Basic Cake with Variations

Basic Cake with Variations is a handy recipe to use if you don’t have time to make Homemade Cake Mix and you don’t want to use a commercial mix.  With all the mixing done with an electric mixer, the cake is quick and easy to prepare.

Beside a yellow cake, a white cake, chocolate cake, spice cake and pineapple upside-down cake can be made with this recipe.  The spice cake can be personalized by using your favorite combination of spices.  I am sharing two combinations to start with.  Personally I like to use Chinese 5-Spice to make a spice cake.

Slicing the softened butter into the mixing bowl will make it easier to blend until smooth.

My oven is old and not level so I cannot get very good looking cakes with it.  Since I usually use the cake as a base for another dessert, I do not mind.  However, please forgive the photo.

Basic Cake with Variations
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
1.2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs

In the bowl of an electric mixer combine flour, sugar and baking powder.  Add milk, butter and vanilla.  Beat with mixer on low speed until well combined.  Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.  Add eggs and beat 2 minutes more.  Pour into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake in a 375 degree oven 25 to 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool thoroughly on wire rack.  Frost as desired or use as a base for other desserts.  Serves 15.

White Cake: Prepare as for the basic cake recipe except use 3 egg whites for the 2 whole eggs. Whites may be beaten separately and added for a lighter cake.

Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 c cocoa powder to the  flour mixture.

Spice Add 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, and 1/4 tsp. ground allspice to the flour mixture OR 1 t. ground cinnamon, 1/4 t. ground nutmeg, 1/4 t. ground cloves, and 1/4 t. ground ginger to the flour mixture OR 1 t. Chinese 5-spice powder.

Pineapple Upside down cake: Melt 1/2 butter in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, stirring into the  butter. Arrange well-drained pineapple slices from a 20-oz. can on the butter/brown sugar mixture.  (Save any leftover slices and juices for another use.)  Spread batter for yellow cake over the pineapple slices.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  Invert to serve. 

Here is a picture of the cake ready to be part of the recipe I am posting tomorrow for this month's Dessert Challenge.

Linking to these great parties:
Show and Share Wednesday
Cast Party Wednesday
What's Cookin' Wednesday
What's In Your Kitchen Wednesday
Whimsy Wednesday
Create and Share
Wicked Good Wednesday