I’m not sure about this one…chocolate and guiness. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to try it. The photo looks luscious but I can’t imagine putting these two together.
Get the recipe at:
Chocolate Guinness Cake
Soft Sponge Cake
Red Velvet Cake from Scratch for Valentine’s Day
A red velvet cake from scratch is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. There are 
loads of red velvet cake recipes being posted so let’s take a look and see what we can find.
Now I’m not a big fan of using unnecessary food coloring (still a bit squeamish about those dyes and cancer) and since we’re baking cakes from scratch here, we have a choice. Though most recipes call for it, it can easily be left out without effecting the taste at all.
Besides the red color, though perhaps not as vibrant, is a chemical reaction between the vinegar and the cocoa. Interested!
Either way, a little science lesson, a la Alton Brown: The combination of the acidity found in vinegar or buttermilk combines with natural cocoa powder, revealing the red anthocyanin (pigment) in the cocoa. This process doesn’t happen when using the less-bitter Dutch processed cocoa powder, which has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids.
~from Red velvet cake the perfect confection for Valentine’s Day
There’s a recipe on that page but it measures more of the ingredients in ounces so unless you’re a hardcore baker with a kitchen scale, let’s see if we can find one that’s a little easier for most home kitchens.
So here’s an easy one to follow…
And some other options can be found at…
Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Photo Credit: Jessica Spengler
Making Chocolate for Your Own Chocolate Cake from Scratch
Making chocolate, your own chocolate block, takes making a chocolate cake from scratch to a whole new level.
Here’s a video to show you how…
We have 3 great chocolate cake recipes to use your own cooking chocolate in…
Cake Recipes from Scratch – CHOCOLATE
Enjoy!
Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
Okay, here is my award for the best chocolate cake recipe…
Best Chocolate Cake on page 73 of the Betty Crocker Cookbook (at least it’s on page 73 in my version).
I have been making this cake for years to the delight of my niece and nephew.
This same recipe makes the best yellow cake from scratch I’ve ever had…just leave out the chocolate. The yellow cake with a rich mocha buttercream frosting has become a family favorite.
Both versions are moist and flavorful with a wonderful texture.
Photo Credit: rivan94
Tips on How to Bake a Cake from Scratch
It’s really easy to bake a cake from scratch. Personally I find it just as
easy to bake a cake from scratch as it is to make one from a mix…and the cake made from scratch tastes so much better.
If you want to woo your family or party guests, baking a cake from scratch is the way to go.
There are really only 2 things you need to pay attention to.
So here are my from scratch cake tips…
1. Measure carefully and accurately. Just make sure you level off the top of measuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s really that easy.
2. Beat the cake for the right amount of time. This is a little tricker because it matters what kind of beater you’re using and how powerful it is.
If you over beat, your cake may come out too dense, tough or chewy. It is also likely to collapse in the middle.
Under beating may keep the cake from rising. With extreme under beating the cake may even turn out lumpy.
The batter you pour into the pans should be smooth and creamy. If you still see lumps, keep beating. Then to avoid over beating, time it.
I always use an electric handheld mixer though any electric mixer will do the job. I don’t beat my cake batter by hand because I see no real benefit and the results are less reliable unless you’ve thoroughly practiced the technique.
Here’s what to do…
1. Mix all the ingredients together lightly. Just so they’re barely mixed.
2. Run your electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. Time it. That way you will get consistent results and know exactly what to change if something should go awry.
If the result is not to your liking, try beating for 2 minutes the next time.
Photo Credit: alfredo-9
Rum Cake Recipe from Scratch
A luscious rum cake recipe from scratch…
The results were brilliant!
The buttery rum syrup soaks evenly throughout the cake and leaves you with a moist, soft, golden cake speckled with flecks of vanilla bean. The texture of the cake is absolutely perfect—soft and springy without being spongy. Since the ingredients are all whole and from scratch, it lacks the artificial flavor undertones of the “semi-homemade” version.
The batter comes together easily, with not that much more effort than a cake mix, but the results are infinitely better. The rum both in the cake and the syrup can be adjusted according to your tastes. ~from Always Order Dessert
I love a cook who can write and has a story to tell. In addition to having a rum cake recipe from scratch that is completely and absolutely homemade all the way down to the homemade real vanilla bean pudding, Alejandra has great stories about all her recipes. What fun!
She also tells you where to find the best ingredients like fresh whole vanilla beans and discusses the pros and cons of various kinds of rum (now there’s something to pursue 
)
Here are the recipes…
Rum Cake (from scratch!)
DIY Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
Photo Credit: Gregory Veen
Creative Commons
German Chocolate Cake Recipes
Looking for good German Chocolate Cake recipes? Here’s a great one to try.
German Chocolate Cake is a complicated recipe but the Frugal Chef makes it look easy…and it really is.
Let us know how it turns out.
Cake Recipes from Scratch – CHOCOLATE
Cake recipes from scratch has a confession to make…I don’t love chocolate, but I know most of you do. I know my family does (every last one of them).
I do love cake recipes from scratch and this chocolate cake recipe just might change my mind about the chocolate. You can tell when she’s leveling it just how moist and luscious it is.
She has some great decorating ideas at the end too.
Here’s what I like and what I might do differently…
• Though I make all of my cakes from scratch, I never hand beat them. Three minutes on high with an electric mixer generally produces excellent results. This particular recipe is very thin so it might take less time.
• I’d stick with the milk over the corn syrup though with this much sugar I don’t suppose a little extra will matter.
• When making cake recipes from scratch, cakes sticking to the bottom of the pan can be a real challenge. I like her wax paper idea but I’ve never found that cooking spray really works very well. Not overly fond of the spray with flour in it either.
Here’s what I do…I use crisco (or butter) and spread a thin layer over the bottom and sides of the pan. I then throw in a bit of flour, whirl it around and then tap out the excess over the kitchen sink.