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Our Favorite Recipes

Have you ever had that ONE recipe that when everything else fails, you can go to it and its perfect everytime? Well this page is where my "go to" recipes will be. I want to share them with you so that hopefully they'll be a "go to " for you as well. These are the recipes that I go to whenever I  want to bake a perfectly moist and delicious cake! Try them out and you will see what I mean. In captions below each recipe, I will list where the recipe originated from so that you can go to their site and find your favs just like I did!  This page will also be where the Baking challenge Recipe will be posted on the 1st of every month! Happy Baking!

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Best Vanilla Cake
 

Author: Sally   Prep Time: 35 minutes  Cook Time: 25 minutes  Total Time: 4 hours
Yield: 12-14 servings

When I first started this business, I searched for cake recipes & tried several different ones in order to find a Vanilla cake recipe that was moist, sturdy enough to stand up to heavy decorating (if needed), and was still delicious! Once I tried this amazing Vanilla cake recipe from Sallysbakingaddiction.com, I knew without a doubt that it was THE ONE!

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With it's amazing vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is definitely the best vanilla cake I have ever had. It never fails to make me look good with my customers and family, because it always turns out just right! Customer satisfaction is definitely what we want so we will keep this one on hand for sure! Sallysbakingaddiction.com has actually become my go to website when I'm looking for a new recipes. So, thanks Sally! I am also including the notes that came with this recipe when I first printed it. Make sure you read through the recipe and the notes before beginning. (Notes courtesy of www.sallysbakingaddiction.com as well) This recipe yields about 8 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need this batter for different cake pans and conversions. 

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3 and 2/3 cups (433g) Cake Flour (spoon & leveled)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups (400g) granulated sugar

3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature*

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)

1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*

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1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

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1-Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.

 

Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.

 

3-Using a handheld or stand mixer with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl, as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running low,  pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.

 

Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

 

Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 min. Add ceonfectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.

 

 

Assemble and decorate:  Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to  create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!) Place 1 cake layer on the cake stand, turntable or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about1 and 1/2 cups frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting.

 

Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.

 

Cover leftover cake tightly and store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

 

Notes 

 

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temp. overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. 

 

9x13 Inch Cake: I recommend using Sally's white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. 

 

2 Layer Cake: I recommend using Sally's 2 Layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. 

 

Bundt Cake: This vanilla cake batter will fit into a 10-cup or larger bundt pan. I'm unsure of the exact baking time (likely around 1 hour), but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Use same oven temperature.

 

Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 19-21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen. Or try a regular vanilla cupcakes recipe. 

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Cake Flour: To prevent a dry tasting cake, make sure you are spooning & leveling the flour or weighing it. For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour (so does Sally) You can find it in the baking aisle & I'll be sharing alot more recipes using it. Usually a homemade cake flour substitute works, but this recipe uses far too much cake flour and the homemade substitute is not ideal. 

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Eggs: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don't recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination. 

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Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make DIY sour milk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or non dairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won't taste as moist or rich.)  Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade "buttermilk" will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.

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Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. 

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                                           Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/vanilla-cake/

Ingredients

Vanilla Buttercream

Instructions

Vintage Cookbook

Triple Chocolate Cake

Author:  Sally   Prep time:  30 minutes     Cook time:  25 minutes   Total time:  4 hours   Yield: serves 12

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This has quickly become my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe. With a super moist crumb and fudgy, yet light texture, this chocolate cake recipe will surely be your favorite too.  Top with chocolate Buttercream and chocolate chips for 3x the flavor. You can also prepare it as a sheet cake too.  See recipe note below. This recipe also comes from Sallysbakingaddiction.com so be sure to check out that site too for more delicious recipes not shown here.

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder*

1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp espresso powder* (optional)

1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil or coconut oil)

2 large eggs, room temperature*

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*

1 cup (240ml) freshly brewed strong hot coffee (regular or decaf)*

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Chocolate Buttercream

1.25 cups (2.5 sticks or 290g) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)*

3-5 TBS (45-75ml) heavy cream (or half n half or milk), at rom temperature

1/4 tsp salt

1tsp pure vanilla extract

optional for decoration: semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Melted Chocolate

Instructions

1- Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.

2- Make the cake. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can just use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla together on med-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.

3- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 23-36 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. (Note: Even if they are completely done, the cakes might sink a little in the middle. Cocoa is simply not as structurally strong as All-purpose flour and can't hold up to all the moisture necessary to make a moist tasting chocolate cake. It's normal!)

4- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

5- Make the Buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy- about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa, 3 TBS heavy cream, salt and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners' sugar or cocoa if the frosting is too thin or 1-2 more TBS or cream if frosting is too thick. ( I usually add 1 more). Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.

6- Assemble and frost: If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called "leveling" the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with chocolate chips, if desired.

7- Refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.

8- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

1- Make ahead and freezing instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Wrap the individual baked layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature then continue with step 5. You can prepare chocolate buttercream 2-3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before spreading onto/assembling cake. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.

2- 3 Layer Cake: You can also prepare this cake as a 3 layer cake. Divide batter between three 8 inch or 9-inch cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. This frosting will be enough for 3 layers. 

3- Cocoa powder: Use natural cocoa powder in the cake, not dutch-process. Since there is no leavening occurring in frosting, you can use either natural or dutch-process in the chocolate buttercream.

4- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 2 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or non-dairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won't taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade "buttermilk" will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.

5- Sour cream version: Lately I've been using a mix of sour cream and buttermilk, as well as reducing the hot cofffee to 1/2 cup (120ml) each. Add 3/4 cup of room temperature full-fat sour cream with the wet ingredients. This cake is fantastically moist, but the sour cream version has a slightly sturdier crumb.

6- FAQ: The sour cream version (note above) makes a sturdy enough cake that will hold under fondant. 

7- Amount of cake batter: This recipe (and the sour cream version) yields about 6 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake pan sized and conversions.

8- Espresso powder & coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee. Instead, they deepen the chocolate flavor, I use both. If coffee isn't your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use extra water or hot chai tea.

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Cake is originally and adapted from Hershey's.

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                       Find it online; https://www.sallysbakingaddiction.com/triple-chocolate-layer-cake

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield:  12 servings   Prep:  30 minutes   Cook:  30 minutes   Total time:  3 hours

Ingredients

3 cups cake flour (spoon & leveled)

1 tsp baking soda

2 TBS unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

4 large eggs, room temperature and separated 

1 TBS pure vanilla extract

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

liquid or gel red food coloring

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

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Baking

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

5 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt, to taste

Instructions

1- Preheat oven to 350F (177C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.

2- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

3- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and vinegar and beat on high for 2 minutes. ( Set the egg whites aside.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.

4- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 2-3 additions alternating with the buttermilk. Beat in your desired amount of food coloring just until combined. 1-2 teaspoons should be enough. Vigorously whisk or beat the 4 egg whites on high speed until fluffy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold into cake batter. The batter will be silky and slightly thick.

5- Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Careful not to overbake as the layers will dry out. Cool completely in the pans. 

6- Make the frosting:  In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy.  Add more confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. Frosting should be soft, but not runny.

7- Assemble and frost:  Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard or crumble over finished cake. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Its best to use an icing spatula and bench scraper for the frosting.

8- Refrigerate cake for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.

9- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.                                                                                         

Notes

1- Make Ahead Instructions:  The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting.

2- Cake Flour: For best texture and taste, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle. 

3- Vinegar: The vinegar helps brighten the red color. Don't get scared, a touch of vineagar is normal in red velvet desserts! You can't taste it.

4- Why is everything at room temperature? When everything is near the same temperature, they mix together easily, evenly, and produce a uniform texture. It's important!

5- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a key ingredient and flavor in this recipe. You can use low fat or full fat. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own sour milk. To do so, add 1 and 1/2 tsp of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough regular milk (whole milk is best) to make 1 cup. Stir the two together, then let it sit for 5 minutes before using.

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**Recipe originally published on Sally's Baking Addiction in 2015**

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