Sturdy cake for cutting shapes and forms?

[meredithla]

What is your best cake recipe that can stand to be cut and shaped without being too delicate and crumbling? I've used pound cake in the past. Is there something lighter but still sturdy?

[claire797]

I haven't made it yet, but my friend says that the Elegant White Cake from King Arthur is pretty stable. The recipe was posted (I believe, by Wendy) in a thread discussing white cake.

Elegant White Cake

8 tablespoons butter -- (1 stick

softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening -- (3-1/4 oz.)

1 tablespoon baking powder -- (1/2 oz.)

1 3/4 cups superfine or granulated sugar -- (12-1/4 ounces)

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

5 large egg whites (6 to 7 oz.)

2 3/4 cups cake flour -- (11 oz.)

1 cup milk -- (8 oz.)

-- Cream together butter through almond extract until light. 5 min. or

more.

-- Add egg whites one at a time and beat well after each addition.

-- Stir in flour and milk, alternating between the two, starting and

ending with the flour. (i.e. 1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3

flour)

-- Pour into pans (2 9-in. round or one 9x13-in) and bake at 350. 25-35

minutes or until done. mine were done before this, so check early.

[K8memphis]

Well, as non-she-she as it is to some, the folowing formula uses pre-measured ingredients but I have cut out star shaped mini tier cakes out of this and covered them with fondant--no problem-o. It's great cake.

So this is a great formula that is very common in cake circles. This is a great performing cake, makes a sturdy tier cake that will serve and stack well, but still fluffy and light.

One box Duncan Hines white cake mix

one cup self-rising flour

one cup super-fine sugar

teaspoon vanilla extract

teaspoon of almond extract

cup of sour cream

3 egg whites

1 egg

a little salt

two tablespoons of oil

Toss it all together, maybe sift the dry stuff if necessary, mix well for two mins, bake at 350.

These mixes have ingredients with those plastic properties that just simply can't be beat for resilience, performance, not to mention moisture retention, handling and consistency. These companies have sunk millions of dollars into the research and development of the powder placed in these little boxes--it's good stuff--who knew. Much maligned, offensive to some people for some reason, although they would be the first ones to use pre-made puff pastry or phyllo dough--what's the point??

Just a good cake thought.

[Wendy DeBord]

Claire are you referring to this thread here?

When I need a cake for carving I like to use the chocolate cake from our Best Chocolate cake thread here..........the recipe written by Scott Wooley Clark.

I also like to use the almond cake in Baking With Julia. I believe the recipe is credited to Martha Stewart and it's the cake she used to demonstrate making a wedding cake in that book.

The thing I look for is a moist dense cake. Those work best for me verses light chiffons or even cake mix cakes. Also the recipe Patrick posted in this thread should work well to carve.

[claire797]

Claire are you referring to this thread here?

←

Yes! Thanks for the link. I referred a friend to that thread awhile back and she declared the KA cake the best white cake ever......and she bakes a lot of cakes. She also told me that it was easier to work with (cut) then some of her other white cake recipes. She liked it because it is both sturdy and good-tasting.

K8memphis, thanks for the cake mix formula. That's one I'm very interested in trying.

[meredithla]

The thing I look for is a moist dense cake. Those work best for me verses light chiffons or even cake mix cakes.

I agree! Thanks for the info.

[K8memphis]

Well, as non-she-she as it is to some, the folowing formula uses pre-measured ingredients but I have cut out star shaped mini tier cakes out of this and covered them with fondant--no problem-o. It's great cake.

So this is a great formula that is very common in cake circles. This is a great performing cake, makes a sturdy tier cake that will serve and stack well, but still fluffy and light.

One box Duncan Hines white cake mix

one cup self-rising flour

one cup super-fine sugar

teaspoon vanilla extract

teaspoon of almond extract

cup of sour cream

3 egg whites

1 egg

a little salt

two tablespoons of oil

Toss it all together, maybe sift the dry stuff if necessary, mix well for two mins, bake at 350.

←

Oh dear, oh dear I always try to be so totally careful with recipes--WATER--it takes one and a third cup of water--I've just been out of my element lately--so sorry!!!

[claire797]

Oh dear, oh dear I always try to be so totally careful with recipes--WATER--it takes one and a third cup of water--I've just been out of my element lately--so sorry!!!

←

Thanks! I just put the correction into Mastercook. And thanks again for posting the recipe. I have a book (believe it or not, put out by Avon) of kids' cakes which are cut into shapes and built, as opposed to being decorated with tiny stars and colored icing. This cake recipe should work well.

[onehsancare]

When I need a cake for carving I like to use the chocolate cake from our Best Chocolate cake thread here..........the recipe written by Scott Wooley Clark.

←

Was there/is there a plan for compiling all of the comments and all of the variations discussed in that thread to come up with a single The Best?

(After reading the thread, I can see that it's not going to be easy!)

[Lauren]

Claire are you referring to this thread here?

When I need a cake for carving I like to use the chocolate cake from our Best Chocolate cake thread here..........the recipe written by Scott Wooley Clark.

I also like to use the almond cake in Baking With Julia. I believe the recipe is credited to Martha Stewart and it's the cake she used to demonstrate making a wedding cake in that book.

The thing I look for is a moist dense cake. Those work best for me verses light chiffons or even cake mix cakes. Also the recipe Patrick posted in this thread should work well to carve.

←

Wendy,

Do you have a recipe for the moist dense cakes you refer to?

Lauren

[Dailey]

the recipe that kate posted (cakemix) has been a standard for my 3-D cakes, its the only cake recipe from a mix that i will used anymore, i bake mostly from scratch.

[Wendy DeBord]

Claire are you referring to this thread here?

When I need a cake for carving I like to use the chocolate cake from our Best Chocolate cake thread here..........the recipe written by Scott Wooley Clark.

I also like to use the almond cake in Baking With Julia. I believe the recipe is credited to Martha Stewart and it's the cake she used to demonstrate making a wedding cake in that book.

The thing I look for is a moist dense cake. Those work best for me verses light chiffons or even cake mix cakes. Also the recipe Patrick posted in this thread should work well to carve.

←

Wendy,

Do you have a recipe for the moist dense cakes you refer to?

Lauren

←

If you click on the highlighted words they'll lead you to those recipes. The Martha Stewart almond cake I refer to should be posted at her website. I'll try to find a link for you.

[Wendy DeBord]

I couldn't find the recipe over at Martha's site. But this is it: (it's from Baking with Julia, by Dorie Greenspan, page 296)

9.5 oz almond paste

9 oz. butter

7 oz. sugar

6 eggs

1 c. cake flour

Just beat together the almond paste with the sugar until it's not lumpy (she does this in a cusinart), then add the rest of the ingredients like you would any butter cake. This batter doesn't rise any higher when baked verses how it is raw, so adjust your quantities based on that.