Easy Light Cake Recipes

FEATHERLIGHT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Serving suggestion: Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with milk
• Arrange a rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour a bundt pan or tube pan. (You can use a mixture of cocoa powder and flour instead of flour, to prevent white spots on the cake.)
• In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the sugar. One at a time, mix in the eggs, then the vanilla, occasionally scraping down the mixing bowl.
• Meanwhile, in another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture; then 1/3 of the ice water. Repeat, mixing after each addition. Transfer the batter to the pan and bake until springy and dry, about 40 to 45 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan on a rack, then carefully turn the cake out. Just before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Serve with very cold milk!
• Notes about the recipe: When I developed this recipe I was just looking for a good, reliable dark cocoa cake that could sit on the counter over the weekend and be enjoyed in slivers, craving by craving. This cake is really moist and keeps for days. I just finished one that's been hanging around the kitchen for 6 days! You could frost it with creamy white icing but it hardly needs it. My friend Lana's mom June was one of the best cooks I knew as a kid in the '60s and she did a cake by the same name, though the recipe handed down to me from her daughter is a bit different.

LIGHT AND FLUFFY YELLOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment. Butter parchment, then flour pans, tapping out excess. Set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium-high speed until pale, 2 to 3 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix, scraping down sides of bowl. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of buttermilk. Fold in egg whites. Stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is evenly blended.
• Divide batter between pans. Smooth the top of each layer with a small offset spatula.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool in pans on wire racks, 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Invert cakes from pans. Peel off parchment from cakes. Reinvert and let cool completely on racks.

LIGHT & FLUFFY SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (375°F).
• Grease non stick cake pan
• Beat together eggs, oil and sugar, beat until light & fluffy.
• Add flour, salt & baking powder.
• Mix well with electric beater.
• Pour into baking pan & bake for approx 15-20 minutes.
• PLEASE NOTE: For a chocolate cake add 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa to 120ml warm water & add to mixture, note that chocolate cakes should take another 10 minutes to cook.

EASY, LIGHT, BEST BUTTER PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix the cake mix as directed on box (do not overbeat).
• Bake in three layers (approximately 20 minutes) in greased and floured pans.
• Cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove to rack and cool completely before frosting.
• Mix the pudding and milk together until it starts to thicken. Fold in the Cool Whip.
• Add the nuts and vanilla.
• Frost the cake This makes a lot of icing so be generous between the layers and icing the cake. Store in the refrigerator.