Easy Cake Recipes

FAQS

Common Baking Substitutions?

• Generally, I suggest that you follow the recipe as it is written. If you find yourself in a bind, here are a few common substitutes that can be used with minimal changes to the overall result.
  • Cake flour. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to a 1-cup measuring cup. Spoon in all-purpose flour until the cup is full then level it off. Sift the ingredients into a bowl. Sift them again to get well-incorporated, airy cake flour.
  • How to Make Buttermilk
  • Baking Powder Substitute

Best Frosting For Cake?

• Whether you’re making a classic Lemon Bundt Cake or a fancy wedding cake, the type of frosting used is important for the overall look, taste, and texture.
  • Glaze – thin and fluid, pours easily, is used to give cakes a smooth and shiny finish. Allow the cake to cool or the glaze will run right off.
  • Icing/ganache – thinner than frosting but thicker than a glaze. They are almost the texture of a sauce and will set as it cools. Icing has a powdered sugar base while ganache has a chocolate base.
  • Royal icing – typically used for sugar cookies or tiered cakes. It sets very quickly and has a shiny finish.
  • Frosting – the thickest and is typically made with a butter or cream cheese base. It can be made in many different flavors and colors. It’s very stable and can be used to create designs with piping tools and holds up well in between cake layers. 
• Frosting tools. Use both a straight and an offset icing spatula. Cake boards help to lift and move the cake. Piping bags and tips are a great investment. 

Favorite Frosting Recipes?

• Many cake recipes already have a suggested frosting, but here is a list of some of our favorites that you might like to try:
  • Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
  • Berry Buttercream Frosting
  • Caramel Frosting Recipe
  • Strawberry Frosting
  • Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
  • Sugar Cookie Frosting
  • Easy Marshmallow Frosting
  • Cream Cheese Icing

Top Cake Making Tips?

1. Follow the recipe. This may seem like a given, but it is my number one tip. Sometimes an adjustment does not affect the result, oftentimes it does.
2. Room temperature butter. When the butter and sugar are mixed they create a creamy base full of little air pockets that expand as the cake bakes creating a fluffy cake. Check out How to Soften Butter Quickly when you’re in a time crunch!
3. Use fresh leavening agents (aka baking powder and baking soda). These ingredients help the cake to rise to all its fluffy glory.
4. Over-mixing can cause too much air to get trapped in the batter as well as overdevelop the gluten found in flour which leads to a tougher cake.
5. No peeking. It can be tempting to open the oven door to check the cake, but this can cause the cake to sink. Only peek when nearing the end of the suggested bake time.
6. Prepared pan. How to Grease & Flour a Pan (which is helpful for decorative bundt pans) or How to Line a Pan with Parchment Paper. You can often find precut parchment paper rounds perfect for cake pans.