# Scratch Cake



## debodun (Mar 20, 2020)

I've had a craving for cake and since the market was out of yellow cake mix, I decided to make my own cake from scratch. My mom used to make some in a few minutes from butter, sugar, flour and eggs and it was wonderful. I found an online recipe. How could something so simple be so difficult? First, the sugar and butter got repeatedly clogged up in the hand mixer beaters. I tried to dislodge the clumps by turning up the speed. It did dislodge some - all over the kitchen counter. The dry ingredients wouldn't go through the sifter. I did manage to get some in the baking dish and it was okay, but didn't taste like mom's. Here the recipe I used:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ½ teaspoon salt                                                                                      
2 teaspoons baking powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ½ cup butter, room temperature                                                                                                                                                                                                             1 cup white sugar                                                                                      
2 eggs, room temperature                                                                                      
1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                                                      
3/4 cup milk, room temperature                                                                                      

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray. 
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Beat butter and white sugar until fluffy and light in color. 
Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition then stir in vanilla. 
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir until just blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire rack to cool completely.


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## Camper6 (Mar 20, 2020)

Cake mixes are the answer to a bachelors dream. I make muffins and buy the frosting. Served with ice cream.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 20, 2020)

During this time of shortages, Wacky Snack Cake is a good small cake recipe from the Great Depression that will allow you to conserve milk and eggs while still making a treat for the troops.  If you do a little searching on the internet you will find several variations.



https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-snack-cake/4dc98911-1609-4b6c-b34f-545ac7ee8c81


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## JaniceM (Mar 20, 2020)

debodun said:


> I've had a craving for cake and since the market was out of yellow cake mix, I decided to make my own cake from scratch. My mom used to make some in a few minutes from butter, sugar, flour and eggs and it was wonderful. I found an online recipe. How could something so simple be so difficult? First, the sugar and butter got repeatedly clogged up in the hand mixer beaters. I tried to dislodge the clumps by turning up the speed. It did dislodge some - all over the kitchen counter. The dry ingredients wouldn't go through the sifter. I did manage to get some in the baking dish and it was okay, but didn't taste like mom's. Here the recipe I used:
> 
> 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ½ teaspoon salt
> 2 teaspoons baking powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ½ cup butter, room temperature                                                                                                                                                                                                             1 cup white sugar
> ...


I tried a recipe like that long ago.  Didn't have a flour sifter.  Came out the approximate texture of a concrete brick.  One of my very few baking/cooking disasters!  worse yet, I'd made it for one of my kids' birthdays.  Good-natured kid ate it anyway, even said it wasn't bad!


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## Gaer (Mar 20, 2020)

Camper6 said:


> Cake mixes are the answer to a bachelors dream. I make muffins and buy the frosting. Served with ice cream.



A quick cake for a bachelor!  Add any flavor of cake mix to an Angel Food cake mix.  (Shake in a big bowl).  Store this in an airtight bag.  When you feel like cake, Put three tbsp. in a large coffee mug and stir in 2 tbsp. water.    Microwave i minute.   THE SECOND CAKE MIX MUST BE ANGEL FOOD.  Ta Da! You now have a hot serving of fresh cake!  Serve with your ice cream or your canned frosting!


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## Camper6 (Mar 20, 2020)

Gaer said:


> A quick cake for a bachelor!  Add any flavor of cake mix to an Angel Food cake mix.  (Shake in a big bowl).  Store this in an airtight bag.  When you feel like cake, Put three tbsp. in a large coffee mug and stir in 2 tbsp. water.    Microwave i minute.   THE SECOND CAKE MIX MUST BE ANGEL FOOD.  Ta Da! You now have a hot serving of fresh cake!  Serve with your ice cream or your canned frosting!


I spotted that exact thing complete with the mug at our local store.

Now I know what it is.  Next time I need a mug I will buy it and use this recipe.

Thanks.

The worse thing about cooking from scratch.  Stepping back and saying, "I can't believe I used all those pots and pans" including the beaters which never clean really easilly .


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## Judycat (Mar 20, 2020)

Making a cake from scratch takes several tries to get it right. Next time blend the butter and sugar with a spoon first then use the mixer.


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## debodun (Mar 21, 2020)

One of the problems may have been the butter. It said to use room tremperature. I had the stick out of the fridge for hours and it still felt firm. I put it in a covered bowl and put that on the radiator and even after quite some time the stick was still hard. What kind of butter was that?


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## gennie (Mar 21, 2020)

debodun said:


> One of the problems may have been the butter. It said to use room tremperature. I had the stick out of the fridge for hours and it still felt firm. I put it in a covered bowl and put that on the radiator and even after quite some time the stick was still hard. What kind of butter was that?




My guess, it was not real pure butter.  Came from a laboratory instead of a cow.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 21, 2020)

Deb,

Try switching to a recipe that uses oil.



http://www.browniebites.net/perfect-weekend-yellow-cake/


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## AnnieA (Mar 21, 2020)

Since you're using a hand mixer, use a small circumference but deep bowl for creaming together butter and sugar.   Room temperature for the butter is key.  You may even do a few seconds in the microwave ..NOT to melt, but just slightly soften a bit more.


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## debodun (Mar 21, 2020)

Here's the package of the butter I used:


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## AnnieA (Mar 21, 2020)

debodun said:


> Here's the package of the butter I used:



That should've worked fine if it was soft enough and the bowl diameter narrow enough that the butter, sugar and beaters kept contact while your mixer was on.


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## debodun (Mar 21, 2020)

That's the problem, even after resting on the radaitor for 2 hours, it was still hard.


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## Judycat (Mar 21, 2020)

That sounds like some strange butter doesn't it?   Maybe specially manufactured to keep it from melting and going bad. Who knows?


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## debodun (Mar 21, 2020)

It does indeed, Judycat. It didn't say in the ingredients that stabilizers were added, though. If my mom left a stick of butter in the bowl on the radiator, it would have melted! Maybe cows are different now than 50 years ago - who knows what they are given to eat or injected with.


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## Ruthanne (Mar 21, 2020)

debodun said:


> Here's the package of the butter I used:
> 
> View attachment 96242View attachment 96243


It should be called a fat cake by the food label information


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## debodun (Mar 21, 2020)

Ruthanne said:


> It should be called a fat cake by the food label information



But butter cake sounds more appetizing.

Here another recipe for cake without butter:
https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/easy-one-bowl-yellow-cake/


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## Pepper (Mar 21, 2020)

Gaer said:


> A quick cake for a bachelor!  Add any flavor of cake mix to an Angel Food cake mix.  (Shake in a big bowl).  Store this in an airtight bag.  When you feel like cake, Put three tbsp. in a large coffee mug and stir in 2 tbsp. water.    Microwave i minute.   THE SECOND CAKE MIX MUST BE ANGEL FOOD.  Ta Da! You now have a hot serving of fresh cake!  Serve with your ice cream or your canned frosting!


What is the size of the serving?


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## Ruthanne (Mar 21, 2020)

debodun said:


> But butter cake sounds more appetizing.
> 
> Here another recipe for cake without butter:
> https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/easy-one-bowl-yellow-cake/


yes it does!  And thanks for the recipe!


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## Pepper (Mar 21, 2020)

I think even the word 'cake' is a beautiful thing.


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## debodun (Mar 22, 2020)

Maybe I'll try to make the cake using veg oil for my birthday next month.


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## debodun (Mar 22, 2020)

One cake that always did well for me was the pineapple angelfood cake - two ingredients - one can of crushed pineapple (with juice) and one box of angelfood cake mix. Mix together and pour in an ungreased bundt pan. Bake according to the cake package directions. 

But the I used a cake mix, not a scratch cake.


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## Judycat (Mar 22, 2020)

I'd like to try the mug cake sometime.


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## debodun (Mar 26, 2020)

I made the cake using oil instead of butter. I added some cocoa powder to bump it up a little.


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## Judycat (Mar 26, 2020)

Yum yum!


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## Kaila (Mar 26, 2020)

Is there any leftover?


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## debodun (Mar 26, 2020)

Kaila said:


> Is there any leftover?


Yes, lots. I used a 9 x 9 inch baking dish! I also whipped up some vanilla yogurt icing.


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## Kaila (Mar 26, 2020)

debodun said:


> I used a 9 x 9 inch baking dish!



Very smart of you!



debodun said:


> I also whipped up some vanilla yogurt icing.



Sounds excellent.  What time should I be over, or 
will you be serving it online, here, for all of us? 

Btw, what I do, (if there is leftover) is cut it in portions, and put them into freezer in tight baggies,
to take out later , one at a time, in later "emergencies"


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## debodun (Mar 26, 2020)

I am not serving right now due to social distancing. LOL. After tasting it, I think the yogurt icing would go better with a lemon or orange flavored cake. It's a little tart for cocoa cake.


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## Kaila (Mar 26, 2020)

Okay, plain powdered sugar on top of it, or just plain cake is fine with me!


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