Moist Basic Cake Food

EASY MOIST CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Mix all the ingredients together until blended.
• Pour batter into 2 well greased cake pans ( 8 inch, or other) and bake for 40-45 minutes.
• Serve frosted or with ice cream and fresh fruit. Also delicious drizzled with vanilla sauce.

BASIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.) Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

MY BEST VANILLA CAKE - STAYS MOIST 4 DAYS!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter (Note 8). Place shelf in the middle of the oven.
• Grease 2 x 20cm / 8" cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper. (Note 9 more pan sizes) Best to use cake pan without loose base, if you can.
• Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
• With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.
• Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.
• Heat Milk-Butter: While egg is beating, place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter (or use stove). Do not let milk bubble and boil (foam ok). Don't do this ahead and let the milk cool (this affects rise).
• Gently add flour: When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 - 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can't see flour, stop straight away.
• Lighten hot milk with some Egg Batter: Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about 1 1/2 cups (2 ladles or so) of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter (don't need to be 100% accurate with amount). Use a whisk to mix until smooth - you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy.
• Slowly add milk: Turn beater back on Speed 1 then pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
• Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds - batter should now be smooth and pourable.
• Pour batter into pans.
• Knock out bubbles: Bang each cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles (Note 10 for why)
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
• Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down - slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.
• Frost with frosting of choice, or cream and fresh berries or jam. See list of ideas in post!
• Beat butter with paddle attachment in stand mixer for 3 minutes on high until it changes from yellow to almost white, and it becomes fluffy and creamy.
• Add icing sugar / powdered sugar gradually in 3 lots, beating slowly (to avoid a powder storm) then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 3 minutes until fluffy.
• Add vanilla and milk, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use milk only if needed to make it lovely and soft but still holds it's form (eg for piping). Use immediately. (If you make ahead, refrigerate then beat to re-fluff).

GRANDMA'S MOIST CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8 inch pans.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the milk and vanilla, add alternately to the creamed mixture with the flour, ending with the flour. Mix only as much as necessary. Pour into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cake will pull away from the sides of the pan slightly when done. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

MOIST BASIC CAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 375 degrees (you will reduce the temperature after 10 minutes of baking).
• Spray bottom ONLY of a 10-inch round cake pan, then line bottom with wax paper then lightly dust with flour.
• In a bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In another bowl combine the yogurt with oil, orange rind, vanilla, orange extract and 1 egg yolk; beat for about 2 minutes.
• Add in 1 cup sugar; beat until thoroughly combined (about 4-5 minues no sugar granules should remain).
• Add in warm milk and beat for 2 minutes.
• In another bowl beat egg whites at high speed until foamy; gradually add in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks begin to form.
• Add the flour mixture and egg white mixture alternately to the yogurt mixture beating at low speed.
• Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan, then tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about 28 minutes or until the cake tests done.
• Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and turn out onto a wire rack.
• Peel off the wax paper and cool completely.

CLASSIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until combined.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through if they seem to be browning unevenly. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny).
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

CLASSIC WHITE CAKE

Steps:

• The fine moist crumb of this cake complements any type of filling and frosting -- the perfect celebratory cake.
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape bowl and beater often. Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and smooth top with a metal spatula. Bake cake(s) about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, remove paper and let cool completely.
• Variation:
• CLASSIC YELLOW CAKE Substitute 3 large eggs and 1 egg yolk for all of the egg whites above.
• 2 (9-inch) diameter by 1 1/2-inch deep layer pans or 1 (13 by 9 by 2-inch) pan, buttered and bottoms lined with parchment or waxed paper.