Basic Golden Cake Layers Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 15 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat together egg yolks and egg white. Beat the egg mixture into the butter and sugar.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Stir flour into egg mixture alternately with milk. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

Steps:

• Position oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 350°; grease the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust pans with flour.
• Into a bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 30 seconds.
• Gradually add in the sugar and beat at high speed until light, about 2 minutes.
• Decrease speed to low and add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• Beat in the vanilla (if you have a splatter shield, attach it now).
• Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, alternating it with the milk in two additions and mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, and smooth the tops.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes.
• Invert the layers onto the racks and cool completely.
• Frost as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans with shortening(or nothing if you have a really good nonstick cake pan) and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together, add 2 tablespoons of the 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in 1 of the 2 bowls. Then mix the egg yolks one by one, completely mix them--do not add another one until the one before is completely mixed.
• Get another bowl and sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together. Stir to distribute everything good. Slowly mix it together with the stuff in the other bowl. When it starts to get dry or hard to mix with the mixer add the milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and vanilla. Add about seven drops of yellow food coloring or until you get the perfect golden yellow. Mix completely and very well, leave no unmixed cake flour on the sides--believe you me it does not make a good cake having droplets of or little chunks of cake flour in the cake so make sure you scrape the sides down good and mix it in well.
• Pour into the prepared pans leaving enough space to rise. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
• You can make a really good chocolate or vanilla frosting for the cake. Or you can buy the frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment as well. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat well, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined. Add milk and vanilla and beat until just combined.
• Divide batter between pans; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 33 to 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks to cool completely.
• Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium. Add confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt, milk, and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. If not using immediately, cover surface of frosting with plastic wrap. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Before using, bring to room temperature, then beat on low speed until smooth.
• Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Place remaining cake layer on top. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, swirling to coat in a decorative fashion. (If frosting becomes too soft, refrigerate to firm up.) Cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated overnight. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms of each with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add half of flour mixture and mix at low speed until just blended. Add sour cream, mixing until just combined, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing at low speed until batter is smooth.
• Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until cake is springy to the touch and a tester comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.
• Trim tops of cooled cake layers with a long serrated knife if necessary to make flat and level. Halve each layer horizontally with serrated knife to make a total of 4 layers.
• Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Layer remaining cake layers using 3/4 cup frosting between each layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch round pans.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Add milk to butter mixture in 2 parts alternately with flour mixture in 3 parts, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spread in prepared pans.
• Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.