Basic Cake Recipe That You Can Try At Home

With the advent of commercial cake mixes, people stopped making cake from scratch. However, these days, there seems to be a re-awakening and appreciation for baking desserts and cakes from scratch. Since the time I came across a basic cake recipe, I have not used pre-packaged, preservative-packed mixes, which were so popular for a long time. There are some tips I would like to give you before we actually turn towards cake recipes from scratch. The most important tip is to pay attention to the exact measurements. If you miss or make any mistake with the measurements, chances are high that the cake may not turn out to be the same way as you had expected it to be. The next important step is to follow the recipe to the T. Any changes in the process may end up making the cake similar to a brick. Sifting the flour before you use it in the batter will give the batter lightness. If you do not want to use shortening, then you can substitute it with either margarine, butter or applesauce. This will help in preserving moistness and richness, but remove some of the weight and bad fats from the cake. Now we will turn towards the recipes.

How to Make a Basic Cake from Scratch

Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour 1 cup
• White Sugar ½ cup
• Shortening ¼ cup
• Milk ½ cup
• Baking Powder 2 teaspoons
• Salt ½ teaspoons
• Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon
• Eggs 2

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour the baking pan.
• Mix together sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
• Sift the flour mixture and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, mix sugar and shortening together. Whip till it is light and fluffy.
• Add one egg at a time and beat thoroughly till the mixture is fluffy and light.
• Add flour mixture alternately with milk and mix well, so that no lumps are formed. Make sure the batter is soft.
• At last, stir in vanilla and mix well.
• Transfer the batter into the baking pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the cake should come out clean.

Basic Cake with Plain Flour

Ingredients

• Butter 2 sticks
• Sugar 1 2/3 cups
• Eggs 5
• Plain Flour 2 cups
• Vanilla 1 teaspoon
• Lemon 1 teaspoon

Method

• In a bowl mix together butter and sugar, till light and fluffy.
• Add one egg and continue to whisk, so that the mixture is fluffy.
• Gradually add plain flour to the egg and sugar mixture and keep whipping, so that the batter is soft.
• At last add vanilla and lemon and mix well.
• Grease and flour a baking pan and transfer the batter into the pan.
• Place the baking pan in a preheated oven and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
• When the cake leaves the side of the pan, understand the cake is ready and remove it from the oven.

Basic Cake without Eggs

Ingredients

• Flour 1½ cups
• Sugar ¾ cup
• Baking Powder 2 teaspoon
• Salt ¼ teaspoon
• Milk (Soy Milk) ¾ cup
• Vanilla 2 teaspoons
• Egg Substitute for 1 egg

Method

• Grease and flour the baking pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a bowl sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.
• Add the remaining ingredients and beat till the batter is soft without any lumps.
• Pour the batter in the baking pan and bake the cake for 30 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

These were just the basic cake recipes. You can add other ingredients like cocoa, fruit chops, nuts, etc. to change the flavor of the cake. I hope you do enjoy baking as much as I do, and till next time happy baking!

Cream Cheese Pound Cakes Just Melt In The Mouth

Cream cheese lend a pound cake a rich creamy feeling and the butter just makes the cake melt in the mouth. The richly cream-laded cake is generally moist (unless the proportion is messed up) with a dark golden-brown sweet and crispy crust all around it. Lemon or orange zest is usually added to add that extra citrusy flavor to it. Fresh fruits are to be avoided but feel free to add chocolate chips, dried fruits and nuts. Well what are you waiting for? Heat up the oven and bake any cake mentioned below.

Basic Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, 3 cups
• Unsalted butter, 1½ cups
• Cream cheese, 1.8 ounces
• Castor sugar, 3 cups
• Large eggs, 6
• Baking powder, 1 tsp
• Baking soda, ½ tsp
• Salt, ½ tsp
• Vanilla extract, 1 tbsp

In a large glass bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using an electric beater, beat unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth and well-blended. Add castor sugar in three parts and beat well after each addition, until it is light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat continuously. Lastly add the vanilla extract and beat for a couple of seconds more. Stir in sifted flour, and beat until well-blended. Pour cake batter into a greased pan, and bake in preheated oven at 350º F. Insert a toothpick to check if the baking is complete. Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely, before removing cake from the pan.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• Flour, 3 cups
• Cream cheese, 3 ounces
• Butter, 1 cup
• Shortening, ½ cup
• Eggs, 5
• Buttermilk, 1 cup
• Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
• Lemon extract, 1 tsp
• Baking powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, ½ tsp
• Prepared strawberry topping
• Fresh strawberry, ½ cup

In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and shortening, until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat it until it becomes light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat after each addition, until all eggs have been added. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add it alternately with buttermilk, to the creamed mixture, beating until blended. Add to it, the vanilla and lemon extract. Stir in the fresh strawberries gently with a spoon. Pour batter into a greased cake pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350º F. Insert a toothpick in it to check if it comes out without sticking. Once the cake has completely cooled off, gently shake it off from the pan. Spread strawberry toppings over the top and serve.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, 1½ cup
• Blueberries, 1 cup
• Cream cheese, 3 ounces
• Unsalted butter, 4 ounces
• Sugar, 1½ cup
• Large eggs, 4
• Baking powder, ½ tsp
• Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
• Grated lemon zest, 1 tsp

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. Beat butter and cream cheese using a beater. Add sugar to it and beat until fluffy. Continue beating in one egg at a time. Add the shifted flour, vanilla extract and lemon zest, and beat until all ingredients have blended well. With a spoon, gently fold in the blueberries, and pour the cake consistency in a greased pan. Bake until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake before serving.

Above recipes are easy to make and need little time to prepare. For all those who are hard-pressed for time, it is easy to incorporate ready-made cake mixes, and achieve the same creamy rich moist cakes. Cream cheese is used to make some yummy desserts and pie recipes also!

Do You Wanna To Have Desserts With Little Fat

Desserts are the symbol of high-calorie and high-fat meals. But have you ever thought about how healthy they can be, which ones are quite healthy and how you could make the others healthier? Everything that contains lots of fruit, little fat (like cream or mascarpone) and sugar is already healthy.

There are a lot of American desserts that are very popular worldwide. Great examples are the classic  cheesecake. These American desserts are made from cream cheese and these are added with sugar as well as vanilla essence, sour cream and lemon juice. The mixed cream is then added onto a cracker crust, and then properly chilled before they are served. American cheesecakes should not be over beaten as they could destroy the proper consistency of the cream cheese itself. Over the years, these well-loved American cheesecakes have been modified a number of times, creating more and more variations to further satisfy the needs of the dessert lovers worldwide.

Today there is a tendency to make healthy desserts with artificial sweeteners and little or no fat. This gives people who can not desserts have an option to get the taste without the harmful effects of sugar in their system. People with diabetes are an excellent example. Some non-fat desserts are good, but they can not beat the taste of regular desserts. The taste of sugar and fat can not be duplicated in desserts. But people have created new types of desserts that taste almost as good.

We have seen the transformation based desserts complex in a matter of a few centuries and we have the sugar industry to thank for that. If we had no sugar for commercial use in a form, then we would not be able to make desserts in the shape of their prolific today. The desserts are now regarded as normal and common, but in a time not too distant past, it did not exist in the forms that we have now.

Try Making Poppy Seed Cake Recipes And Enjoy The Delicious Taste Of This Desser

Poppy seeds make wonderful ingredients for many recipes. Not only do not they add taste to the recipe, but also benefit you with a number of health benefits. These kidney shaped seeds are actually harvested from opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) and they are high in various useful vitamins and minerals. Poppy seeds are extensively used for baking cakes, cupcakes, chicken salads, etc. So, do you want to learn a recipe to make poppy seed cake from scratch? Here are some recipes to make poppy seed cake in various flavors.

Poppy Seed Cake Recipes from Scratch

Orange-Pumpkin Poppy Seed Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• Poppy seeds - 2 tablespoons
• Pure pumpkin - 1 (15 ounce) can
• Orange cake mix - 1 (18.25 ounce) package
• Eggs - 3
• Orange juice - 2/3 cup

Procedure

First preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Take a 9 inch cake pan and grease it with cooking spray. Then, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cake mix, orange juice and eggs. Beat the mixture properly with help of an electric mixer on low speed. Beat until the mixture moistens completely. Now, increase the speed to medium and combine pumpkin to the mixture. Then, add the poppy seeds and finally pour the cake batter into the greased pan. Divide the batter properly and bake it in the preheated even. Bake the cake for 28 to 30 minutes and then leave it to cool on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Poppy Seed Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

• Softened butter - 5 tablespoons
• Flour - ½ cup
• Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
• Powdered unrefined cane sugar - ½ cup and one teaspoon (for dusting)
• Large egg-1
• Egg yolk - 1
• Vanilla extract - ½ teaspoon
• Cream cheese (room temperature) - ¼ cup
• Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon

Procedure

To prepare this poppy seed cake recipe from scratch, first preheat the oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit. This recipe yields 4 cupcakes, so, place the cupcake papers into 4 ramekins or 4 muffin tins. Take a medium-sized mixing bowl and combine flour and salt. Then combine butter with help of electric mixer. Add ½ cup powdered sugar and continue creaming the mixture with electric mixer. Blend the mixture until it becomes soft and fluffy. Then, add egg, egg yolk and vanilla one by one. Lower the speed of the mixer and combine poppy seeds to the flour mixture. Your cupcake batter is ready, spoon this into the cupcake cups and divide the batter evenly into all the cupcake cups. In a small bowl combine 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar and cream cheese. Blend them properly to attain a smooth texture. Then, spoon this cream mixture over each cupcake and then sprinkle poppy seeds. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes and cool them for 5 minutes after baking. Dust powdered sugar over them while serving.

Almond Poppy Seed Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• Sugar -1¼ cups
• White shortening - ½ cup
• Eggs - 2 large
• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon
• Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Almond extract - 2-3 teaspoons
• Vanilla - ½ teaspoon
• Poppy seed - 1/3 cup
• Sliced almonds - ½ - ¾ cup
• Butter (softened) - ½ cup
• Cream cheese (softened) - 1 (8 ounce) package
• Vanilla - 2 teaspoons
• Whipped cream - 2 tablespoons
• Confectioners' sugar - 3½ cups
• Frozen whipped topping (thawed) - 1 cup

Procedure

This recipe makes almond poppy seed cake with fluffy cream cheese frosting. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit and then grease a 9 by 13 inches baking pan. Take a large mixing bowl and combine shortening and sugar. Beat the mixture for about 2 minutes and then add eggs, almond extract and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture properly at high speed. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture to the mixture in large bowl along with buttermilk. Combine the ingredients until they are just mixed and then add poppy seeds. Bake the batter for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven. To prepare the cream frosting, combine butter, vanilla, whipping cream and cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Beat the mixture to attain light and fluffy texture. Add in confectioners' sugar and again beat the mixture. Then add the whipped topping and blend the mixture completely. Spread this topping over the baked cake and garnish with chopped almonds.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• White sugar - 3/4 cup
• Poppy seeds - ¼ cup
• Baking powder - 2 teaspoons
• Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - ½ teaspoon
• Eggs - 2
• Lemon flavored yogurt - 1 cup
• Vegetable oil - ¼ cup
• Grated lemon zest - 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice - 1/3 cup
• White sugar -3 tablespoons

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit and then grease a muffin tin with cooking spray. Take a large mixing bowl and add flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ¾ cup white sugar. Combine the ingredients properly. In another bowl, combine eggs, yogurt vegetable oil and lemon zest. Blend the mixture properly and mix it with flour mixture. Mix the mixtures until just combined and see that you do not over-mix. Now, spoon this batter evenly between the muffin cups and bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. In small bowl combine lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of white sugar and stir to dissolve sugar completely. When the muffins are baked, pierce their tops with toothpick several times. Then, gently pour one tablespoon of lemon juice over each muffin. Let the lemon poppy seed muffins cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes. You can prepare poppy seed cake with lemon filling in similar manner.

Tips For Making Natural Yellow Cake Recipe

One of the most popular easy-to-make convenience foods in America are cake mixes. The first cake mix took a decade to be developed. The yellow cake mix, the first of its kind, was followed by flavors like white, marble and chocolate malt and then spice cake mix. The only difference between the yellow and white cake mixes, apart from the type of flour, was that latter was also called plain and used only powdered egg white; while the former used powdered egg yolk (that's why the yellow color).

As the years went by, people preferred using fresh ingredients, in order to get a more authentic and natural taste of cake. Powdered eggs were removed from the cake mix and directions on the carton suggested the use of two fresh eggs instead. Over the years, many flavors were added, but the love for yellow cake mix still lingers on.

Rich taste and extra-moist qualities, and exquisite flavor, apart from easy cooking and nutrition value, is what makes a convenience cake. Let's take a look at some easy-to-make yellow cake mix recipes.

Natural Yellow Cake Recipe

Ingredients

natural yellow cake mix, 16- to 18-ounce (1 pkt)
all-purpose flour, 1 cup
whole wheat pastry flour, 1 cup
evaporated cane juice sugar, 1½ cups
baking powder, 4 tsps
eggs, 2
salt, 1 tsp
salted butter, softened, ½ cup and 2 tbsps
low-fat 2% milk, 1 cup
vanilla extract, 1 tsp

Preparation

For the Cake Mix
Pour the flours into food processor bowl. Add sugar, baking powder and salt and blend. Be careful not to over beat. You can also hand mix with a wire whisk. Make 4 to 5 chunks of butter and add to the flour mixture and beat, until it is merged wholly. Use the cake mix immediately.

For the Yellow Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan or two 8-inch round cake pans; set aside. Take a large mixing bowl and transfer the cake mix into it. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and beat the contents with an electric mixer, gradually increasing the speed from slow for 1 minute, to medium high for 2 minutes. Scrape the edges of the bowl intermittently. Move the batter to the prepared baking pans.

In case of 9x13 inch cake, bake for 40-50 minutes or until done (test with a toothpick, if cake is ready). For the 8-inch cakes, baking time can be lessened to 25-35 minutes.

Set the cake aside for 10 minutes for cooling, then remove from the pans. You can frost the cake, if you wish. Frosting improves a cake's appearance and also keeps it moist.

Traditional Yellow Cake Mix Recipe

This recipe can also be used to make cupcakes. To bake cupcakes, you will require muffin tins.

Ingredients

yellow cake mix, 1 box (18 ounce)
large eggs, 3
orange puree or white bean puree, ½ cup
applesauce, ½ cup
water, 1 cup
oat bran, ½ cup

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a cake pan or muffin tins (for cupcakes) with flour. Mix all ingredients in the bowl of the electric mixer and blend for 30 seconds on less speed. Blend again at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the cake pan or muffin tins. Bake cake for up to 35 minutes or cupcakes for 18 minutes. Insert toothpick in center of cake or cupcake; check if it comes out clean.

You don't have to bake a cake, only when you are throwing an impromptu birthday party. The cake or cupcakes can be easily stored in airtight containers. But before you store, make sure you cool the cake on a wire rack. If you refrigerate it, make sure you thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving. The best way to store at room temperature is placing the cake under a large inverted bowl. In case of desserts, refrigeration is the best way to keep the flavor right!