Kitchen

[IamMrsG]

On 10/19/2014 goldenretriever said:

On 10/18/2014 IamMrsG said:

Click here, and scroll down to Post #19 for a recipe for Buttermilk Devil's Food Cake. This is a tried and true recipe for a very dark and moist cake.

YUM....this looks like a good one. Thank you!

Goldenretriever, you are welcome. As you seem to doubt your baking skills, I just thought to caution that your 'batter' will be quite thin, watery even. Do not think you've made a mistake. It is supposed to be that way.

[Abrowneyegirl]

Do you have an oven thermometer?

My BF came to me with the same issue recently, so I offered to help her. On a hunch I brought my thermo. and found her oven was off by 15-30 degrees depending on which temp we set the oven to! No wonder her cakes are dry.

[BOYINTX]

this is why I move very fast from the kitchen..Now I see ovens can be off .

[Mustang Shar]

Travelingrandma, thx I have copied that pound cake.

[PamelaSue72]

This is the most decadently perfectly moist chocolate cake ever!

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. Makes 12 servings.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Edited to correct spelling error.

[tkins]

These are my go to from scratch moist cake recipes. I have never had any problems with them and they are the most requested item/recipe especially when my husband brings treats to his meetings (all the guys love them and have asked for the recipe for their wives). They also make great cupcakes. Either way, they are good plain, dusted with powdered sugar or frosted. The spice ones are really good this time of year.

Moist Chocolate Cake

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup cold water

**For a Mocha Moist Chocolate Cake: Add Instant Coffee (I always keep a box of Tasters Choice Single cup pouches for this and brownies etc) and you can substitute some cold coffee for all or part of the cold water depending on your preference.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Using a spoon, make three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour oil into one, vinegar into another and vanilla into the third. (I find it works well if you make a smiley face vinegar in one eye vanilla in the other and the oil in the big smile). Slowly pour water over all. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined (batter will be thin).

Pour into a greased and floured 8-in. square baking dish or you can make cupcakes instead.

For Cake: Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

For Cupcakes: Bake at 365 for 7 minutes then rotate pan so the front ones are in the back (if doing 2 muffin pans rotate then shift right pan to left and left to right). Cool on a wire rack cake can be left in pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired (I have tried with and without and prefer it without (it is less messy). I have also made it and frosted it for special occasions and it is good that way too).

Yield: 9 servings for cake. Cupcakes will vary depending on how full you fill them, roughly 18-24.

MOIST SPICE CAKE

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup cold water

Follow directions for chocolate cake listed above.

Golden Vanilla Wacky Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil or Butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°; spray an 8-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add in milk, oil, and vanilla to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Whisk in vinegar until just blended. Immediately pour batter into pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Can eat as is, or dust with powdered sugar or top with frosting.

I used to make this last one all the time, it sounds odd but it is really good also very moist.

CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

3 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise

1 1/3 cups water

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans*; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.

In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise at low speed until blended. Alternately beat in flour mixture with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. On wire racks, cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely. Frost, if desired, or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

*Or, prepare cake mix as above in 13 x 9-inch baking pan and bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy.

tkins

[sfnative]

On 10/19/2014 goldenretriever said:

When I bake a cake, I TRY to do everything right. I know over-beating is bad, so I'm careful not to do that. And I watch the cooking time carefully. I don't know what I do wrong!

Like Skylands suggested, I bought cake flour & will try that.

I DO have a problem with measuring the batter from one cake pan to the next. One is ALWAYS more full than the other, so of course that effects bake time.

It always helps to watch a person make something, rather than read about it. My mom could make perfectly moist cakes with ease. She has passed, so I rely on the internet & Youtube videos. But still, I always have questions, & a video doesn't respond back when I ask them.

Goldenretriever,

See the bolded paragraph above. Here's a hint to help you. If you don't have a set, then purchase an inexpensive set of graduated cup measures in plastic: 1 cup, 3/4 cup, 2/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup and 1/4 cup. Some sets don't have the 3/4 or 2/3 cup.

Once you have these and your batter is made, pick up the 1/2 cup measure. Dip it into the batter, level off with the back side of a table knife and place that batter into the left cake pan, scraping out batter with a small spatula if needed (I bought a small bladed spatula years ago and still have it and use it all the time. I think it cost $3.99). Now repeat and place batter into the pan on the right. Keep doing this until all the batter is gone. If you get to the bottom of the bowl and don't have enough to fill the 1/2 cup measure, that's OK. Just remember to go from left to right, left to right, etc.

Also, regarding the switchout of all purpose flour to cake flour: this won't work with every recipe. If you use one of the two recipes I provided, please use all purpose flour. Thank you!

[sfnative]

On 10/19/2014 goldenretriever said:

Sfnative

Thanks for the recipes- I printed them both & will give them a try!

KToby- thanks for that rec. I need "tips & tricks"!

goldenretriever,

I hope you're able to try the cake with 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate and liquid coffee. Nothing compares to the use of unsweetened chocolate either in bar or tab form. Many markets now have Ghirardelli chocolate in their baking sections. That would be an excellent go-to. (I get my Guittard chocolate on-line and it's worth every cent!)

[spot555]

On 10/19/2014 sfnative said:

<br />

goldenretriever,

I hope you're able to try the cake with 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate and liquid coffee. Nothing compares to the use of unsweetened chocolate either in bar or tab form. Many markets now have Ghirardelli chocolate in their baking sections. That would be an excellent go-to. (I get my Guittard chocolate on-line and it's worth every cent!)

I will do that. I always go for the best ingredients possible....just need to perfect my technique!

[spot555]

On 10/19/2014 PamelaSue72 said:

This is the most decadently perfectly moist chocolate cake ever!

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. Makes 12 servings.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Edited to correct spelling error.

Another great recipe- thank you! Hershey's always did have some really excellent recipes.

I'm loving all of your suggestions- I appreciate them!