High-Yield Yellow Cake

I was looking for a white cake recipe that makes a moist cake. I decided to try this recipe (even though it is a yellow cake), because I thought the buttermilk and whole eggs would contribute to moistness and tenderness. Boy, do they ever! This is an incredible cake! It bakes up perfectly—even with the large batch. I made three batches, and each batch turned out great. I refrigerated the excess batter while baking the first part of each batch. The author of the recipe also has a normal yield version (yielding two 8-inch cakes), but I haven’t tried that version yet. The ingredients are similar, but the mixing directions are quite different. If you’re interested in that version, let me know and I can post it. As you can tell, this version requires use of a scale--but hopefully you're all hooked on using a scale in baking by now.

1 lb 6 oz (682 g) cake flour
2 lb (907 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp (1 oz or 24 g) baking powder
1 tsp (5 g) salt
1 lb (454 g) soft butter, half completely melted
8 fl oz (237 ml or 227 g) whole milk
16 fl oz (473 ml or 454 g) buttermilk
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
20 oz (591 mL or 567 g) whole eggs – this required about 10 ½ large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray cake pans with Baker’s Joy, line with parchment, then spray again.

Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a 6-quart KitchenAid bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 3 minutes to sift and blend the dry ingredients.

Add the butter and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Then mix on the next-higher speed for 3 minutes to fully incorporate the butter.

Return the mixture to low speed and add all of the whole milk. Mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes, and then mix on the next-higher speed for 1 minute.

Whisk the buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs in a separate bowl. Return to low speed and add the milk mixture in four increments.

Mix on the next-higher speed for 1 minute once all of the milk mixture has been incorporated.

Add the batter to the cake pans (about two-thirds full). Hit the pans against the counter to burst any air bubbles and clean up the sides of the pans. Smooth the top of the batter with a small metal offset spatula.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan.

Let cakes completely cool in cake pans.

Yield: Four 8-inch cake pans, Three 10-inch cake pans, OR two 12-inch cake pans.

Baking time: About 45-50 minutes. Larger pans may take a little longer.

(Hint: This makes a total of about 3300 g batter. Weigh the batter as you pour it into the pans to ensure the pans are filled equally. For a 12-inch pan, use 1650 g, a 9-inch pan needs 928 g, and a 6-inch pan needs 413 g.)

Recipe from: Wedding Cake Art and Design by Toba Garrett