How to Make a Light and Fluffy White Cake

[Sugaraddict]

I am having trouble making a light fluffy flavorful white cake. I have tried many recipes. All of my white cakes come out heavy and dense. I hate using boxed cakes . But the boxed cakes come out the way i want!. Light, fluffy, flavorful. I have tried cake flour, all purpose flour, recipes with oil, milk, etc.......

White cake is the only one that has eluded me, all other cakes are fine.
PLEASE HELP!

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum @Sugaraddict

Which recipes have you used without success? Here are some general tips, but it would depend on the recipe too:

• Have all your ingredients at room temperature
• Cream together the butter and sugar first until the mix is light and fluffy (using an electric whisk or mixer is a good idea!)
• Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. If the mixture starts to look grainy then add a tablespoon of flour (take this off your measured flour, don't add extra)
• Add the flour by hand so that it isn't overworked.

Hope this helps!

 

[Zaxmom]

For a light, fluffy white cake, I always use cake flour that has been well sifted. First I measure, then I sift. If you're using cup measurements, you may not be measuring your flour accurately. I always use weight measurements which yield great results every time. If you don't have a scale, or are not interested in purchasing one, then make sure you fluff your bag/box of flour before spooning it into the cup. Be sure your flour mounds up over the rim, then, with a flat knife, level flour to rim. There are other ways to measure flour, but I find using a scale the best way to go. If your cakes are coming our heavy and dense, I suspect your flour measurement is off or you're over mixing the batter. I agree with everything Becky said as well. Creaming should take about 3 plus minutes. For your last step, make sure you alternate flour/dry ingredients with liquid, always ending up with flour. And as Becky said, don't overwork the flour. Sometimes, the recipes for white cake are to blame. Check out Flo Braker's recipe for white cake. You may be able to google it. Good luck next cake!

 

[Sugaraddict]

i tried this one. i know it has sprinkles in it,but the cake was still dry, dense, heavy.......

3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups (12 ounces) cake flour
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened

 

[Sugaraddict]

tried this one as well. same thing.........i know it has choc chips in it, but, heavy, dense, dry............i checked the temp of my oven and it is not running hot, so i am not overbaking

Cake layers
6 cups cake flour, sifted
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like peanut oil)
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
8 egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
12 ounces mini chocolate chips

 

[Zaxmom]

tried this one as well. same thing.........i know it has choc chips in it, but, heavy, dense, dry............i checked the temp of my oven and it is not running hot, so i am not overbaking

Cake layers
6 cups cake flour, sifted
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like peanut oil)
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
8 egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
12 ounces mini chocolate chips

Dryness is often a sign that your cake is over baked. Your oven may not be running hot, but you still may be baking too long. Times given are really approximations, so I would recommend checking your cake when you're able to smell it. I always check my cakes at least 5 minutes before the called for temp. With some recipes, bake times and temps are just too long/high. You might want to lower your temp. As for the heaviness, I'm thinking it comes down to technique (mixing instructions). If I wanted to try your recipes, I'd cut them in half. Your recipes yield too much cake for my small family. I also would use canola or safflower oil. Peanut oil is a little strong for my taste. I save that for Asian dishes. If you're not having success with these recipes and you're confident in your measuring, ingredients and mixing techniques, then I would continue to look for different recipes. Not all white cake recipes are winners. I hope this helps. I know how frustrating it can be when you think you've done everything right and your cake doesn't turn out as you think it should. Hang in there!

 

[ChesterV]

Hmmm, peanut oil? Thats a no no.

Peanut oil is heavy and can degrade a cake batter. I does not incorporate well. It can clump the flour together making it thick and gooey, which will make a thick, tough cake.

You say you sift the flour well, ok. Do you sift all the dry ingredients together as well? This will help also.

Use light oils, not heavy ones. Sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or Canola oil usually works the best.

Sift all of your dry ingredients together at least twice.
Lightly whisk all of your wet ingredients together.
Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and LIGHTLY fold with a whisk, until the batter is just smooth and all ingredients have been mixed.

It sounds like you may be OVER mixing your batter. If you over mix batter, it will turn thick and "hard". Especially for white cakes that only have egg whites, you want to mix just enough to get everything mixed together without over doing it.

I also agree with some others that your oven may be too hot. Try baking with the oven temperature about 50 degrees lower.

The best way to "test" a baked cake, is to stick a wooden toothpick down the center of the cake.
If it comes out "clean", then your cake is done.

 

[Zaxmom]

Hmmm, peanut oil? Thats a no no.

Peanut oil is heavy and can degrade a cake batter. I does not incorporate well. It can clump the flour together making it thick and gooey, which will make a thick, tough cake.

You say you sift the flour well, ok. Do you sift all the dry ingredients together as well? This will help also.

Use light oils, not heavy ones. Sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or Canola oil usually works the best.

Sift all of your dry ingredients together at least twice.
Lightly whisk all of your wet ingredients together.
Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and LIGHTLY fold with a whisk, until the batter is just smooth and all ingredients have been mixed.

It sounds like you may be OVER mixing your batter. If you over mix batter, it will turn thick and "hard". Especially for white cakes that only have egg whites, you want to mix just enough to get everything mixed together without over doing it.

I also agree with some others that your oven may be too hot. Try baking with the oven temperature about 50 degrees lower.

The best way to "test" a baked cake, is to stick a wooden toothpick down the center of the cake.
If it comes out "clean", then your cake is done.

ChesterV, excellent advice. I never use peanut oil in my cakes because of the taste. Now I know that it can degrade the cake batter. Thanks for sharing that. Sugaraddict may wish to lower oven temp by 25 degrees first before lowering it 50 degrees. Another thing that comes to mind, color of the baking pans. I find that darker pans bake faster than lighter ones and can result in a dry cake. I've gotten rid of all my dark pans. I like Williams Sonoma gold pans best for my cakes.

 

[ChesterV]

ChesterV, excellent advice. I never use peanut oil in my cakes because of the taste. Now I know that it can degrade the cake batter. Thanks for sharing that. Sugaraddict may wish to lower oven temp by 25 degrees first before lowering it 50 degrees. Another thing that comes to mind, color of the baking pans. I find that darker pans bake faster than lighter ones and can result in a dry cake. I've gotten rid of all my dark pans. I like Williams Sonoma gold pans best for my cakes.

Yes, I should have said that I was basing the 50 degrees lower, based on using a gas oven, not an electric one. But yes, always test out lower temperatures a little bit at a time.

I've heard the different color pans bake differently, but I've never found this to be true when I tested it.

Now there is a difference between tin, stainless steel, baking metal, glass, and silicone.
Other than that, I've never had any baking difference that was noticeable.

If you can afford William Sonoma, AWESOME! I love that stuff, but personally I can't afford it.

I visited San Francisco once and went to Union Square, where they have a lot of "upper scale" stores.
There was a THREE STORY TALL Williams Sonoma there!!!!! I didn't want to leave!!!!