CAKE!

My Husband and I have been together for nearly 25 years.  During this time he has talked about Mother’s Cake and why can’t I make this for him.  HUH?  I searched the Internet for years.  I interviewed numerous in-laws.  No luck.   

Not so long ago, I came across a recipe that looked like it might be promising.  I’ll admit it, I am not the world’s best baker.  I lean more towards the savory side of the kitchen. I use to make cookies and a few cakes, regularly.  But as life marches on, so do our waistlines.  It was better that I cut back on the sweet stuff for both DH and me.

 As I mentioned, we are retired and I have time now to ‘play’ as my husband refers to my cooking/baking.  If something comes out horribly wrong, oh well, at least it didn’t cost me nearly as much as it did in Hawaii.   

Once I honed the recipe, I sent a copy to our Niece-in-law, whose husband also asks for Mother’s Cake.  “Hey, this is just a basic yellow cake Auntie”, she exclaimed over the phone to me.  I never thought of it that way, she’s right.  But MAN, this is the best scratch cake I’ve ever had, sorry Grandma.

 

This recipe makes a 3 layered cake or 3 dozen cupcakes.  If your cupboard is like mine, I have only 2 cake pans and 1 cupcake tin, that’s what you’ll get.  A double layered cake and a dozen cupcakes.  If this all sounds like too much cake, not to worry, it freezes well for later.  We usually eat the cake first and then the cupcakes are in reserve.

 

Mother’s Cake

2 ¼ C. All-Purpose Flour, don’t sift it, just fluff and scoop, lightly

1 ½ C. granulated Sugar

3 ½ tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Table Salt

1 ¼ C. whole Milk

Vegetable Oil, any type except Olive

½ C. unsalted Butter, softened

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract (that’s right, not teaspoon)

3 large Eggs, at room temperature

 

Preheat the oven to 350⁰

Cut parchment rounds for the bottoms of the cake pans.  Lightly, spray cooking oil into the pans; place the paper in pans and then spray the paper.  If you’re making cupcakes, just use the spray. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt with a whisk; set aside. 

Pour the milk into a two-cup measuring cup.  Now add to the milk just enough vegetable oil that it comes to the 1 and 1/3 mark on the cup.  Add this mixture, along with the butter and vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl. 

Add the eggs and continue beating for an additional 2 minutes. 

Pour the batter in the pans. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes for the cakes or 15-17 minutes for the cupcakes.  Do not over bake, an inserted wooden toothpick should come out with a few crumbs or when touched in the centers, they spring back. 

Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then remove them from the pans to cool completely on the rack. 

Once cooled, frost as desired.  

( I used Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting )

Tagged: Baking, Cake, Chocolate, Cooking, Home, Lifestyle, Recipes