Scratch Cake Recipes

“I take pride in crafting all my cakes from scratch, with a special fondness for Carrot, Spice, Applesauce, and other uniquely flavored creations. These recipes have delighted customers, family, friends, and students alike for many years. I invite you to savor the delightful cakes listed below, each carefully curated to deliver an exceptional culinary experience.

For those seeking more delectable scratch cake recipes, I highly recommend exploring the extensive collection available at King Arthur Flour Recipes. Happy baking and indulging in the art of homemade goodness!”

 

White Chocolate Cake

  • 6 oz. white chocolate
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or ¼- ½ teaspoon Perfect Palate Powder Flavor by More Than Cake
  • 2-1/2 cups sifted unbleached cake flour
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
  • 1 cup flaked coconut, process in food processor to make coconut finer
  • 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325-335 °F degrees.

Melt white chocolate in the 1/2 cup hot water; set aside to cool. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and beating well after each addition. Add the cooled melted chocolate mixture and vanilla. Sift the flour, soda and salt together and add alternately with the butter­milk. Do not over beat! Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Gently stir in the pecans and coconut.

Bake in three 8-9″ layer greased and floured or parchment lined cake pans; bake in preheated oven approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Do not over bake. Cool and refrigerated layers completely, before frosting.

Tomato Soup Spice Cake (or) Pumpkin Spice Cake

“Bet you can’t guess the secret ingredient in this extra moist and rich spice cake – perfect with your favorite cream cheese frosting for the sweetest of endings!”

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or) butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cup white sugar (or) extra brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can Condensed Tomato Soup *See Note
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325-335 °F degrees.

In large mixing bowl combine shortening and sugar until well blended; add eggs milk and tomato soup, mix well.  In separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg in bowl; add to wet ingredient mixture, blend on low speed until mixed, continue to beat on medium speed 4 minutes.  Pour into prepared pans of your choice.

Bake in two 8″ layer greased and floured or parchment lined cake pans; bake in preheated oven approximately Bake 40-50 minutes or until done.  Cool in pan on wire rack; frost completely cooled cake with cream cheese frosting.

*Note – For a different twist on the recipe, substitute same amounts of canned Pumpkin or Applesauce for the Tomato Soup.

Carrot Cake

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 cups finely grated carrots, process to make finer
  • 1 cup walnuts (or) pecans, toasted & chopped

Preheat oven to 325-335 °F degree.

In a large bowl; mix together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Sift together, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves; mix until blended; add grated carrots and nuts do not over mix.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake in a 325-335 degree; preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

 

Stout Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups stout or dark beer, such as Guinness, may add extra water or milk to equal 2 cups
  • 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
  • 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  1. Preheat the oven to 325-335°F degree. Prepare cake pans; 3-4  8″ round cake pans, line them with parchment paper circles. Be sure pans are at least 2″ deep.
  2. For the cake: Place the stout and butter in a large, heavy saucepan, and heat until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the cocoa powder.
  3. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  4. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sour cream.
  6. Add the stout-cocoa mixture, mixing to combine.
  7. Add the flour mixture and mix together at slow speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix again for 1 minute.
  8. Divide the batter equally among the prepared pans. (See tips section for hints on weighing out the batter if you have a kitchen scale.)
  9. Bake the layers for 35 minutes for 8″ pans, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out of their pans and returning to the rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.

Chocolate Almond Coconut Truffle Cake

  • 2- 3/4 cups unbleached Cake Flour,
  • 1 -2/3 cups sugar; superfine sugar is best
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup coconut, unsweetened flaked, processed finer
  • 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs whites plus 1 whole large egg
  • 1 cup coconut cream, unsweetened (or) 1 cup full-fat vanilla yogurt or sour cream (or) 1 cup whole milk to change flavor of cake
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or ¼- ½ teaspoon Perfect Palate Powder Flavor by More Than Cake
  • 1 teaspoon almond or coconut extract or ¼- ½ teaspoon Perfect Palate Powder Flavor by More Than Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325- 350°F degree. Prepare two 8″ x 2″ or 9″ x 2″ round pans; a 9″ x 13″ pan; by greasing and flouring; or lining with parchment, then greasing the parchment. Note: Make sure your 8″ round pans are at least 2″ deep; if they’re not, use one of the other pan options.
  2. Mix all of the dry ingredients on slow speed to blend. Add the soft butter and mix until evenly crumbly, like fine damp sand. It may form a paste, depending on the temperature of the butter, how much it’s mixed, and granulation of the sugar used.
  3. Add the egg whites one at a time, then the whole egg, beating well after each addition to begin building the structure of the cake. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt (or milk) with the vanilla and almond extracts. Add this mixture, 1/3 at a time, to the batter. Beat 1 to 2 minutes after each addition, until fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes for 8″ or 9″ rounds; 36 to 42 minutes for a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ sheet cake, a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean when done. Remove from the oven, remove from the pan, if desired (not advisable for a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake), cool on a rack, and frost.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Make 1 Recipe Dark or Milk Chocolate Ganache.  Recipe follows; set aside to cool.

Almond Coconut Filling

  • 1 cup recipe dark, white or milk chocolate ganache
  • 1 cup creamy fresh almond butter or almond paste, softened in microwave
  • 1/2 cup toasted almonds, finely ground in food processor
  • Add ¼- ½ teaspoon extra coconut powder flavor if needed, by Perfect Palate Powder Flavor by More Than Cake

Mix together until well blended.  Spread onto sliced cake layers.

Assemble Almond Coconut Truffle Cake

Torte each cake layer, spray with simple syrup, spread coconut mounds dark chocolate ganache on each layer; swirl coconut mounds ganache into dark chocolate mousse, spread on top of dark chocolate/coconut mounds layer, then

place next cake layer, until you have three layers of filling.  Crumb coat cake with remaining non-dairy whipped topping, continue to frost cake, comb sides and drizzle with slightly melted ganache or decorate as desired