BASIC VANILLA CAKE

It is tempting to use cake mixes. From-mix cakes turn out moist while from-scratch ones often do not. However, once one studies the ingredient list on a cake-mix box, one may vow to never go there again. That's what I did and thus began my search for tried-and-true basic vanilla and basic chocolate cake recipes. I have made this recipe only as cupcakes, but they were tasty.

Basic  Vanilla  Cake

Serves 12

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup water at room temperature

¾ cup heavy cream at room temperature

1. Butter two 9-inch-diameter, round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper cut to fit bottoms of pans. Butter papers, and then dust pans with flour, tapping out excess.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium-sized bowl until combined.

3. Beat butter in large bowl, using stand-mixer on medium-high speed.

4. Gradually add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

5. Reduce mixer speed to medium. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed.

6. Beat in vanilla. The mixture may look separated at this point.

7. Mix water with cream in measuring cup intended for liquids.

8. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture in three batches, alternating with half of cream-water mixture. Do not over-stir.

9. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in 350°F. oven until cakes are lightly golden on top and centers spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. If anything, undercook slightly, since cakes will continue to cook in hot pans. Cupcakes will need 10 to 12 minutes.

10. Transfer pans to racks, and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Then run knife around the edges of pans, and turn cakes onto racks to cool cakes completely. Remove paper from cakes’ bottoms. You may trim tops of cakes with long serrated knife to make them level before frosting.

Recipe from Food Network Kitchen