Easy Homemade Cakes From Scratch Recipes

WHITE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan release.
• Combine milk, oil and extracts and set aside
• Combine your flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
• Place butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and cream until smooth. Sprinkle in your sugar and then let whip on high until light and white (about 5 minutes)
• Add the egg whites one at a time (roughly) to the butter mixture while mixing on low and let fully combine after each addition before adding the next. If your egg whites aren't at room temperature you can microwave them for a few seconds. Be careful not to cook them! Cold egg whites will curdle the batter.
• Add in 1/3 of your dry ingredients to the egg/butter mixture and mix on low until just combined. Then add in 1/2 of your liquids, then dry, then liquids and the rest of your dry. Let mix until just combined.
• Add batter into prepared cake pans and bake at 335º F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.
• Let cool ten minutes then turn out cakes onto a cooling rack. Wrap warm and place into the freezer to flash chill. This locks in the moisture. Once cool but not frozen you can then trim off the brown edges of your cakes and frost as desired. Chill cake.
• Combine egg whites and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Whisk to combine on low then whisk on high, adding in your butter in small chunks, vanilla and salt. Turn mixer up to high and whip until light, fluffy and white.
• Melt chocolate and water in the microwave and whisk until smooth. Add in a couple drops of food coloring. Let cool to about 90 degrees before attempting to drip over the chilled cake. Once chocolate is set, you can combine the everclear and gold dust to make a paint and paint the drip. *note: this is a non-toxic gold dust

CAKE MIXES FROM SCRATCH AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• For a Yellow Cake: Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening until fine crumbs are formed. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then high for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently.
• Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Variation for a White Cake: Prepare as for the basic cake except use 3 egg whites for the 2 whole eggs. Whites may be beaten separately and added for a lighter cake.
• Variation for a Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the basic cake mix prior to adding the milk.
• Variation for a Spice Cake: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice to the basic cake mix.
• Variation for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Melt 1/2 cup butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, stirring into the butter. Arrange pineapple slices in the pan. Top with the basic (yellow cake) mix recipe. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, cool 5 minutes, and invert to serve.

SIMPLE WHITE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

RUM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with oven rack in the center of oven.
• Whisk the milk, sour cream and rum together in a liquid measure and let come to room temperature.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer whip the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes more. Mix in the vanilla.
• Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing just until combined in between additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. Add 1/2 of the milk/sour cream mixture and mix.
• Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add the last 1/2 of the milk/sour cream mixture and beat until just combined.
• Add the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• Grease and flour bundt pan. I use shortening, and make sure every crevice of the pan is coated! Pour batter evenly into the pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with few crumbs.
• Make the glaze: Add sauce ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and boil for 2 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool for in the pan for at least 15 minutes before gently inverting it. (I like to remove the cake first, to make sure to get it out easily). Then wipe the pan clean and put the cake back in it. Poke holes all over the cake and gently pour most of the sauce over the cake, reserving just a little.
• Allow the cake to soak up the glaze and then invert it onto a plate or serving platter. Spoon remaining glaze on top.
• Store rum cake well-covered in the refrigerator.

EASY VANILLA CAKE RECIPE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 non-stick baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Put butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together with a mixer. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.
• Pour the batter in a baking dish. Put the vanilla cake in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
• Let cool completely before frosting. If you are looking for frosting recipes, check out my easy vanilla buttercream frosting.

CLASSIC POUND CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8x4 loaf pan.
• Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat to combine.
• Combine flour and salt. Add flour mixture a little bit at a time, beating just until combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool completely.

CLASSIC POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10- cup bundt pan liberally with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined, scraping the sides as needed.
• Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour slowly until combined, again scraping the sides to ensure everything is combined evenly.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. If you notice it is browning too much on the top, tent with foil.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and then release onto a wire rack to cool completely.