Cake Baking

by norman weathers
(bethlehem pa.)

i like baking cakes how ever they never come out moist and light. can you tell me how to bake good cakes.


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Hey there Norman!

I've never been much of a baker but I think your only problem is probably just finding the right recipe. I have a wonderful recipe on my website for a chocolate mayonnaise cake that is very light and moist that you may enjoy: https://www.mamas-southern-cooking.com/mayonaise-cake.html This recipe won't make a very good layer cake though because it would probably fall apart.

If you are just looking for a basic yellow cake, I haven't gotten around to posting this one yet but here it is:

Basic Yellow Cake


2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened to room temperature, plus more for pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

1 1/2 cups cake flour (see note below)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (not the imitation stuff)

1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter two 9 x 2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper that has been cut to fit. Butter the parchment paper. Dust the pans with flour. Tap out the excess; set aside.

Sift together flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beating until combined after each addition. The batter will look kinda of like it's curdled but that's okay, that's the way it's supposed to look.

Divide batter between equally between the prepared pans, and smooth out the tops.

Bake until cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Place the pans on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Flip the pans over onto the wire rack to remove the cake layers. Peel off the parchment paper and flip the cake layers back over and let them cool completely on the wire racks top sides up.

This is a very versatile recipe. You can add 10-ounces of your favorite fruit that has been chopped finely to this recipe to make other kinds of cakes. Adding strawberries is wonderful!

NOTE: Cake flour is not self-rising flour, all-purpose flour or bread flour. Cake flour usually comes in a box labeled Swan's Down or Softasilk. King Aurthur also makes a very good brand. For some strange reason, most grocery stores don't seem to put it with the other flours, I seem to have the best luck finding mine near the cake mixes on the very bottom or the very top shelf.