttermilk, or yogurt (I used buttermilk)

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until the batter is fluffy. This should take at least five minutes. Also, make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This is a requirement for making a butter cake.

Add the eggs and yolks one at a time. Beat thoroughly before adding the next. Then slowly fold in a third of the flour, then half of the milk, then another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the last of the flour. Only stir until mixed. Overmixing will reduce the volume of air trapped in the butter and sugar.

Pour into your greased or paper-lined cake pans or cupcake pans. Cooking times vary by shape but the cupcakes took about twenty-five to thirty minutes and rotate the pan 180° about twelve minutes in. Cool in the pan for about five minutes for cupcakes and ten minutes for a cake and place on a wire rack to cool completely.


Golden Vanilla Cake

This moist and tender yellow cake is an American classic. It can be paired with any of the frostings you love: chocolate, vanilla, coconut, caramel... We make this cake using the "paste method;" soft butter and room-temperature liquids are beaten into the dry ingredients, then the eggs are added one by one. It's a no-fuss way of making a delicious cake every time.

Our guarantee: This cake will be tender and moist. It makes a good layer cake, cupcake, or eat-out-of-the-pan cake, with a fine crumb that you can pick up with the back of your fork.

Ingredients
View by: Volume Weight
2 cups sugar
3 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, soft
1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour your choice of pan(s): one 9" x 13" pan, two 9" round cake pans, three 8" round pans, or the wells of two muffin tins (24 muffin cups). You can also line the muffin tins with papers, and spray the insides of the papers.

1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.

2) Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer at low speed, until the mixture looks sandy.

3) Combine the milk and vanilla and add, all at once. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.

4) Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.

5) With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.

6) Repeat this procedure with the second egg. Continue adding the eggs, scraping after each addition, until all 4 are added.

7) After the last egg is added, scrape the bowl once more, then beat at medium-high speed for 30 more seconds.

8 Transfer the batter to the pans of your choice. For layers, divide the batter among the pans. Smooth out the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a tablespoon.

For cupcakes, scoop by heaping 1/4-cupfuls into the prepared muffin tins.

9) Bake for 40 minutes for a 9" x 13" pan; 27 minutes for 9" layers; 24 minutes for 8" layers, or 23 to 25 minutes for cupcakes.

10. The cake is done when it's golden brown around the edges and just beginning to pull away from the edge of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

11) Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool before removing it from the pan.

I used the second recipe. It was quite easy and the cake looks good (still not sure about flavor, it's awaiting a birthday party tonight).

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I used the second recipe. It was quite easy and the cake looks good (still not sure about flavor, it's awaiting a birthday party tonight).

Thanks! I liked the way that one sounded too.

I still use the one from my ancient Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I'll look up the edition and page when I get home. My family loves this cake.

i haven't tried those recipes but i just made the rich and tender yellow cake from Cooks Illustrated's Best recipe book. i had left over batter so i made a few cupcakes out of it, and i thought it worked well, not to "crumby" and not too dense and great flavor. http://twitpic.com/56wsi

Diane wrote:I found two King Arthur yellow cake recipes-which one is the one you are all referring to? I need to make a yellow cake today for a friends birthday at book club tomorrow night. Thanks!

Sorry for the belated reply, but the first one, the Classic Yellow Cake, is the one I've used. But I've had great success with a number of KA recipes, so I'm sure the other is splendid also.

I finally got around to baking these cupcakes. I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe for the best birthday cake. Her recipes have never let me down, until this one. Ugh, I was so disappointed. Based on the numerous comments about overflowing, I was careful not to use too much batter in each cup. There was no chance of that happening once they were in the oven - they didn't even rise above the level that I filled them! They started to brown, they passed the toothpick test, and were springy. In the end, the cupcake was so spongy, dense, and too moist - not in a good way. I think I will try Cooks Illustrated next time.

Pucca wrote:I finally got around to baking these cupcakes. I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe for the best birthday cake. Her recipes have never let me down, until this one. Ugh, I was so disappointed. Based on the numerous comments about overflowing, I was careful not to use too much batter in each cup. There was no chance of that happening once they were in the oven - they didn't even rise above the level that I filled them! They started to brown, they passed the toothpick test, and were springy. In the end, the cupcake was so spongy, dense, and too moist - not in a good way. I think I will try Cooks Illustrated next time.

I once tried the Cook's Illustrated recipe that they found to be "the best" yellow cake. I was very dissappointed. I remember is being very heavy and didn't like the flavor. I agree with other posters about Carol Walter's recipes; I've always been satisfied. I also use Rose Levy Beranbaum's books as well.

Best of luck,

Ms. Ingie

dollbabytina wrote:i haven't tried those recipes but i just made the rich and tender yellow cake from Cooks Illustrated's Best recipe book. i had left over batter so i made a few cupcakes out of it, and i thought it worked well, not to "crumby" and not too dense and great flavor. http://twitpic.com/56wsi

I just made this recipe and I agree-- great crumb and delicious flavor. I didn't bake a whole cake, just two pans from the Easy-Bake oven (but baked in the regular oven) and a bunch of mini-cupcakes. They seem to keep well-- they are still moist and yummy today, after 1 day. I don't think they'll make it many more days.

Jen

Whenever I hear "yellow cake" nowadays I am always reminded of the Chappelle Show's skit "Black Bush". BTW, be very careful googleing this - definitely put chappelle show or the image results get a little racy.

I made Carole Walter's Absolutely The Best Yellow Cake with Easy Vanilla Buttercream yesterday. I made them as mini cupcakes, but I think that making them as regular sized cupcakes would have yielded moister cupcakes. I thought that the cake recipe was good.

CrazyC wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:CrazyC,

You're not tossing the whites, are you? You might want to get them into ziploc bags to freeze for use later.

I want to see a picture of this cake you're baking tonight, please!

Regards,

Not tossing the whites. I have 2 ziplock bags in the freezer! The cake is a major MAJOR disaster. I am going to cry over my 15 egg yolks now...

people actually freeze egg remainders? Seems like a huge waste of space and time to me... 18 eggs are like $2.00 onsale. Never heard of that.

I freeze them, sure. I tried freezing them in an ice tray but found the removal a pain in the ass, so I bag 4 at a time in Ziplocs. I freeze everything I can so I don't waste anything. The jury's still out on whether you can freeze yolks.

I am a HUGE fan of Shirley Corriher's book Bakewise--I've learned a lot about the science of baking and the handful of recipes I've used (mostly cookies and a pound cake) are spot-on. I haven't tried the yellow cake recipe yet, but I'm guessing it's like the others. I plan on making it next week--in cupcake form--for my niece's b-day. I'll post if it's a winner.