10 Tips to Successfully Baking a Cake from Scratch

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Did you know that baking a cake from scratch is simple, easy, and effortless? And yet, baking is a science and each ingredient plays an important role and has the ability to alter the end product. Hence, it requires a specific process and procedure that we must follow to get the best results. Here are 10 tips for successfully baking a cake from scratch. Also included is a recipe and step-by-step instructions to guide you through.

Debunking the myth of baking from scratch

The truth is, baking a cake from scratch is easy. It really is. I think the real problem is that people perceive it is hard. Otherwise, why would there be so many box-mixes out there? Right? NO!! I don't use box mixes, and yet I can't think of how it would be any easier than baking a cake from scratch.

First of all, let's look at the ingredients in a basic cake - butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, and milk. I bet these are ingredients you already have on hand. So, the box mix is an extra ingredient that you need to buy. So how it is easier? I'd love to hear from those of you that love using box mixes in the comments below.

Start with a simple recipe

The simplest recipe on this blog is my one-bowl vanilla or chocolate recipe (pictured below). It is literally dumping all the above five ingredients in a bowl, giving it a mix, pouring it into a cake pan, and then into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, and voila! That is baking a cake from scratch. So, isn't that easy?

Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against using a box mix. Use it, if that is what you fancy. And yet, do it because you want to, not because you think baking from scratch is hard.

I want to take every opportunity I have to show you that baking a cake from scratch is not hard. And if possible, to get you to bake one, at least once. I baked my first cake when I was not even 10 years old. So, if a 10-year-old can do it, how hard can it be? Right?

Taking it to the next level

While baking a cake from scratch is easy, as you advance into baking you want to take those basic ingredients one step further. And this requires some additional knowledge. Because, after all, baking is a science.

There is a whole encyclopedia about baking. With instructions on what you must do, and what you must not do. And rightfully so. Since there is nothing worse than spending an hour baking only to remove a flat or under-baked, and sometimes over baked cake from the oven.

I am very grateful to have had a mother who taught me the basics of baking. Both my grandmother and mother were excellent bakers and cooks. And I am truly fortunate to have it in my blood. I love baking and cooking so much that over the years I have created many of my own recipes and shared them with family, friends, and now, here on my blog.

Did you know that I have more than 30 layer cake recipes? I also have many coffee/bundt/loaf cake recipes on this blog. And all of these are baked from scratch.

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10 tips to successfully baking a cake from scratch

I - Weigh the ingredients

Always measure the ingredients properly. And the best way to do that is to use weight measure no volume.
If it says one cup, then use one cup, not a few tablespoons more or less. It makes a difference.
For example – a few tablespoons of extra flour can make your cake dense, and crack on top. While a few tablespoons less can cause the cake to sink.

I also have a post that explains the advantages of - measuring ingredients by weight and volume in more detail.

II - The temperature of your ingredients

Make sure your butter is room temperature, and yet not melted unless the recipe specifies.

• Butter - If the butter is not room temperature it will not cream well with the sugar and will stay lumpy.
• Eggs - Start with room temperature. This will help them combine well with the rest of the ingredients and not give you a curdled batter. Tip - If you need to separate eggs, separate them when they are still cold. The egg yolk won't crack.
• Sugar - Use fine grain sugar that will cream well. Since coarse granulated sugar takes longer to cream and ends up staying grainy.
  Tip - If you cannot find fine grain sugar just pulse the coarse grain sugar in a  food processor for a few seconds.

III - Over-mixing and under-mixing

I know this is very confusing. What does it mean? How do I know when it’s enough?
Most recipes will tell you how long to mix. And yet, if you’re still not comfortable, use a kitchen timer. (I do it all the time, mostly because I’m multitasking).

Most cakes have a simple formula – cream the butter and sugar and you will know when this it's done. Because it will appear light, fluffy and creamy. (Usually about 2 to 3 minutes.) You see this in the recipe images below. That is well creamed. The butter gets lighter, and the sugar is almost melted with a slight graininess.

Also, most recipes say to add eggs one at a time and incorporate each egg well. What it means is - add each egg at about 20-sec intervals, combine the first until there is no yellow visible, then add the next. It is important to mix the eggs well as this can give your finished cake that light and airy texture we all love. (I explained this above).

Adding the dry and wet ingredients

Next, add the dry and wet ingredients.  Always alternate the dry and wet, starting with the dry and ending with the dry. It is important to stir until they are incorporated completely.

In most traditional cakes this is how the cake batter would look. Some batters, such as chocolate cake batters, have more liquid. And yet, the batter should still be smooth without any lumps or trace of flour.
You can do this by hand or use the mixer on low. Here is where you do not want to over-mix and activate the gluten in the flour. ( I explained gluten below under ingredients).

And, fill your pan ⅔ full leaving enough room for the cake to rise. If your pan is not lined, at least grease and flour it, so the cake will be released. If you grease but don't flour the pan it does affect the rise of your cake.

IV - Temperature of the oven

I know most professionals recommend buying an oven thermometer. It is a great investment. (see the one I use below under tools). Having said that, If you do not own one, then keep track of your oven. For example, if your recipe says to cook for 20 minutes, and your cake is done in 15 or 30 minutes, you can estimate how much hotter or cooler your oven is. And next time, make the adjustments accordingly and keep track again. When baking, the oven temperature is very important and can affect the end result of your baked goods.

V - Always preheat your oven

A good practice is to have your ingredients ready, switch on the oven and start mixing. This gives you approximately 15 minutes of preheating time.

VI - Prepare your cake pan

Some people buy special spray for their baking. I personally like to use Pam spray, and then use baking paper on the bottom, as well as the sides. Also, note - that if you do not prepare the sides of your pan – it affects the rise of your cake.

VII - The use of cake strips and heating core

You can buy these ready-made nowadays. So it saves you a lot of hassle. And it does bake your cake level and saves you the extra work of leveling the cake later. Also, a heating core for larger cakes will bake your cake evenly, so you won’t have a wet center with a dry exterior. I use large flower nails as a heating core.

VIII - Overcrowding your oven

Overcrowding the oven can cause too many problems with uneven baking as well as sinking. Hence, it's best to place the cake on the middle rack and away from the side of the oven. Also, pans should not touch each other when baking.

IX - Never open the oven door while baking

Opening the door when baking can cause your cake to sink. Therefore, most recipes will tell you how long to bake it. In addition, a great indicator is the cake-aroma from the oven. You will know when your cake is baked by the lovely sweet smell permeating throughout your home. Then, open the door, and do a toothpick test to make sure. If the toothpick comes out clean take the cake out of the oven. If not, give it a few minutes more and then test again.

X - Never leave the cake in the pan to cool for more than 10 minutes

Remove the cake from its pan and let it cool on a wire rack. And if you have greased your pans properly, this will be an easy job. Leaving your warm cake in the pan for long can cause the cake to sink. In particular, cakes like angel food and genoise need to be taken out of the pan as soon as they are out of the oven so that they do not sink.

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Ingredients and substitutes

A great way to becoming a better baker is to take a moment to understand your ingredients. That is why on every recipe I have a section dedicated to ingredients and substitutes.

When you take a moment to think about what this ingredient is, or how this ingredient works, you are already on the path to becoming a good baker. I don't plan to give you the whole history or encyclopedia, and yet here is some background information that will help you better understand your cake ingredients.

First of all, a cake has mainly 5 basic ingredients that are used in almost all basic cakes. As you explore more recipes, you will learn how these can be used in many ways to get different outcomes. My mom would refer to this as playing with your ingredients. She'd smile and say - have fun and let's see what happens.

Flour

Have you ever wondered how this single ingredient can be used in different recipes, and yet produce very different outcomes? From wonderful, flaky, tender pie crust to dense chewy bread?

All flour is graded by its protein content. There is all-purpose flour also known as plain flour (maida), which I use on this blog all the time because it's easily available everywhere. Also, it works great as a basic dough. And when used with the right technique, it can also produce flaky pies as well as chewy bread.

All-purpose flour is composed of both soft and hard wheat flours, which can be bleached or unbleached. The strength and texture of the baked pies or bread is a result of the gluten that is developed when the protein in the flour is combined with heat and liquid. That is why when making a pie crust we use our fingertips to work with the dough trying hard not to activate the gluten. And this gives us a nice flaky pastry. While on the other hand, the same flour when kneaded rigorously with the heal of your hand activates so much gluten that it gives us a wonderfully chewy bread.

Other types of flour

In addition, there are other types of flour, such as bread flour, which has more gluten in it. And we use it in bread like pizza, where we want that extra elasticity. And there is also cake flour, which has a higher percentage of protein that gives us soft tender crumbs and flaky pastries.

As I said above, the plain all-purpose flour is a great flour to use. And if used correctly, it can produce great results. So, don't worry if you can't find cake flour or bread flour near you. Use what you got, and with a little better understanding of how to use it - Read - Baking Basic - How flour affects our baking

Fat (butter)

Most bakers don't realize that fat can make a huge difference in their baking. Whether it's the type of fat or the temperature at which it is used.

Most cakes use butter. And butter tends to be very temperamental. When used properly, it can produce flaky pie crust and crisp-tender cookies. And yet, it can also be the reason for ragged-edge or tough cookies.

Also, butter is always used in combination with other ingredients like sugar, eggs, and flour. And every addition contributes to the texture and flavor of the baked product. For example, when creamed well with sugar, it can produce a wonderfully tender crumb to cakes. And when whipped into eggs, it can give the cake light and fluffy texture.

In addition, always follow the instructions in your recipe. If it says room temperature, it should be soft, and yet firm to the touch, and not so soft that it can be squished easily with your finger. There is a huge difference when you cream a room temperature butter with sugar as compared to a soft butter with sugar. And this difference is especially visible when baking cookies.

Unsalted vs. salted butter

Ever wonder why most bakers insist on using unsalted butter, and yet they also add salt in the recipe? First of all, this is because every brand of butter comes with a different percentage of salt added. And seasoned bakers usually want to be in control of how much salt goes into their baked goods.

The other reasons are that unsalted butter has less water content than salted butter. Also, salted butter contains annatto which is a color agent that gives the butter its yellow color. The more salt in the butter the more yellow the butter. This means that your cake is directly affected by that color and moisture in the salted butter.

And yet, salted butter can produce wonderfully light and tender cakes. So, next time you pick butter for baking, pick the unsalted. Otherwise, just omit salt in the recipe and use salted butter. The baked product will be just as delicious. Trust me. Read - Baking Basic - how butter affects our baking

Eggs

Eggs add structure in the form of protein and help balance the texture when combined with flour and fat. Also, egg yolks contain emulsifiers that give a thick and cohesive batter helping to keep all the ingredients together.

So you see, eggs play a very important role in baked goods. From adding structure, color, and flavor, as well as leavening. Too many eggs in a cake batter can result in a tough, dry and chewy cake. And too little can make the cake very delicate and crumbly, which isn't always a good thing.

Egg yolks vs. egg whites

Eggs are often listed as two separate ingredients - egg whites, and egg yolks. That is because when separated they both perform differently. Egg whites, when whipped and added to a cake batter, can give you a wonderfully light and airy cake, almost like a sponge. For example, an Angle food cake and genoise. This is not the same as whipping the whole egg into the batter. While egg yolks can be used to create wonderful emulsified custards and pastry creams without any egg white at all.

Therefore, you will often use only egg yolks or only egg whites in recipes instead of the whole egg. For example, vanilla pastry cream is made with only egg yolks, while meringue uses only egg whites.

Also, always use large eggs when baking cakes and pastries unless specified otherwise. A large egg is about 57 to 60 grams, so when in doubt use the scale to check it. read - Baking basic -how eggs affect our baking

Sugar

While sugar is used to add sweetness to cakes it also adds structure, texture, color, and flavor. So often you will get a recipe that calls for white granulated sugar, brown sugar, dark brown sugar, etc. They all provide a different depth of flavor to your baked goods apart from their sweetness.

Did you know that sugar is a wet ingredient not dry? Yes, it is often referred to as a wet ingredient in baking. Because when heated it's at a liquid state.

And sugar caramelizes when heated. That also contributes to the flavor. The more you heat it, the deeper the color of your baked goods will become. That is why cakes with a high percentage of sugar tend to be darker in color. And cookies with more sugar tend to become brown quickly.

Other attributes of sugar

In addition, sugar is often considered a preservative. Baked goods with sugar do not go stale as quickly as ones made without sugar. This is because sugar has a hygroscopic property. Which means it can hold onto moisture. This hygroscopic property helps reduce the development of gluten in baked goods. This results in moist and tender cakes.

And yet, using sugar as a leavening agent does not necessarily mean that it helps raise the cake. Since it does not work the same way as baking powder or baking soda. Instead, when creamed with butter, the added air trapped in with the two ingredients helps to get a light and airy texture. Read - Baking Basic - How sugar affects our baking

Liquid

The added moisture to the cake batter helps hydrate all the ingredients. The liquid in cakes can be from simple water, milk, juices or thick sour creams. And the liquid helps create steam that expands the air cells and creates that volume we like in light fluffy cakes. In addition, liquid also contributes to tender and moist cakes.

Baking powder/ baking soda - Leavening agents

These are an essential part of baking. And too much or too little can create different results. I spoke extensively about these in the section on baking basics, and in this post, baking powder and baking soda in baking. So I'll keep it brief.

Leavening agents release carbon dioxide gases into the cake when mixed into the batter. This helps the batter rise. Also, it gives a light and airy texture when combined with eggs, sugar, and flour. It is very important to follow the exact measurement of the leavening agent in your recipe. Since too much of it can cause very undesirable results in your baked goods, including a dry after-taste when too much is added. Read - Baking Basic - Baking Powder vs Baking Soda

Useful tips and tools

• If you bake often, it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer. Because, often, we try to mix by hand and then we are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So, if you are making this cake go ahead and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from your kitchen cabinet. You don’t have to buy an expensive stand mixer, a simple hand mixer also works great.
• I believe in measuring ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scale one of the most valuable items when baking.
• And the same goes for my measuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
• Also, I think one set of baking pans is a must for anyone a home baker. I often use three 6-inch round cakes, which I often split into 4 layers for a tall display. Some times, I use three 8-inch round pans or three 7-inch cakes.
• Once baked, always invert your cakes on a cooling rack. This enables air circulation and prevents the steam from pooling at the bottom of the pan.
• Lastly, every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of cakes, a skewer inserted in the center is a great indication. If the cake bakes too fast or too slow compared to the time given, it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration.
• An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do then is adjust the temperature accordingly.

On a personal note - here's what I try to keep in mind

• First of all, organize yourself. Try not to multitask. (I know, easier said than done).
• Also, get all the ingredients ready before you start, so you don’t forget anything.
• And remember, baking is food science. While in regular cooking you can always add more salt or have the luxury of forgetting something. In baking, each ingredient has a key role and can affect the end result of your hard work.
• Finally, baking can be fun and exciting; it all depends on how you approach it.
• So take care of the basics and the rest is fun.

How to bake a cake from scratch - Vanilla cake recipe (pin)

• Watch me make a pina colada cake in the video below.
• Preheat the oven to 170 Cor 340 F.  And prepare two 8” cake pans.
• Grease and flour the baking pan with baking paper.
• In a bowl, measure your dry ingredients, add the baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
• Measure the milk and set aside.
• Start by creaming the butter and sugar in your kitchen mixture (or by hand) for about 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Next, add eggs one at a time, and beat until well combined.
• Add the vanilla extract.

• Add the flour and milk in three batches, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. And mix until just incorporated. Here you do not want to overmix.
• Take the bowl off the mixture – and give it one last stir scraping the bottom of the bowl.

• Pour into your prepared pan and place in the oven (middle rack) for 20 to 25 min. Or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then on a wire rack completely.

Other flavors you can make from this recipe

This recipe is so simple. So it's easy to master and take to the next level. As a result, you can create so many different variations. The amounts below are for the original quantities. So if you change the serving amount - adjust quantities below accordingly.

• Sour-cream vanilla cake   - Replace the milk with sour cream and substitute ½ tsp baking powder with baking soda
• Lemon cake - Replace 3 tbsp of the milk with lemon juice and add the zest of one lemon (zest is optional). And substitute ½ tsp baking powder with baking soda.
• Orange cake - Replace the milk with orange juice. And substitute ½ tsp baking powder with baking soda.  In addition, add ¼ tsp orange extract and ¼ tsp orange zest. (orange zest and the extract is optional).
• Chocolate cake - Replace 60 grams of flour (4 tbsp) with cocoa powder.
• Chocolate mocha cake - Replace 60 grams of flour (4 tbsp) with cocoa powder. In addition, dissolve 2 tbsp of coffee in 2 tbsp of hot water. And add to the batter before you pour into the baking pan.

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