Some good cake receipes.

After making wedding cakes for quite some time, I stumbled upon some good cake recipes. The two cake recipes I like the best are from Confetti Cakes in New York. The main reason they work well is they taste great and are very easy to shape into children's novelty cakes. I have done a lot of experimenting with cakes (the tiered wedding variety & novelty shaped cakes) and worked out very quickly you need a firm cake or else disaster will strike! Yes we all love a nice light fluffy packet mix cake, that is fine if you want to slap on a bit of icing and presto you have your average home made cake......I frown as I write this(yes I suppose I am a baking snob!) Well here are my favorite vanilla and chocolate cake recipes

Vanilla Cake

2 1/2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

8 ounces (225 grams) soft unsalted butter

2 cups caster sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 eggs (room temperature)

1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease & line pan or tin with non stick paper.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

4. Set the mixer to slow speed and add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, scraping thoroughly between additions.

5 Alternately add the the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture in three batches, starting with the flour. Scrape down the bowl between additions and beat until thoroughly combined. set the mixer to medium speed for about 20 seconds then stop and scrape the side of the bowl.

6. Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans or muffin tins. For 9 inch cake pans and half sheet pans, bake 30-45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean; for cupcakes bake 20-25 minutes or until they spring back after being touched.

Chocolate Cake

2 2/3 cups or 12 ounces (340 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

8 ounces (225 grams) soft unsalted butter

2 cups caster sugar

2 eggs room temperature

1 1/4 cups strong prepared non flavored coffee

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease & line pan or tin with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Set aside.

4. In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on a medium speed until smooth.

5. Set the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping thoroughly between additions.

6. Alternately add the flour and sour cream mixtures to the butter mixture in two batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. scrape down the bowl after each addition.

7. gradually pour in the coffee. Scrape down the bowl and beat until thoroughly combined.

8. Divide the cake batter evenly among the cake pans or muffin tins. For 9-inch cake pans and half sheet pans bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean; for cupcakes bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they spring back after being touched.

I know the chocolate cake has a lot of ingredients and takes a little more time, but it's well worth the effort. Happy Baking everyone!