3.30.2012

April's Everyday Food + Easy Cake Batter

While I don't collect Everyday Food the way I collect Martha Stewart Living magazine, I do have a small drawer in a kitchen cabinet devoted to the best issues of this informative little digest. I've been a subscriber since the magazine began in 2003 and I've saved the issues I find the most helpful - the ones I turn to most often for recipes, tips and techniques. I am not a born cook. I don't have the natural flare my father has to dream up new concoctions and problem-solve in the kitchen, nor my mother's patience in making beautiful, multi-course holiday meals. Everyday Food was crafted for people like me: interested in preparing good food with not a lot of time or natural-born talent.
The April, 2012, issue is one that is going into the archives. It is the 'how-to' issue, filled with advice and secrets for achieving success at mealtime. There are Easter and Passover recipes as well as daily kitchen tips. The best-selling feature of this particular issue is a piece about the most foolproof, versatile yellow cake batter. I've transcribed the essentials below. It's sure to become my go-to recipe whenever I'm required (or inspired!) to bake a cake.

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 CUPS OF BATTER:

1 CUP BUTTER (ROOM TEMPERATURE)
1 3/4 CUPS SUGAR
4 LARGE EGGS (ROOM TEMPERATURE)
2 LARGE EGG YOLKS (ROOM TEMPERATURE)
1 TABLESPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
3 CUPS CAKE FLOUR, SPOONED AND LEVELED
1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER
1/2 TEASPOON FINE SALT
1 1/2 CUPS BUTTERMILK

Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. Butter should be soft enough to hold a thumb print but still keep its shape. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about six minutes. Beat in the eggs and the egg yolks one at a time until combined. Beat in the vanilla. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients, whisking to combine. With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating to combine. Beat in 3/4 cup buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture and another 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and remaining flour mixture until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

The recipe makes a variety of cake desserts. The magazine provides four delicious examples: Raspberry Cream Layer Cake, Pineapple Buckle, Cappuccino-Chocolate Cupcakes and Chocolate-Vanilla Marble Cakes, shown below.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I want to know baking directions for the yellow cake just as it is.

Anonymous said...

they need a new proof reader imitation not immatation vanilla I guess they don't have spell check-- NPR reported computers can replace sports writers due to the repetitive nature of sports reporting recipe editors get back to work no slacking off

ANDREW RITCHIE said...

Anonymous, the 'imitation' error was mine, not the editors. I made that page you see on the blog with the cake batter instructions. Ooops!