About a year ago I decided to start making my baked goods from scratch, meaning no more convenient box mixes. I decided to make the change for various reasons. First and foremost, Dan and I were trying to eliminate as much processed food from our diet as we could, which meant most convenience foods had to go. I also didn't like that almost every box mix still had some amount of trans fat. While most people I tell this to think I'm a purest of some sort, or just overall crazy, what made me stick to it was that I really enjoyed the process of baking things from scratch. The funny thing about baking for me is that it's almost like therapy. It's what I do to destress.
The only problem is that when I stopped using cake mixes, I didn't have any recipes to take their place, so the experimenting began. I was lucky because I came across a chocolate cake recipe that I loved (with some tweaking of course) almost right away. But the yellow cake recipe remained rather elusive for quite awhile.
The problem was that I was picky. I knew exactly what kind of cake I was looking for, a perfectly moist, buttery yellow cake, but I was having troubles finding it. Then I came across "Cook's Illustrated's All-Time Best Recipes" magazine with a recipe for a Rich and Tender Yellow Layer Cake. Since they are our gods, I had to give it a try. ;)
Of course, the process to make this cake was rather laborious, but in the long run it was worth it. I have never experienced a cake with such a light, delicate texture. The flavor was almost right on, but lacked some buttery-ness that I had gotten from the box mixes. While I realize that flavor I had gotten from the box mixes were most likely artificially enhanced, I wanted a little more omph from this cake. But the texture was spot on so I decided to turn this cake into the cake of my dreams.
Of course, the process to make this cake was rather laborious, but in the long run it was worth it. I have never experienced a cake with such a light, delicate texture. The flavor was almost right on, but lacked some buttery-ness that I had gotten from the box mixes. While I realize that flavor I had gotten from the box mixes were most likely artificially enhanced, I wanted a little more omph from this cake. But the texture was spot on so I decided to turn this cake into the cake of my dreams.
I've made it only a couple of times since then, but I'm still looking for that thing that will make this cake unbelievable. I have experimented with adding almond extract to the batter, which has brought out some of the flavor I'm looking for. I'm almost there, but not quite. I'm kind of at a loss of what to try next, but I have been brainstorming ideas for my next attempt.
Unfortunately, I will not be posting the recipe because of copyright concerns, but I do urge you all to visit Cooks Illustrated to get the recipe. Or if it happens to appear in another one of their magazines, I urge you to pick it up. Dan and I are addicted to their magazines not only for the recipes, but also for the tips they publish from home cooks. And while the magazines can be a tad expensive, we've found them at Sam's Club for a slight discount. It makes it more affordable to feed our addiction.
Unfortunately, I will not be posting the recipe because of copyright concerns, but I do urge you all to visit Cooks Illustrated to get the recipe. Or if it happens to appear in another one of their magazines, I urge you to pick it up. Dan and I are addicted to their magazines not only for the recipes, but also for the tips they publish from home cooks. And while the magazines can be a tad expensive, we've found them at Sam's Club for a slight discount. It makes it more affordable to feed our addiction.
2 comments:
This one made me laugh. (and drool a little) We call Cook's Illustrated the Bible. Happy to know we aren't the only ones crazy about their recipes.
We have the online subscription so I will be converting this to gluten free and making it asap!
Great post!
Although I have mixed feelings about Cooks Illustrated, on the whole (blasphemy, I know!), I do think they tend to score when it comes to baked goods. So, it's no surprise that this cake ended up turning out so well. It looks fantastic!
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