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Strawberry

cake flour (or AP flour)#1#1#cup#120#g baking powder#0.75#45355#teaspoon#0#g salt#0.25#45295#teaspoon#0#g strawberry puree, see Step 1#0.25#45295#cup#80#g sour cream#2#2#tablespoon#28#g whole milk#0.25#45295#cup#61#g unsalted butter, softened#2#2#tablespoon#28#g white granulated sugar#0.75#3.4#cup#150#g vanilla extract #1#1#teaspoon#5#g canola oil#3.5#3 1/2#tablespoon#43#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g eggs#1#1#large#50#g pink gel food coloring (optional)#1#1#teaspoon#0#g

UPDATE: This recipe is retired, and I am no longer updating it. I'm almost done with a new and improved strawberry cake recipe.

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The real flavor and pink color in a strawberry cake come from using either strawberry puree or freeze-dried strawberry powder. Both add flavor and color without messing with the moisture content in a cake. (Strawberries contain lots of water!)

This recipe uses a strawberry puree, which you can make beforehand. It's listed in the first step, and you can use either fresh or frozen strawberries, depending on the season. It also makes a whole jar, so be prepared to have some leftover to use in buttercream or your waffles tomorrow morning.

This is based off of my favorite golden butter cake, which uses both butter and oil. It's the best of both worlds if you can use both fats, because they each have their own purpse in a moist and fluffy cake.

Make strawberry puree.
The best strawberry cake comes from fresh strawberry purée. Here is how to make a whole batch. You may have extra purée; save it for making frosting or topping waffles tomorrow morning!

Place 16oz of fresh or frozen strawberries in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of sugar and cook on medium-low heat. Once the strawberries release their juices, use a potato masher or fork to break them up. Let it simmer on low until it becomes thicker, about 10 more minutes. Set aside to cool. Some like to strain their purée, but I don't mind the seeds.This makes about one cup of puree. ‍
Preheat the oven.
‍Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prep dry and wet ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt for 30 seconds. (It takes longer than you think to ensure the baking powder is evenly disbursed!) Set bowl aside. In a small measuring cup, whisk together strawberry puree/jam, sour cream, and milk until there are no lumps of sour cream.

Cream the sugar with the fats.
In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the soft butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat until fluffy yet sandy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl at least once.

On medium speed, blend in the canola oil. Beat for another 2 minutes or until the butter-sugar-oil mixture has become whiter and slightly fluffier.
Mix in the eggs.
Add the yolks one at a time at the lowest speed, mixing just to combine. Add in the egg(s) one at a time, blending just to combine.
Alternate adding the flour and the strawberry mixture.

On low speed, add in a little more than half the flour mixture. Allow the flour to combine thoroughly with the egg and butter mixture, scraping the bowl to include any flour caught on the sides of the bowl or underneath the paddle. Add half the strawberry-sour cream-milk mixture and mix on low until completely combined. Continue alternating the rest of the flour and strawberry-sour cream-milk mixture.

(Optional - you can stir in some pink gel food coloring at this point. Strawberries naturally lose their red color when cooked, so your batter will seem dull. If you're looking for a pinker cake, add some at this point until you like the color.)

Retired Cakes

Bake for about 18-22 minutes: A skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C.

Oreo Chiffon

water, room temperature*#0.33#1/3#cup#78.87#g oil, either canola or other veg#4#4#tablespoon#56.25#g egg yolks#3#3#large#60#g vanilla extract#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#8#g cake flour, bleached or unbleached#0.75#3/4#cup#90#g cornstarch**#3#3#tablespoon#21#g black cocoa powder***#4#4#tablespoon#24#g Dutch-processed cocoa powder#1.5#1 1/2#tablespoon#9#g white granulated sugar (for flour 🌾)#0.67#2/3#cup#134#g baking powder#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt #1#1#teaspoon#0#g white granulated sugar (for meringue 🥚)#2#2#tablespoon#25#g egg whites#3#3#large#90#g cream of tartar****#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#0#g

My Oreo chiffon cake boasts a rich Oreo flavor and a striking black, spongy, yet fudgy crumb. This cake delivers an intensely chocolatey taste by combining black cocoa with Dutch-processed cocoa. I refer to it as my "hybrid" chiffon because it merges the light, airy texture of a chiffon cake with the stability of a classic creamed fat layer cake.

I have a few chocolate cakes to choose from in my Cakeculator, and this one is the lightest in texture. And although that’s the case with all my chiffons, this Oreo variation has a nice robust chocolate flavor.

Here are some better pictures of the crumb and interior of this style of cake.

Preheat oven.
Move your oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prepare wet/dry ingredients.
In a measuring cup, whisk together room-temperature water, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift the cake flour, cornstarch, cocoa powders, sugar (labeled "for flour 🌾"), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt and whisk for about 30 seconds.‍
Mix wet and dry ingredients.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and gradually pour in the water mixture while whisking. As you whisk, the liquid will slowly draw in the flour from the edges, helping to prevent lumps. Once all the liquid is added and the flour is just incorporated, stop whisking and set the bowl aside.‍
Whip egg whites.
In a small bowl, add the granulated sugar (labeled"for meringue 🥚") for easy access. In a clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar.

Using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until thick and foamy. Gradually add the sugar, about two teaspoons at a time, waiting 5–10 seconds between additions to allow it to dissolve slightly.

Once all the sugar is added, continue whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form. The meringue should hold a firm peak when the whisk is lifted without drooping. ‍
Fold egg whites into the black batter.
Take a small scoop of meringue, about the size of a spatula, and stir it into the batter using the whisk—this will lighten the texture of the black batter a tad.

Now, fold ⅓ of your freshly whipped meringue into the cake batter. Scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center using swooping motions. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. Once all the batter contains a couple of light streaks of meringue, add another ⅓ of the batter and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of the meringue. The batter should not have any lines of meringue, be deep brown to light black, and be much lighter in texture.

*My older versions of these chiffons use milk, but I've changed the liquid to water. I've found that this creates a much softer crumb than milk because it is pure moisture and has no milk proteins. However, you can use milk if you want, although I didn't find any taste benefit.

**Cornstarch (aka corn flour) or potato starch can be used. This ingredient further decreases the amount of gluten-forming proteins in the total starches needed for the cake.

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***Black cocoa powder is a processed form of natural cocoa powder with a deep, dark color and a rich, intense flavor, often with a slightly bitter and earthy undertone. It’s sometimes hard to source in stores, so I buy mine online. For this Oreo cake, I prefer (in this order): Cocoa Trader black , Cacao Barry Noir Intense, King Arthur Flour Black Cocoa, and Magic Mountain Black Cocoa.

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****If you can't find or don't have the cream of tartar, sub double the amount of lemon or lime juice. Don't worry, it won't flavor the meringue.

The Chiffons

Bake for about 17-20 minutes.
This variety of chiffon cake will rise with a domed top that is stable until it cools at room temperature. If you press the direct center of the cake, it may leave a soft indentation. You can double-check with a skewer but don't do this until the last five minutes as it can cause the cake to shrink prematurely. There should be no crumbs on a skewer. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 190-200 °F/87-93 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; just make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

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Bake for about 18-23 minutes.
This variety of chiffon cake will rise with a domed top that is stable until it cools at room temperature. If you press the direct center of the cake, it may leave a soft indentation. You can double-check with a skewer but don't do this until the last five minutes as it can cause the cake to shrink prematurely. There should be no crumbs on a skewer. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 190-200 °F/87-93 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; just make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 23-28 minutes.
This variety of chiffon cake will rise with a domed top that is stable until it cools at room temperature. If you press the direct center of the cake, it may leave a soft indentation. You can double-check with a skewer but don't do this until the last five minutes as it can cause the cake to shrink prematurely. There should be no crumbs on a skewer. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 190-200 °F/87-93 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; just make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

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Bake for about 33-38 minutes.
‍Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 33-38 minutes.
This variety of chiffon cake will rise with a domed top that is stable until it cools at room temperature. If you press the direct center of the cake, it may leave a soft indentation. You can double-check with a skewer but don't do this until the last five minutes as it can cause the cake to shrink prematurely. There should be no crumbs on a skewer. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 190-200 °F/87-93 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; just make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
This variety of chiffon cake will rise with a domed top that is stable until it cools at room temperature. If you press the direct center of the cake, it may leave a soft indentation. You can double-check with a skewer but don't do this until the last five minutes as it can cause the cake to shrink prematurely. There should be no crumbs on a skewer. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 190-200 °F/87-93 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; just make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 17-22 minutes.
Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 17-22 minutes.
Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will dome at the top. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Eggless Vanilla Butter

unsalted butter, melted#0.25#1/4#cup#56#g white granulated sugar#0.75#3/4#cup#150#g nonfat Greek Yogurt#0.75#3/4#cup#170#g baking soda#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#0#g milk (any fat content)#0.5#1/2#cup#113#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g cake flour, bleached or unbleached#1.5#1 1/2#cup#180#g baking powder#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#0#g salt#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g

This eggless vanilla butter cake has a wonderful buttery flavor and great stability for layer cakes. The cake structure relies primarily on Greek yogurt, which is a strained type of yogurt. See the ingredient footnote if you're having trouble sourcing this type of yogurt.

Now with the enhanced stability, you do lose a bit of fluffiness, but not so much that the cake is tough by any means. It has a yummy buttery flavor, and really reminds me of eating pancakes with a yummy sugar syrup. And because it's super moist on the inside, there's really no need for a sugar syrup, although I do believe this cake is stable enough to take one on should you choose to apply one.

Prepare the wet/yogurt mixture.
In a large measuring cup or bowl, add your melted butter, white granulated sugar, nonfat Greek yogurt, baking soda, salt, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until there are no lumps and set aside.‍
Whisk the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, sift in your cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 30 seconds to distribute the ingredients thoroughly.‍
Combine the wet/yogurt mixture with the dry.Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. While whisking gently, slowly pour the greek yogurt mixture in the center of the well. You'll be slowly pulling in flour from the ring of flour. Gently whisk until there is no visible flour and the batter is smooth. It's pretty thick so when you pour this into your pan, don't forget to tap it several times on the counter to remove the large air pockets.

*Nonfat Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and helps structurally with this cake. I like Fage’s nonfat yogurt best for its thickness, but have used other types successfully with this recipe.

Single-Stage Cakes

Bake for about 18-22 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Bake for about 23-28 mins. (Start checking at 20 mins.)

Bake for about 23-28 mins. (Start checking at 20 mins.) You can bake each layer individually, or both at once if you have multiple pans.

Bake for about 35-40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. (Start around 30 mins.)

Bake for about 35-40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. (Start around 30 mins.) If you do not have two pans, you can bake them one after another. Just let the batter sit out at room temp until you're ready to bake it.

Bake for about 35-40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. (Start around 30 mins.)

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Bake for about 20-23 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Bake for about 28-32 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Fluffy Vanilla White (Enhanced Box Mix)

White Box Cake*#11#11#tablespoon#108#g all purpose or cake flour**#0.5#1/2#cup#60#g white granulated sugar#0.25#1/4#cup#50#g baking powder#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g buttermilk#0.5#1/2#cup#113#g oil (canola or vegetable)#0.25#1/4#cup#53#g egg whites#2#2#large#60#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g

Hello! I have now retired this cake and am no longer updating it. This is the version I originally posted in my Cakeculator 1.0 and still works. Enhanced box cakes are on my to-do list; I will updating this newer version of the Cakeculator with my recipes and flavors when I finish them. If you have any requests, please submit them on my contact form. Thank you for your patience!

Position the rack to the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 °F.

Whisk together your cake mix, flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl for about 30 seconds. (Use the paddle attachment on low in a stand mixer.)
Add the rest of your ingredients—the buttermilk, oil, egg whites, and vanilla—to the same bowl.

Mix to combine for a couple of seconds, then mix for another 2 minutes. (On a stand mixer, do this on medium speed.)I use a timer. You don't want to undermix because that won't distribute the ingredients evenly from the box mix, giving the cake a super soft texture. Alternatively, overmixing will cause your cake to rise too high and deflate when you take it out of the oven.The gist of it is to mix everything for about 2 minutes. :)

*I have tested this recipe using Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Classic White, Betty Crocker Super Moist White, and Pillsbury Moist Supreme White. All have very similar ingredient ratios and will yield great results.

**All-purpose works in this recipe, but cake flour is the best. It has a lower protein content, which equates to a tender cake. If you can get some, your cake will be incredibly tender.

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Retired Cakes

Bake for about 18-22 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Bake for about 23-28 mins. (Start checking at 20 mins.)

Bake for about 23-28 mins. (Start checking at 20 mins.) You can bake each layer individually, or both at once if you have multiple pans.

Bake for about 35-40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. (Start around 30 mins.)

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Bake for about 20-23 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Bake for about 28-32 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Vanilla Chiffon

water*#0.33#1/3#cup#81#g oil, either canola or other veg#4#4#tablespoon#56#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g vanilla extract#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#8#g cake flour**#0.75#3/4#cup#90#g cornstarch***#0.25#1/4#cup#28#g white granulated sugar (for flour)#0.5#1/2#cup#100#g baking powder#1#1#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g egg whites#2#2#large#60#g cream of tartar****#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g white granulated sugar (for meringue)#2#2#tablespoon#25#g

This cake is what I call my "hybrid" chiffon cake because I've combined the airy texture of chiffon cake with the stability of a classic creamed fat layer cake. It has the lightest texture of all my cakes and this one has a mellow vanilla flavor that goes great with any type of fruit and whipped cream. This cake is inspired by all the lovely cakes I used to eat from Chinese bakeries. So if you’re a fan of lighter-style cakes, this one is for you.

Traditionally, chiffon cakes are baked in chiffon cake pans and then cooled upside down. These baking pans are large and tall and contain a central hole. It kind of looks like a large donut, which facilitates even heat transfer throughout the batter. Cooling upside down allows the cake to remain tall so the weight of gravity doesn't push down on it.

I didn't want this cake to be restricted to an obscure pan, so I've developed a chiffon recipe that we can reliably bake in all pans offered in the Cakeculator. I’ve also done away with the finicky “cooling upside down” step to make things a bit easier. I’ve baked this cake in large layer cakes, small mini cakes, and large half sheet cakes for large family celebrations. In fact, this is my family’s number one request for holidays and birthdays, slathered in freshly whipped cream and seasonal berries.

My Chiffons are in the Egg Foam Cake family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families. Briefly, Egg Foam Cakes rely (sometimes exclusively) on the proper foaming of eggs for aeration. Whipping the eggs at high speed unravels the egg proteins such that they are then able to stick together in a way that traps air. Done incorrectly and you’ll end up with a less aerated and denser cake, which is why this is one of the more difficult cakes on my site. Don’t worry, though, I’ve had beginners tell me that they got this cake right on the first try, as I try to be as descriptive as possible with my instructions.

I had to mess around with the ingredient ratios a bit to make this a “hybrid” cake and get the stability I needed. I added a bit more egg whites and starch (in the way of flour and cornstarch), and in doing that, this bakes up as a low-moisture cake. Traditionally, chiffons are on the drier side, as are most cakes in the Egg Foamed Cake Family. My suggestion to help with dryness is to follow the instructions to wrap the cake when it’s still warm to preserve moisture. If you prefer an even moister cake, use a simple syrup. Just brush a few tablespoons of syrup when you are assembling the cake.

Here is a video on this cake:

Note that this video was made with an older recipe where I use milk as an ingredient. The recipe you see down below is the most update recipe that uses water, which results in a fluffier cake as it serves to moisten the cake, rather than add extra proteins that we don't need.

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F/180 °C.

Prepare wet/dry ingredients: In a measuring cup, mix together room temperature water, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla extract with a fork. Mix until you see no separation of the oil and water - the egg yolk helps emulsify these liquids, and it will look homogenous in color. Set that aside for now.

In a mixing bowl, sift in the cake flour, cornstarch, white granulated sugar (labeled "for flour"), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt to the bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.
Mix wet and dry ingredients: Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the water mixture from the previous step while whisking at the same time. As you whisk, you'll see the liquid slowly pulling in the flour mixture from the outer ring; this is to prevent lumps. Once you've poured in all of the water ingredients, keep whisking and stop just when all the flour has been incorporated. Set this bowl aside for now.
Whip egg whites: To another mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled "for meringue") into a small bowl, so it's easy to add to the egg whites while mixing.

With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until it's thick and foamy. Pour in about a couple of teaspoons of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour in another couple of teaspoons. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point when you hold it upside down. It shouldn't be runny or drooping off the whisk.

Fold egg whites into the batter: Take a spatula-sized small scoop of meringue and stir it into the batter using the whisk - this lightens the texture of the chiffon batter a tad.

Now take 1/3 of your freshly whipped meringue and fold it into the cake batter. Scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center using swooping motions. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. (My video shows this technique much better than I can describe it.) Once all the batter contains no more streaks of meringue, add the second third and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of the meringue. The batter should not have any lines of meringue, be slightly tan, and be much lighter in texture.

*My older versions of this cake use milk, but I've since changed the liquid to water. I've found that this creates a much softer crumb than milk because it is pure moisture and has no milk proteins. However, if you want, you can use milk, although I didn't find any taste benefit from doing so.

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**Cake flour is best for this recipe. It is finely milled and contains less gluten-forming proteins than all-purpose flour. This gives chiffon a delicate, very fine crumb that is extremely tender. I use King Arthur Flour's Unbleached Cake Flour, but you can use bleached versions if you like.

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***Cornstarch (aka corn flour) or potato starch can be used. This ingredient further decreases the amount of gluten forming proteins in the total amount of starches needed for the cake.

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****If you can't find or don't have cream of tartar, sub double the amount of lemon or lime juice. Don't worry, it won't flavor the meringue.

The Chiffons

Bake for about 17-20 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; just make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 18-23 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 23-28 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 17-22 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Chocolate

water, boiling hot#0.5#1/2#cup#113#g Dutch-processed cocoa powder*#0.33#1/3#cup#27#g dark chocolate, finely chopped**#2#2#oz#57#g brown sugar, firmly packed (light or dark)#0.67#2/3#cup#142#g kosher salt#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#1#g canola oil (or other flavorless oil)#0.5#1/2#cup#90#g sour cream#1#1#tablespoon#14#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g flour#0.67#2/3#cup#81#g baking powder#1.25#1 1/4#teaspoon#0#g egg yolks#1#1#large#20#g eggs#2#2#large#100#g

This chocolate cake has a super soft crumb yet is sturdy enough for large layer cakes. It’s an oil-based cake that relies on dark chocolate and cocoa powder for an intense chocolate flavor. That, along with the sugar ratios I’ve perfected, creates a super moist crumb that almost melts in your mouth.

As of this writing, I have four chocolate cakes in my Cakeculator. My black cocoa chocolate cake is deep black and tastes like Oreo cookies, my Chocolate Indulgence Cake is fudgier with a dark smoky chocolate flavor, and my Chocolate Chiffon is a fluffier, slightly drier cake with the lightest chocolate flavor. This cake here is a classic chocolate cake. Medium chocolate flavor, sweet from brown sugar, nice fudgy moist crumb.

This Chocolate Cake is in the Single-Stage Cake family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families. Briefly, Single-Stage Cakes have all the ingredients mixed together pretty much all at once, and there is minor aeration that occurs by whisking. Cakes made in this way have a very moist and denser crumb with a tight crumb framework. This works exceptionally well with chocolate flavors as it lends a “fudgy” texture often associated with chocolate desserts.

Additionally, these types of single-stage mixing chocolate cakes are very forgiving in terms of baking. This one uses cocoa powder, which reduces gluten development and produces a fudgy moist crumb. My single-stage chocolate cakes can also be baked to your preference. Slightly underbaking will give you a fudgy texture, whereas completely baking will give you a spongier texture. You can view the fudgy top in the picture above.

What is the flavor of this chocolate cake?

The flavor of this cake is going to depend on the brands of chocolate that you use. Choose a darker chocolate if you want a robust deep flavor. The higher percentage typically means that less sugar is added to the chocolate bar, which will give you a deeper chocolate flavor. I have successfully used dark chocolate chips in this recipe (chop those as well if you use them in the recipe), but normally I prefer to use dark chocolate bars.

Regarding the cocoas, you can use either natural or Dutch-processed, though I prefer the latter. Natural cocoa is more acidic than Dutch-processed, and you can definitely taste that and more fruity kind of astringent flavors, depending on the brand. The Dutch processing, or alkalization, reduces the acidity and in doing that, generally mellows out the astringency a bit.

Here’s a video on making this cake:

This is an older video, but the process is still somewhat the same. I’m making a half sheet pan cake here, but don’t worry, the Cakeculator will generate the correct recipe for you down below based on your choice. Also, the order of the ingredients may be different in this video, but the recipe down below is the most up-to-date version.

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prepare chocolates: In a large mixing bowl whisk together boiling hot water, Dutch-process cocoa, and finely chopped dark chocolate. It should form a thin chocolate liquid that smells amazing, but may have some chocolate chunks left.

Let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes to allow the cocoa powder to bloom and the dark chocolate to melt fully. At the end of this step, give it another good whisk to ensure all the chocolate pieces are melted.

Whisk in everything but the eggs: Whisk in the brown sugar, salt, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until slightly thicker and completely combined, about a minute.
Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Whisk until no traces of flour remain.
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Whisk in eggs: Add the egg yolk(s), whisk, then add the whole eggs one and whisk for another 30 or seconds until the eggs are completely mixed into the chocolate batter.

*Dutch-processed cocoa (aka European cocoa - I prefer the Droste brand) works best in this recipe due to its mellow flavor and dark color. You can, however, opt for natural cocoa if you prefer. It does have a more acidic flavor profile, so the chocolate will be more pronounced in that way - and also, it's usually lighter in color so will produce a light to medium brown cake.
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**It's difficult to give volumetric measurements (cups, tsp, etc.) for chopped chocolate, which is why I give only the weight here. Dark chocolate is anything that either says "dark" or is above 50% on the label. It usually has a little bit of sugar in it, which is fine for the recipe. I LOVE Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate bars. You get more than a pound for about $5. When I've run out of my prized TJ's chocolate bars, I use Ghiradelli's Bittersweet Bar, which is America's Test Kitchen's Winner for dark chocolate.

Single-Stage Cakes

Bake for about 18-22 mins: A skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. You can tailor the texture of this cake based on your preferences. If you prefer a fudgier cake, experiment with underbaking for a minute or two. When the cake cools, it will have a texture similar to a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a spongey layer cake.

Bake for about 23-28 minutes. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C. You can tailor the texture of this cake based on your preferences. If you prefer a fudgier cake, experiment with underbaking for a minute or two. When the cake cools, it will have a texture similar to a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a spongey layer cake.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C. You can tailor the texture of this cake based on your preferences. If you prefer a fudgier cake, experiment with underbaking for a minute or two. When the cake cools, it will have a texture similar to a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a spongey layer cake.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes. AWhen you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C. You can tailor the texture of this cake based on your preferences. If you prefer a fudgier cake, experiment with underbaking for a minute or two. When the cake cools, it will have a texture similar to a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a spongey layer cake.

Bake for about 20-23 minutes. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C. You can tailor the texture of this cake based on your preferences. If you prefer a fudgier cake, experiment with underbaking for a minute or two. When the cake cools, it will have a texture similar to a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a spongey layer cake.

Bake for about 28-32 minutes. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C. You can tailor the texture of this cake based on your preferences. If you prefer a fudgier cake, experiment with underbaking for a minute or two. When the cake cools, it will have a texture similar to a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a spongey layer cake.

Bake for about 18-22 minutes. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C. You can tailor the texture of this cake based on your preferences. If you prefer a fudgier cake, experiment with underbaking for a minute or two. When the cake cools, it will have a texture similar to a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a spongey layer cake.

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Vanilla Almond White

egg whites#2.5#2 1/2#large#75#g milk, any fat (for egg mixture)#2#2#tablespoon#31#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g almond extract (optional)*#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#0#g cake flour**#1.5#1 1/2#cup#180#g white granulated sugar#0.75#3/4#cup#150#g baking powder#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g unsalted butter, softened#4#4#tablespoon#57#g oil (flavorless such as veg or canola)#2.5#2 1/2#tablespoon#34#g milk, any fat (for mixing into dry)#5.5#5 1/2#tablespoon#84#g

My Vanilla Almond White cake is super plush and spongey, with a super moist pure white crumb scented with vanilla and almond. This is a true white cake because it uses no egg yolks, as that is the primary difference between this and its cousin, the yellow cake, which uses egg yolks. However, the lack of yolks doesn’t make the cake any less moist; this cake uses the reverse creaming method to create a slightly tighter crumb framework, which works well because it is able to hold in all those moist crumbs. Think of this cake as your ultimate blank canvas; pair it with jams and fresh fruit for fillings, or play with other elements such as caramel, dulce de leche, or chocolate.

My Vanilla Almond White Cake belongs to the “Creamed Fat Cakes” Family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families, but briefly, cakes in this category use the creaming method for aeration. Categorizing them in this way gives us an idea of the final texture of the cake. Overall, cakes in this group have a denser moist crumb, with a moderately open crumb framework. In other words, it’s not an overly dense cake (like a fudge cake would be), nor is it incredibly light and slightly drier (like a chiffon cake.) The aeration in this cake puts it right in the middle, but the crumb leans slightly on the denser side.

I made a Berry Chantilly Cake using this cake recipe here:

1. Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Prepare egg mixture: In a bowl or measuring cup, with a fork, whisk together egg whites, milk (make sure to add the one labeled: "for egg mixture"), vanilla extract, and almond extract (optional) until the egg is slightly loosened and the milk is mixed in. Set that aside for now.
Coat dry ingredients with fat: Add cake flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.
Add the softened butter and oil to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-low speed for about 30 seconds.
Add milk to fat-coated dry ingredients: Add the milk (make sure to add the one labeled: "for mixing into dry") and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. You'll have a thick batter at this point. Scrape the bowl down. ‍
Mix in egg mixture: Pour the egg white-milk-extract mixture into the thick batter in 3 additions. Mix on medium-low speed for about 20 seconds after each addition, then scrape the bowl. (If you try to do it all at once, the egg whites have a more challenging time mixing in.)

*Almond flavoring is beautiful in this cake but is optional. If you prefer not to use it, just add more vanilla extract in its place.

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**Cake flour is really best for this cake, as all-purpose flour tends to weigh down the crumb, making the cake denser. I usually buy King Arthur Flour's unbleached cake flour since it's readily available at my local Target, but Swan's down or Softasilk will work just as well.

The Chocolates

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Ube Velvet

cake flour*#1.25#1 1/4#cup#150#g baking powder#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#0#g salt#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g liquid cultured buttermilk, low fat#0.5#1/2#cup#121#g ube jam**#0.25#1/4#cup#60#g ube extract#1#1#teaspoon#4#g unsalted butter, softened#0.25#1/4#cup#57#g oil (canola or other unflavored oil)#1.5#1 1/2#tablespoon#18#g brown sugar, either light or dark***#0.75#3/4#cup#160#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g whole eggs#1#1#large#50#g

My Ube Velvet cake is plush with a beautifully moist purple crumb. The cake flavor was developed from my red velvet cake and so this ube version also uses buttermilk, which gives it a lightly tangy undertone to pair with the nutty, earthy ube. I have two ube-flavored cakes in my Cakeculator. The Ube Coconut Chiffon is a lighter textured, slightly drier cake, whereas this one has a more substantial, moister crumb.

Ube is a beautiful purple yam that I love a little more each time I bake with it. Its flavor was enigmatic for me at first, but now, having baked with it many times, I can definitely describe it as earthy and vanilla with a slight nuttiness—almost like a very mellow chestnut flavor.

My ube velvet cake belongs to the “Creamed Fat Cakes” Family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families, but briefly, cakes in this category use the creaming method for aeration. Categorizing them in this way gives us an idea of the final texture of the cake. Overall, cakes in this group have a denser moist crumb, with a moderately open crumb framework. In other words, it’s not an overly dense cake (like a fudge cake would be), nor is it incredibly light and slightly drier (like a chiffon cake.) The aeration in this cake puts it right in the middle, but the crumb leans slightly on the denser side.

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F/180 °C.

Prepare dry and wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together your cake flour, baking powder, and salt for about 30 seconds.
In a measuring cup, combine your buttermilk, ube jam, and ube extract. Mix very thoroughly to completely dissolve the ube until your buttermilk turns a bright purple and is very smooth. Set aside.
Cream and aerate fats: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, add your butter, brown sugar and oil and beat with the paddle attachment for a minute until it's combined.
Add eggs: Add your egg yolks to the butter-sugar, one at time. Make sure the previous yolks are blended in before adding the next. Then add your egg(s). Beat this on medium speed for one minute until it's a little lighter in color and texture.
Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients: We are now going to alternate flour-mixture (dry) / buttermilk-mixture (wet) ingredients. I like to do this step by hand with a spatula to minimize overmixing the batter. If you have good control over your mixer on it's lowest setting, feel free to use that if you like. Add the dry in 3 additions, and the wet in 2 additions as follows:
a. Add half of your flour mixture to the bowl. Mix until all the flour has just been incorporated. Scrape down with a spatula.
b. Add in half of your buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
c. Next, add half of your remaining flour mixture, mix, and scrape.
d. Add the rest of your buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
e. Finish with the rest of the flour. You got it - mix and scrape ;)

*For the ultimate velvety crumb, look for cake flour, which has a lower protein content. I use King Arthur's unbleached cake flour as it's always available at my local Target.

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**I purchase my ube jam and the brand they have at my market is from the brand "Pinoy Fiesta", which is a little bit thick. Feel free to sub your homemade ube halaya, and keep an eye on the texture of my batter (I show you in the video) to make sure it's similar so you'll get a similar cake texture as mine.

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***I love brown sugar in this cake! The molasses flavor I think enhances the earthy and nuttiness of ube, but feel free to sub out white sugar if you prefer. You can use the same amount (weight or volume).

Creamed Fat Cakes

Bake for about 18-22 minutes.
‍A skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C.

Bake for about 23-28 minutes.
‍When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C.

Ube Coconut Chiffon

coconut water*#0.33#1/3#cup#80#g unrefined coconut oil, melted and liquid**#4#4#tablespoon#56#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g ube extract#0.75#3/4#teaspoon#4#g cake flour#0.75#3/4#cup#90#g cornstarch***#0.25#1/4#cup#28#g white granulated sugar (for flour)#0.5#1/2#cup#100#g baking powder#1#1#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g egg whites#2#2#large#60#g cream of tartar****#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g white granulated sugar (for meringue)#2#2#tablespoon#25#g

This is a delightful ube coconut cake based on my Vanilla Chiffon Cake. This style is the lightest in texture, yet sturdy enough to stack if needed. It’s got a beautiful lofty crumb framework and fine crumb. The cake uses ube extract for the vibrant purple color and mellow ube flavor and can be made in two ways: either plain ube or enhanced with coconut by using coconut oil and coconut water.

Note that there is a slight tradeoff with adding coconut-based ingredients to this batter. The chiffon cakes with coconut fat yielded a denser crumb and slightly less voluminous cake height. My guess is that the solid state of coconut fats (or saturated fats) is inhibiting the rise in the batter. I see this effect when I try to use butterfat (another type of saturated, solid-type fat) in my chiffons. Liquid oils tend to give my chiffons a much better rise. The decrease in height is around 20-25%, but I feel the added flavor was worth the tiny loss of height in the cake. If you're looking for the fluffiest cake possible, make the substitutions for the plain ube cake indicated in the recipe below. Ube already has a slight coconutty undertone anyway, even without the added coconut ingredients.

To make this a “hybrid” cake and get the stability I needed, I had to mess around with the ingredient ratios a bit. I added a bit more egg whites and starch (in the way of flour and cornstarch), and in doing that, this bakes up as a low-moisture cake. Traditionally, chiffons are on the drier side, as are most of the cakes that reside in the Egg Foamed Cake Family. My suggestion to help with dryness is to follow the instructions to wrap the cake when it’s still warm to preserve moisture. If you prefer an even moister cake, use a simple syrup. Just brush a few tablespoons of syrup when you are assembling the cake.

Here is a video on how to make this cake:

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F/180 °C.

‍Prepare wet/dry ingredients:In a measuring cup, mix together room-temperature coconut water (see ingredient footnotes), coconut oil, egg yolks, and ube extract with a fork. Mix until you see no oil separation - the egg yolk helps emulsify these liquids and will look purple. Set that aside for now.

In a mixing bowl, sift in the cake flour, cornstarch, white granulated sugar (labeled "for flour"), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt to the bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.‍
Mix wet and dry ingredients: Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the coconut-water mixture from the previous step while whisking simultaneously. You'll see the liquid slowly pulling in the flour mixture from the outer ring as you whisk. (This is to prevent lumps.) Once you've poured in all the liquids, keep whisking and stop just when all the flour has been incorporated. Set this bowl aside for now.‍
Whip egg whites: To another mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled "for meringue") into a small bowl, so it's easy to add to the egg whites while mixing.

With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until it's thick and foamy. Pour in about a couple of teaspoons of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour in another couple of teaspoons. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point when you hold it upside down. It shouldn't be runny or drooping off the whisk.

Fold egg whites into the batter: Take a spatula-sized small scoop of meringue and stir it into the batter using the whisk - this lightens the batter a tad.

Now take 1/3 of your freshly whipped meringue and fold it into the cake batter. Use swooping motions to scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. (My video shows this technique much better than I can describe it.) Once all the batter contains no more streaks of meringue, add the second third and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of the meringue. Use the purple color as an indicator to know when you're finished; as you fold in the last bits of meringue, it should be a solid, beautiful purple color with no streaks of white left.

*Make sure to use coconut water that has only coconut water as the ingredient (and no stabilizers, such as xanthan gum, etc.) If you wish to make the plain ube version of this cake, use the same amount of room temperature water instead of coconut water.

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**In the US, we have two types of coconut oil: unrefined and refined. Refined goes through extra processing that, amongst other things, removes the taste and aroma of coconuts, so I prefer using unrefined for a beautiful coconut flavor. Also, coconut oil solidifies at cool room temperatures, so melt it in the microwave to liquify it, so it mixes into the batter properly.
If you want to make the plain ube version of this cake, use a flavorless oil (such as canola or vegetable) in place of coconut oil.

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***You can use either cornstarch or potato starch.

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****Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient that allows us to whip up the egg whites a little fluffier. You can sub twice the amount of lemon juice or vinegar if you don't have access to the cream of tartar.

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The Chiffons

Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 17-22 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Sprinkle 2.0

cake flour#1.5#1 1/2#cup#180#g baking powder#1.5#1 1/2#tsp#0#g kosher salt (I use Diamond Kosher)#0.5#1/2#tsp#0#g egg whites#3#3#large#90#g granulated white sugar (for meringue 🥚)#1#1#tablespoon#12#g butter, unsalted#3#3#tablespoon#42#g granulated white sugar (for butter 🧈)#0.67#2/3#cup#133#g oil (flavorless such as canola or veg)#3#3#tablespoon#37#g vanilla extract (real or imitation)#1#1#teaspoon#0#g almond extract (optional)#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g liquid cultured buttermilk, low fat#0.5#1/2#cup#122#g sprinkles**#4#4#tablespoon#0#g

This is version 2.0 of my original Sprinkle cake. This is a super moist, vanilla, and butter-forward cake with a fluffy, spongy white crumb. This cake has better aeration than my last version, giving it a fluffier result. And, of course, it has colorful specks throughout from the added sprinkles.

This is a white cake, meaning it uses no yolks in the batter. The color of the cake is predominantly from the color of your flour (with bleached versions giving a white result) and extracts. Speaking of which, I do like artificial vanilla in this cake. It’s colorless and is a very nostalgic flavor if you enjoy white box cake. Pure vanilla extract varies in color but most are dark colored and will yield a slightly off-white to cream cake.

As for the sprinkles, you'll need classic rod-shaped sprinkles. I use two brands - the Target ones here, which have more primary colors, or the Wilton brand, which has some pink sprinkles. These brands typically melt straight into the batter when heated with minimal bleeding during the mixing step. By adding them in at the very end, we can limit the amount of color bleeding and get a nice distribution of color for the final cake.

This cake belongs to the “Hybrid Creamed/Foam Cake Family.” Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families, but briefly, this means that this uses both creaming and egg-foaming methods for aeration. This means we’ll cream the butter and sugar together to aerate the fat, and we’ll also make a whipped egg white meringue for extra aeration in the batter.

Categorizing cakes in this way gives us an idea of the final texture of the cake. Overall, cakes in this group have a lighter yet moist crumb, with an open crumb framework. In other words, it’s not an overly dense cake (like a fudge cake would be), nor is it incredibly light and slightly drier (like a chiffon cake.) This one is right in the middle, but the crumb leans slightly on the lighter side.

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prep dry ingredients: Sift cake flour and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk in the kosher salt for at least 30 seconds. Set that aside for now.
Make meringue. To a mixing bowl, add the egg whites. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled "for meringue 🥚") into a small bowl so it's easy to add to the egg whites while mixing.
With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed until it's thicker with large bubbles. It will look like really sudsy dishwater.
Pour in about 1/2 tsp of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour another 1/2 teaspoon. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point that bends just a little when you hold it upside down, and it shouldn't be runny or drooping off the whisk. Pour the meringue into a small bowl and set that aside for now. (No need to clean your mixing bowl, we'll use it to make the rest of the batter.)

Cream and aerate butter: In that same meringue mixing bowl and with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar (labeled "for butter 🧈") on medium-high for about 3-5 minutes until lighter in color and fluffier. Add the oil, vanilla and almond extracts and beat for another 2 minutes. It should turn whiter in color or more tan, depending on the potency of your vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl.
Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients: Add the flour in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 additions as follows:
a. Add half of your flour mixture to the butter-sugar bowl. On low speed, mix until all the flour has just been incorporated. Scrape down with a spatula.
b. Mix half of your buttermilk on low speed and scrape.
c. Next, add half of your remaining flour mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
d. Add the rest of your buttermilk, mix on low, and scrape.
e. Finish with the rest of the flour, mix on low, and scrape.

Fold in the meringue: With a spatula, add half of your meringue to the cake batter. Use swooping motions to scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center. Scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while.
Once all the batter contains no more streaks of meringue, add the second half plus the sprinkles and continue to fold. The batter should not have any lines of meringue and should be tan or cream in color with evenly dispersed sprinkles and slightly more voluminous.

*Cake flour is best for this recipe. It's more finely milled and has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. This translates to a finer and softer cake crumb. I use King Arthur Flour's Unbleached Cake Flour, but the bleached versions will work just as well. I have made this recipe using all-purpose flour; it's still delicious but the interior of the cake will be a little more coarse.

Hybrid Creamed/Foam Cakes

Red Velvet

unsweetened cocoa powder, natural*#3#3#tablespoon#18#g liquid cultured buttermilk, low fat**#0.67##cup#161#g red gel food coloring***#1.5#1.5#teaspoon#4#g apple cider vinegar#1.25#1.25#teaspoon#0#g cake flour, bleached or unbleached#1.125##cup#135#g baking powder#2#2#teaspoon#0#g unsalted butter#3#3#tablespoon#42#g granulated white sugar#1.25##cup#250#g oil, canola or vegetable#2##tablespoon#25#g vanilla extract#1#1#tablespoon#15#g kosher salt#1#1#teaspoon#0#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g whole eggs#2#2#large#100#g

What is the flavor and taste of Red Velvet Cake?

Red velvet cake features a unique flavor profile that combines subtle chocolate richness with a hint of tanginess from buttermilk and vinegar. It's often described as having equal parts vanilla and cocoa flavors, which is quite accurate.

In my updated red velvet recipe, I’ve leaned the cake more towards chocolate flavors. I've emphasized the cocoa flavor by blooming natural cocoa powder in warm buttermilk before adding it to the batter. Be sure to use liquid, cultured buttermilk (not powdered) since its acidity significantly contributes to the cake's tanginess.

As for the vinegar, it enhances acidity and was traditionally included in older red velvet recipes to aid in rising by reacting with baking soda. However, my version uses baking powder, which is more reliable for scaling recipes in the Cakeculator. While the vinegar primarily adds flavor, I recommend including it for an extra layer of tanginess.

What is the texture of Red Velvet Cake?

The texture of my cakes depends on the ingredients, their ratios, and most importantly, the method by which you bring the ingredients together. My red velvet cake is a creamed fat cake, meaning that sugar is mixed with the fat (butter + oil) to create little pockets that expand with air from the leaveners. This creates a slightly denser yet plush cake, which is very moist with a fudgy-textured crumb.

The color is bright red from the gel food coloring, and I use Americolor in “Super Red.” You can use as little or as much as you like for this batter or none at all. Without food coloring the cake will be a light brown.

Preheat the oven.
Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prep wet and dry ingredients.
In a small heat-proof bowl or measuring cup, combine the cocoa powder and liquid buttermilk. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each, until the mixture is warm—similar to hot tap water—without overheating to prevent evaporation. Stir until the cocoa powder is fully dispersed and the mixture smells chocolatey and is brown, and then mix in the food coloring and vinegar.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour and baking powder. Set those preparations aside for now.

Cream and aerate the fats.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, cream the mixture for 2-3 minutes until it becomes slightly tan from the vanilla and more voluminous. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once during this process.
Mix in the eggs.
Add all the eggs (both yolks and whole eggs) to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed to combine, then increase to medium speed for about 2 minutes. The batter will become slightly more voluminous and yellow. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
‍Alternate adding the flour and red buttermilk mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture.

Add the flour in 3 additions and the red buttermilk mixture in 2 additions as follows:
‍a. Add half of the flour to the stand mixer and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
b. Add half of the red buttermilk, mix on low, and scrape the bowl.
c. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, mix on low, and scrape again.
d. Add the rest of the buttermilk, mix on low, and scrape.
e. Finally, add the remaining flour and mix until fully combined.

*Natural cocoa has a strong, acidic, almost astringent flavor. It’s a lighter brown color than Dutch-processed cocoa. I prefer natural cocoa in this cake, but you can use Dutch-processed cocoa for a milder chocolate flavor.

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**Be sure to use liquid, cultured buttermilk in this recipe. Buttermilk powders are a common substitute for liquid buttermilk, but they don’t work as well in this recipe. Most powders are “sweet cream” or some combination of that, and we need the tanginess from the cultured one.

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***Every gel food coloring will measure and look differently, so add as much or as little gel as you like. You can also swap out colors here. I've made a rose-colored velvet cake and a green velvet cake for the holiday season.

Creamed Fat Cakes

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
‍When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
‍When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.
When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Bake for about 38-42 minutes.
When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Bake for about 42-48 minutes.
When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Bake for about 18-22 minutes.
‍When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C.

Matcha Chiffon

milk, any fat %, room temperature#0.33#45294#cup#81#g oil, either canola or other veg#3#3#tablespoon#37#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g cake flour*#0.67#45325#cup#80#g matcha powder#1#1#tablespoon#9#g cornstarch**#0.125#45299#cup#14#g white granulated sugar (for flour)#0.33#45294#cup#66#g baking powder#0.75#45355#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal Kosher)#0.5#45293#teaspoon#0#g egg whites#2#2#large#60#g cream of tartar***#0.125#45299#teaspoon#0#g white granulated sugar (for meringue)#4#4#tablespoon#50#g

My Matcha chiffon is beautifully green with a sweet, mild earthy matcha flavor. I developed this flavor based on my Vanilla Chiffon Cake. This style is the lightest in texture, yet sturdy enough to stack if needed. It’s got a beautiful lofty crumb framework and fine crumb. For the vibrant green color and flavor, I use matcha, which is a powder of ground green tea leaves. There are many types of matcha powders; I suggest getting a culinary-grade version as they are cheaper and work well in cakes. Expensive ceremonial grade-type matchas are best enjoyed as a drink.

As for frostings and fillings flavors, I love the combination of strawberries with anything matcha, although a popular flavor pairing is also white chocolate. Typically, I serve this cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream and fresh strawberries.

Here is a video of how I made mini cakes with this recipe:

Preheat the oven.
‍Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F/180 °C.

Prepare wet/dry ingredients: In a measuring cup, mix together room temperature water, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla extract with a fork. Mix until you see no separation of the oil and water - the egg yolk helps emulsify these liquids, and it will look homogenous in color. Set that aside for now.
In a mixing bowl, sift in the cake flour, matcha powder, cornstarch, white granulated sugar (labeled "for flour"), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt to the bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.

Mix wet and dry ingredients: Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the milk mixture from the previous step while whisking at the same time. As you whisk, you'll see the liquid slowly pulling in the flour mixture from the outer ring. (This is to prevent lumps.) Once you've poured in all of the milk, keep whisking and stop just when all the flour has been incorporated. Set this bowl aside for now.
Whip egg whites: To another mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled "for meringue") into a small bowl, so it's easy to add to the egg whites while mixing.

With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until it's thick and foamy. Pour in about a couple of teaspoons of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour in another couple of teaspoons. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point when you hold it upside down. It shouldn't be runny or drooping off the whisk.

Fold egg whites into the batter: Take a spatula-sized small scoop of meringue and stir it into the batter using the whisk - this just lightens the batter a tad.

Now take 1/3 of your freshly whipped meringue and fold it into the cake batter. Use swooping motions to scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. (My video shows this technique much better than I am able to describe it.) Once all the batter contains no more steaks of meringue, add the second third and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of meringue. The batter should not have any streaks of meringue, be green in color, and much lighter in texture.

*Cake flour is best for this recipe. It is finely milled and contains less gluten-forming proteins than all-purpose flour. This gives chiffon a delicate, very fine crumb that is extremely tender. I use King Arthur Flour's Unbleached Cake Flour, but you can use bleached versions if you like.

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**Cornstarch (aka corn flour) or potato starch can be used. This ingredient further decreases the amount of gluten forming proteins in the total amount of starches needed for the cake.

‍

***If you can't find or don't have cream of tartar, sub double the amount of lemon or lime juice. Don't worry, it won't flavor the meringue

The Chiffons

Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 17-22 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Golden Vanilla

cake flour*#1#1#cup#120#g baking powder#0.75#3/4#teaspoon#0#g salt#0.25#1/4#teaspoon##g whole milk#5#5#tablespoon#75#g sour cream#2#2#tablespoon#28#g unsalted butter#2#2#tablespoon#28#g granulated white sugar#0.75#3/4#cup#150#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#0#g canola oil#3.5#3.5#tablespoon#43#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g whole eggs#1#1#large#50#g

UPDATE: This recipe is retired, and I am no longer updating it. I have reformulated this recipe with *new* Vanilla cake selections for you.

For a vanilla white cake, try: White Vanilla Almond or Sprinkle 2.0
For a vanilla yellow cake, try: Buttery Vanilla Yellow
For an airy vanilla cake, try: Vanilla Chiffon

The recipe is still down below for the bakers who still like this cake.

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This yellow butter cake is sweet, full of vanilla, and has a velvety crumb that melts in your mouth. It's the first recipe that I developed for this app! You can turn this batter into all kinds of cakes from cupcakes to layer cakes, and color it to match any occasion. It can be paired with any filling, from jams and pastry creams, and topped with all frostings, although my favorite is my chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.

This cake belongs to the “Creamed Fat Cakes” Family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families, but briefly, cakes in this category use the creaming method for aeration. Categorizing them in this way gives us an idea of the final texture of the cake. Overall, cakes in this group have a denser moist crumb, with a moderately open crumb framework. In other words, it’s not an overly dense cake (like a fudge cake would be), nor is it incredibly light and slightly drier (like a chiffon cake.) The aeration in this cake puts it right in the middle, but the crumb leans slightly on the denser side.

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prepare dry and wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt for a full 30 seconds. (It takes longer than you think to ensure the baking powder is evenly disbursed!) Set bowl aside. In a small measuring cup, whisk together milk and sour cream until there are no lumps of sour cream.
Cream and aerate fats: In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the soft butter on medium speed until it is smooth.
Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat until fluffy yet sandy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl at least once.
On medium speed, blend in the canola oil. Beat for another 2 minutes, or until the butter-sugar-oil mixture has turned whiter and is slightly fluffier.
Add eggs: On the lowest speed add in the yolks one at a time, mixing just to combine. Add in the egg(s) one at a time, blending just to combine.
Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients: We are now going to alternate dry(flour) / wet(milk) ingredients. Add the dry in 3 additions, and the wet in 2 additions as follows:
a. Add half of your flour mixture to the stand mixer. On low speed mix until all the flour has just been incorporated. Scrape down with a spatula.
b. Add in half of your milk mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
c. Next, add half of your remaining flour mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
d. Add the rest of your milk, mix on low, scrape.
e. Finish with the rest of the flour, which I like to do by hand with the spatula to avoid over-mixing.

* This recipe is best when using cake flour as the crumb is light and velvety when you do. You can use bleached/unbleached. I always have King Arthur Flour's Cake Flour in my pantry, which is unbleached, but have made this cake successfully with Swan's Down or Pillsbury. You will get a slightly coarser crumb when using all-purpose flour. It will still be worlds better than a box cake mix, but if you're looking for perfection, try to hunt down some cake flour.

Retired Cakes

Marble

cake flour#1#1#cup#120#g baking powder#0.75#3/4#teaspoon#3#g salt#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#1#g Dutch-processed cocoa#1.5#1 1/2#tablespoon#8#g boiling water#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#21#g baking soda#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g whole milk#5#5#tablespoon #75#g sour cream, full fat, room temp#2#2#tablespoon#28#g unsalted butter, softened#2#2#tablespoon#28#g granulated sugar#0.75#3/4#cup#150#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#4#g canola oil#3.5#3 1/2 #tablespoon#43#g egg yolks#2#2#large#28#g whole eggs#1#1#large#50#g

My marble cake combines chocolate and vanilla swirled together in buttery goodness. Typically, chocolate used in most capacities for desserts is very overpowering. However, this cake is great at mixing a mellow chocolate swirl into a vanilla-buttery batter such that both flavors are represented equally. This cake may look labor intensive, but you only make only vanilla-flavored cake batter, which eventually you’ll split into two portions. One portion is left alone, whereas the other has cocoa powder added to make it chocolate. I’d suggest using a high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa if you can source it. At the end of the process, just take a spatula or skewer to swirl the batters together.

My Marble Cake belongs to the “Creamed Fat Cakes” Family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families, but briefly, cakes in this category use the creaming method for aeration. Categorizing them in this way gives us an idea of the final texture of the cake. Overall, cakes in this group have a denser moist crumb, with a moderately open crumb framework. In other words, it’s not an overly dense cake (like a fudge cake would be), nor is it incredibly light and slightly drier (like a chiffon cake.) The aeration in this cake puts it right in the middle, but the crumb leans slightly on the denser side.

Here's a video on how to make this cake:

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prep dry/wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl (we will be using this bowl later for our chocolate batter), whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt for a full 30 seconds. (It takes longer than you think to ensure the baking powder is evenly disbursed!) Set bowl aside.
In a small bowl, add your Dutch-process cocoa, boiling water, and baking soda. Stir until it forms a dark paste and set aside.
In a small measuring cup, whisk together milk and sour cream until there are no lumps of sour cream.

Cream and aerate butter. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the soft butter on medium speed until it is smooth. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat until fluffy yet sandy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl at least once.
On medium speed, blend in the canola oil. Beat for another 2 minutes, or until the butter-sugar-oil mixture has turned whiter and is slightly fluffier.

Add eggs: On the lowest speed add the yolks, mixing just to combine. Then add in the egg(s) and mix for one minute on medium speed.
Add dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry in 3 additions and the wet in 2 additions as follows:
a. Add half of your flour mixture to the stand mixer. On low speed, mix until all the flour has just been incorporated. Scrape down with a spatula.
b. Add in half of your milk mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
c. Next, add half of your remaining flour mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
d. Add the rest of your milk, mix on low, scrape.
e. Finish with the rest of the flour, which I like to do by hand with the spatula to avoid over-mixing. Then use your whisk to briefly stir.‍
Divide batter in half and add chocolate paste: Split your batter into two separate bowls. Try to get it as even as possible. I use a scale, but you can estimate too. Add the chocolate paste you set aside earlier to one of your batter bowls and mix until combined and uniform in color.
When adding your batter to your pan, be sure to alternate these two bowls to ensure a pretty design. You can accentuate this by using a butter knife or skewer to create the marbled effect. Watch my video to see how to do this.

* This recipe is best when using cake flour as the crumb is light and velvety when you do. You can used bleached/unbleached. I always have King Arthur Flour's Cake Flour in my pantry, which is unbleached, but have made this cake sucessfully with Swan's Down or Pilsbury. You will get a slighty coarser crumb when using all-purpose flour. It will still be worlds better than a box cake mix, but if you're looking for perfection, try to hunt down some cake flour.

Creamed Fat Cakes

Coffee Chiffon

cold brew (or milk, any fat%)*#0.33#1/3#cup#80#g coffee oil or canola oil**#3#3#tablespoon#37#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g cake flour***#0.67#2/3#cup#80#g cornstarch***#0.25#1/4#cup#28#g white granulated sugar (for flour)#0.33#1/3#cup#66#g baking powder#0.75#3/4#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt #0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g egg whites#2#2#large#60#g cream of tartar****#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g white granulated sugar (for meringue)#0.25#1/4#cup#50#g

My Coffee Chiffon Cake is the light, fluffiest cake with the most lovely mellow coffee flavor. I explored three ways to extract coffee flavor from the beans and compared these to two commonly used methods: instant coffee granules in the batter and sugar syrup. I go through all the testing in the video, but in the end my favorites were two extraction methods: incorporating either coffee oil or cold brew. Both are simple processes to extract coffee flavor but must be done beforehand, so watch my video and plan accordingly.

The difference between the coffee flavors extracted in oil (to make coffee oil) versus water (to make cold brew coffee) is mind-blowing. Aromatic compounds in coffee are fat- or water-soluble; they all have different flavors and aromatic profiles. I was amazed to oil-extract coffee that I usually drink - there were so many new and robust flavors I’d never encountered before. That said, this cake is still excellent using cold brew if you don’t have access to a sous vide cooker to perform the oil extraction.

My Chiffons are in the Egg Foamed Cake family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families. Briefly, Egg Foamed Cakes rely (sometimes exclusively) on the proper foaming of eggs for aeration. Whipping the eggs at high speed unravels the egg proteins such that they are then able to stick together in a way that traps air. Done incorrectly and you’ll end up with a less aerated and denser cake, which is why this is one of the more difficult cakes on my site. Don’t worry, though, I’ve had beginners tell me that they got this cake right on the first try, as I try to be as descriptive as possible with my instructions.

Here is the video explaining how to get coffee flavors in your cakes:

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prepare wet/dry ingredients: In a measuring cup, mix together room temperature milk (or cold brew), canola oil (or coffee oil), egg yolks, and vanilla extract with a fork. Mix until you see no separation of the oil and milk - the egg yolk helps emulsify these liquids and it will look homogenous in color. Set that aside for now.
‍
In a mixing bowl, sift in the cake flour, cornstarch, white granulated sugar (labeled "for flour"), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt to the bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.
‍
Mix wet and dry ingredients: Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the milk mixture from the previous step while whisking simultaneously. As you whisk, you'll see the liquid slowly pulling in the flour mixture from the outer ring. (This is to prevent lumps.) Once you've poured in all of the milk, keep whisking and stop just when all the flour has been incorporated. Set this bowl aside for now.
‍
Whip egg whites: To another mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled "for meringue") into a small bowl so it's easy to add to the egg whites while mixing.
With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium high speed until it's thick and foamy. It will look like men's shaving cream (you know what they make at a fancy barber shop with a whisk?) Pour in about a couple of teaspoons of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour another couple of teaspoons. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point when you hold it upside down. It shouldn't be runny or drooping off the whisk.

Fold egg whites into the batter: Take a small scoop of meringue, a spatula-sized scoop, and stir it into the batter using the whisk—this just lightens the batter a tad.
Now take 1/3 of your freshly whipped meringue and fold it into the cake batter. Use swooping motions to scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. (My video shows this technique much better than I am able to describe it.) Once all the batter contains no more steaks of meringue, add the second third and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of meringue. The batter should not have any streaks of meringue, be slightly tan in color, and much lighter in texture.

*If you use cold brew, use canola oil in the recipe. To make cold brew: Add 106 g coarsely ground coffee to 4.5 cups of cold filtered water using a cold brew coffee maker. (This is the brewer that I use.) Chill in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Remove from fridge, then remove inner filter containing the coffee grounds. You will have more than enough to make even my largest cake on this app but cold brew can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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**If you use coffee oil, use milk for the liquid in the recipe. To make coffee oil (adapted from Modernist Cuisine): For every 100g of oil, add 55 grams of whole coffee beans to a mason jar. (Look at the quantity of oil needed in your recipe below, or just make a huge batch - you can save the remainder of the oil and use it for other bakes.) Seal tightly and sous vide for 12-14 hours at 158F. Remove from water bath and strain out beans.

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***Cake flour is best for this recipe. It is finely milled and contains less gluten-forming proteins than all-purpose flour. This gives chiffon a delicate, very fine crumb that is extremely tender. I use King Arthur Flour's Unbleached Cake Flour, but you can use bleached versions if you like.

‍

****Cornstarch (aka corn flour) or potato starch can be used. This ingredient further decreases the amount of gluten forming proteins in the total amount of starches needed for the cake.

‍

*****If you can't find or don't have cream of tartar, sub double the amount of lemon or lime juice. Don't worry, it won't flavor the meringue.

The Chiffons

Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 17-22 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Chocolate Chiffon

water#0.33#1/3#cup#80#g oil, flavorless such as canola#4#4#tablespoon#56#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g cocoa powder, Dutch-processed*#0.25#1/4#cup#22#g cake flour, bleached or unbleached#0.75#3/4#cup#90#g white granulated sugar (for flour)#0.5#1/2#cup#100#g baking powder#1#1#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt #0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g egg whites#2#2#large#60#g cream of tartar#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g white granulated sugar (for meringue)#2#2#tablespoon#25#g

Of all the chocolate cake recipes I've created, this one is the lightest in texture and chocolate flavor. The parent recipe for this cake is my vanilla chiffon, which is what I call my "hybrid" chiffon cake because I've combined the airy texture of chiffon cake with the stability of a classic creamed fat layer cake.

Generally, chocolate as an ingredient can be overpowering. The mellow cocoa flavors in this cake will allow other ingredients to shine, such as fruits like raspberry or nut-based components, like a praline filling.

Here's a video using this Chocolate Chiffon Cake

In this video, I make a chocolate mousse as filling between Chocolate Chiffon layers. I don't go much into the process of making the chiffon. The recipe is very similiar to my Vanilla Chiffon cake, and I do go over the technique in this video linked here if you'd like to watch.

‍Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prep wet/dry ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, sift in the cake flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, white granulated sugar (labeled "for flour"), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt to the bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.
Mix together room-temperature water, oil, and egg yolks in a measuring cup with a fork. Mix until you see no separation of the oil and milk - the egg yolk helps emulsify these liquids and will look homogenous in color.

Mix wet and dry ingredients.
‍Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the water mixture from the previous step while whisking simultaneously. As you whisk, you'll see the liquid slowly pulling in the flour mixture from the outer ring to prevent lumps. Once you've poured in all the water, keep whisking and stop just when all the flour has been incorporated. Set this bowl aside for now.
‍
Whip egg whites.
‍To another mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled "for meringue") into a small bowl, so it's easy to add to the egg whites while mixing.

With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until it's thick and foamy. Pour in about a couple of teaspoons of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour in another couple of teaspoons. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point when you hold it upside down. It shouldn't be runny or drooping off the whisk.

Fold egg whites into the batter:
‍Take a spatula-sized small scoop of meringue and stir it into the batter using the whisk - this lightens the texture of the chiffon batter a tad.

Now take 1/3 of your freshly whipped meringue and fold it into the cake batter. Scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center using swooping motions. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. (My video shows this technique much better than I can describe it.) Once all the batter contains no more streaks of meringue, add the second third and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of the meringue. The batter should not have any lines of meringue, be light chocolate brown, and be much lighter in texture.

*Dutch-processed or European-style cocoa is unsweetened cocoa powder that is more mellow in flavor than natural cocoas. It ranges from deep browns to bright reds and is less acidic. My favorite brands are Droste (buy from Amazon, here) and Ghirardelli.

The Chiffons

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Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Bake for about 17-22 minutes. Watch the tops of your cake during the last 5 minutes of baking. The chiffon will rise high and then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer; there should be no crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the cake should be around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C. The cake tops will naturally deflate to a level surface as they cool, but if you find that they pull away from the sides, the cake is underbaked. The chiffon is still edible and delicious; make a note to bake it a little longer next time.

Chocolate Indulgence

cocoa powder, Dutch-processed*#0.75#3/4#cup#59#g water, boiling hot#0.67#2/3#cup#152#g brown sugar, either light or dark#1#1#cup#213#g kosher salt#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g canola oil (or other flavorless kind)#0.5#1/2#cup#99#g egg yolks#1#1#large#20#g whole eggs#2#2#large#100#g all-purpose flour#0.75#3/4#cup#90#g baking powder#1#1#teaspoon#0#g

My Chocolate Indulgence cake is the most decadently chocolate of all my chocolate cakes. It combines cocoa powder and flour to create a super creamy chocolatey crumb that melts in your mouth. My inspiration for this cake was a flourless chocolate cake, which has that flavor, albeit is slightly lighter in texture from the addition of flour.

This is a very chocolate-forward cake, and the only source of that flavor comes from cocoa powder. The flavor and color of your finished cake are entirely dependent on the brand of Dutch-processed cocoa powder that you use. Brands that I have tried and work well are Droste (my favorite), Guittard Cocoa Rouge (has a redder hue), and Ghirardelli Dutch-Process.

The source of sweetness in the cake comes from brown sugar, which contains molasses. You can use either light or dark brown sugar, but I try to use dark with this cake. I love how smokey warm molasses flavor paired with Dutch-processed cocoa.

This Chocolate Indulgence Cake is in the Single-Stage Cake family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families. Briefly, Single-Stage Cakes have all the ingredients mixed together pretty much all at once, and there is minor aeration that occurs by whisking. Cakes made in this way have a very moist and denser crumb with a tight crumb framework. This works exceptionally well with chocolate flavors as it lends a “fudgy” texture often associated with chocolate desserts.

Additionally, these types of single-stage mixing chocolate cakes are very forgiving in terms of baking. This one uses cocoa powder, which reduces gluten development and produces a fudgy, moist crumb. My single-stage chocolate cakes can also be baked to your preference. Slightly underbaking will give you a fudgy texture, whereas completely baking will give you a spongier texture.

Here is a video where I used this cake to make a 24 layer cake:

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prepare cocoa paste: In a large mixing bowl, add the Dutch-process cocoa and pour boiling water over the cocoa. Use a whisk to stir; you'll get a steaming hot bowl of thick chocolate paste that smells like heaven. Let that sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate flavor to bloom.
Add the sugar, salt, and oil. Whisk until it forms a thick, runny chocolate sauce. The brown sugar granules may not dissolve all the way, but when you stop stirring, the chocolate sauce will settle down in the bowl and look super smooth.
Whisk in eggs: Add your egg yolk(s) and eggs all at once and whisk for at least 1 minute by hand. It should be completely homogenous, and you should see no streaks of egg yolk or whites at the end. You may see some slight bubbles - that's a good sign. ‍
Add the flour: Sift in your all-purpose flour and baking powder. Use the whisk to stir it in until no flour remains on the sides of the bowl.

*Dutch-processed (European-style) cocoa is slightly darker (or sometimes redder) in color than natural cocoas. It also has a more mellow and smooth chocolate flavor that is necessary for this cake. I tested natural cocoa for this cake, but the result was overly acidic and chalky - you'll have to make sure that your cocoa powder is Dutch-processed. My favorite brand of Dutch-processed cocoa is Droste (Amazon link to Droste here).

Single-Stage Cakes

Carrot Lover's

unsalted butter (🥕 carrot puree)#2#2#tablespoon#28#g carrots, peeled & sliced 1/4 in. (🥕 carrot puree)#1.5#1 1/2#cup#224#g baking soda (🥕 carrot puree)#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt (🥕 carrot puree)#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#0#g carrots, finely grated#0.67#2/3#cup#74#g all-purpose flour, unbleached#1.125#1 1/8#cup#135#g baking powder#1.25#1 1/4#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal Kosher)#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g cinnamon#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g allspice#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g caramelized carrot puree*#0.5#1/2#cup#120#g sour cream, full fat#0.125#1/8#cup#28#g vanilla extract#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#2.5#g unsalted butter#2.5#2 1/2#tablespoon#35#g brown sugar (light or dark)#0.75#3/4#cup#160#g oil (canola or vegetable)#1.5#1 1/2#tablespoon#18#g egg yolks#2#2#large#40#g whole eggs#1#1#large#50#g add-ins, see footnote**#0.5#1/2#cup#0#g

The intense carrot flavor in my carrot cake comes from a caramelized carrot puree and finely shredded carrots. It is lightly spiced with cinnamon and allspice and has a moist, spongy, soft texture from both butter and oil. These ingredients yield a cake with a beautiful natural orange color and earthy, sweet carrot flavor.

Using roasted and caramelized carrots makes this super carrot-y cake. Carrots are a natural source of sugar, and roasting them at a high temperature caramelizes the sugars within. Baking soda is added to the carrots before roasting because it enhances the Maillard reaction, which is the chemical reaction that produces the browning of food and delicious toasty flavors.

This cake has a beautiful natural orange color because the carrots are roasted in butter. Carotenoids, the orange pigment found in carrots, are soluble in fat. That means the pigment is easily dissolved and dispersed throughout the butter, and when we puree them and add them to our cake, it coats every single crumb and results in a beautifully vibrant orange color.

A carrot cake wouldn’t be complete without shredded carrots. Ensure you can shred them as finely as possible as they integrate into the crumb of the cake and bake more evenly. And don’t blot the carrots post-shredding. Carrots contain almost 90% water; this adds glorious carrot-flavored moisture to the final cake.

This cake belongs in the “Creamed Fat Family” of my cakes. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families, but briefly, this means that the carrot cake uses the creaming method for aeration. Categorizing them in this way gives us an idea of the final texture of the cake. Overall, cakes in this group have a denser moist crumb, with a moderately open crumb framework. In other words, it’s not an overly dense cake (like a fudge cake would be), nor is it incredibly light and slightly drier (like a chiffon cake.) This one is right in the middle but the crumb leans a tad on the denser side.

Here is a video describing the methodology of this cake:

Make the caramelized carrot puree (Use the ingredients labeled: "🥕 carrot puree"):
a. Preheat the oven to 400 °F (205 °C).
b. In a small baking dish, add the butter and place in the oven until melted for a few minutes. Remove the pan and carefully stir in the baking soda and salt. Toss the carrots in the melted butter.
c. Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes to get some extra caramelization. You'll know they're done when the carrots are slightly caramelized (browned) on their surfaces and easily mashed with a fork.
d. Puree the carrots using a blender or food processor.
e. Set your carrot puree aside to cool for at least 15 minutes before using. You can also do this step ahead of time and store your carrot puree in an airtight container in the fridge.‍
Preheat the oven for the cakes: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Grate carrots: Using the small holes on a box grater, finely grate your carrots. Place them into a bowl for now and cover so they don't dry out. (Don't blot them dry or anything, we want all that carrot goodness, moisture and all, to flavor our cake.)
‍
Prepare the dry and wet mixtures: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice for a full 30 seconds. (It takes longer than you think to ensure the baking powder is evenly disbursed!) Set bowl aside.
In a measuring cup, stir together your cooled carrot puree, sour cream, and vanilla until there are no lumps of sour cream. Set that aside as well.
‍
Cream and Aerate Fats: In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the soft butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until it is smooth. Scrape down the bowl at least once. Pour in the oil and beat for another 2 minutes or until the butter-sugar-oil mixture has become slightly paler.
‍
Add eggs: On the lowest speed add the yolks, mixing just to combine. Add in the egg(s), turn the speed up to medium and mix until the batter no longer looks curdled and is smooth and light brown in color, about one minute.

Alternate adding the dry and wet mixtures: Add the dry(flour) in 3 additions and the wet(sour cream-carrot) in 2 additions as follows:
a. Add half of your flour mixture to the stand mixer. On low speed, mix until all the flour has just been incorporated. Scrape down with a spatula.
b. Add in half of your sour cream-carrot mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
c. Next, add half of your remaining flour mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
d. Add the rest of your sour cream-carrot mixture, mix on low, scrape

*The initial roasting step may yield a little more carrot puree than you need. Roast using the amounts indicated for the carrot puree and then measure out how much you need.

‍

**Dried fruit and nuts are "add-ins" for carrot cake and seem pretty divisive (you either love or hate them in your cake). This recipe with or without add-ins to suit any palate. You can add up to the total volume indicated in your recipe. Things that work well are raisins, currants, toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped candied ginger, a pinch of finely grated orange zest, or shredded coconut. My fav: raisins, toasted pecans, and just a touch of orange zest. Note that if you do add extra ingredients, make sure to smooth out your batter if you're baking cakes or mini cakes so they bake evenly. (This is not necessary for cupcakes.) Also, it may take a couple minutes more to bake with additions, so be sure to use a skewer test to ensure there's no uncooked batter in the centers

Creamed Fat Cakes

Buttery Vanilla Yellow

cake flour*#1.125#1 1/8 #cup#135#g cornstarch**#2#2#tablespoon#16#g baking powder#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g baking soda***#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g kosher salt #0.5#1/2#teaspoon#0#g egg whites#1#1#large#30#g white granulated sugar (for meringue)#1.5# 1 1/2 #tablespoon#20#g unsalted butter, softened slightly#0.25#1/4#cup#56#g white granulated sugar (for butter)#0.5#1/2#cup#100#g oil (flavorless like canola/vegetable)#2#2#tablespoon#22#g vanilla extract#1.25#1 1/4 #teaspoon#6#g egg yolks****#3#3#large#60#g liquid cultured buttermilk, low fat*****#6#6#tablespoon#92#g

My Buttery Vanilla Yellow cake is the newest version of my Golden Vanilla cake. The inspiration for this one was a boxed yellow cake. I could replicate the texture and lovely vanilla flavor profile by using buttermilk to soften and moisten the crumb and whipped egg whites for a fluffier texture.

Yellow cakes get their color from egg yolks. I suggest using the highest quality eggs as it will yield a cake with the most beautiful yellow color. There are also more yolks than whites in this recipe, so what I like to do is use an egg white-based frosting, such as Swiss meringue buttercream to pair with this cake. Chocolate buttercream is a nostalgic flavor combo for this cake style, but I’d happily serve this with a fruity-based buttercream too.

This yellow cake belongs to the “Hybrid Creamed/Foam Cake Family.” Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families, but briefly, this means that this uses both creaming and egg-foaming methods for aeration. This means we’ll cream the butter and sugar together to aerate the fat, and we’ll also make a whipped egg white meringue for extra aeration in the batter.

Preheat the oven: Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prep dry ingredients: In a bowl, sift together cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the salt for 30 seconds. Set that bowl aside.
‍
Prep yolks and meringue: This recipe requires more yolks than egg whites (for tenderness and a beautiful yellow color!). Separate your eggs for the amounts listed in the recipe and reserve the extra whites for another use. The yolks you can place in a small bowl and set aside.
For the white(s), we're going to make a little bit of meringue. Using a hand or stand mixer, whisk your egg white(s) on medium speed until it looks like shaving cream, then pour in the sugar (labeled 'for meringue') about 1/2 tsp at a time. Wait about 5 seconds before adding the next bit of sugar, and whisk on high speed until you reach stiff peaks. Set that aside for now.

Cream and aerate the butter: In a large bowl (either with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer), cream together on medium-high speed the softened butter and sugar (labeled "for butter") for about 2-3 minutes. Add the oil and vanilla and continue to mix on medium-high speed for another 2 minutes. The mixture should be very white in color and slightly fluffier.
‍
Add egg yolks: Add in all of your egg yolks and mix on medium-high speed until yellow in color and slightly thickened, about one minute more.
‍
Alternate adding the dry and wet mixtures: Add the dry (flour mixture) in 3 additions and the wet (buttermilk) in 2 additions as follows:
a. Add half of your flour mixture to the stand mixer. On low speed, mix until all the flour has just been incorporated. Scrape down with a spatula.
b. Add in half of your buttermilk, mix on low speed and scrape.
c. Next, add half of your remaining flour mixture, mix on low speed and scrape.
d. Add the rest of your buttermilk, mix on low, scrape.
e. Last, add the rest of the flour and mix until everything is combined.
‍
‍Fold in meringue: Add about half of the prepared meringue and use a spatula to fold it in into the batter gently. Repeat with the remaining meringue and fold until you see no streaks of white.

*This recipe is best when using cake flour as the crumb is light and velvety when you do. I prefer unbleached flour (I just prefer the taste) and use Unbleached King Arthur Flour's Cake Flour in my video. I have tested this cake with bleached flours, and those work just as well and will yield a cake slightly lighter in color with a slightly more delicate crumb. You will get a slightly coarser crumb when using all-purpose flour.

**Cornstarch (aka corn flour) allows us to add starch and structure to a cake without adding any gluten, which can lead to a chewy crumb when overworked. I use this technique in my chiffon cake to get a light and airy crumb.
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***Be very careful measuring your baking soda; do not over-measure. I like to actually under-measure just a tad because this will add a bit more acidity to your cake. Don't worry; there's still baking powder in this recipe, so your cake will still rise if you undermeasure just a little.
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****The biggest factor I've found in ensuring that you get a yellow cake is to use really yellow/orange yolks. If you can find high-quality free-range eggs with beautiful orange yolks, this is the recipe to use them in.
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*****Please use liquid buttermilk for this recipe; powdered buttermilk does not work. I'm working on a converter from TB to cups for volume measurements. For now, here is your conversion. 12 TB = 3/4 cup; 16 TB = 1 cup; 18 TB = 1 cup + 2 TB; 20 TB = 1 + 1/4 cups; 24 TB = 1+1/2 cups

Hybrid Creamed/Foam Cakes

Bake for about 18-22 mins: A skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes. When you shake the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190-200°F/88-93°C.

Black Cocoa Chocolate

semisweet or dark chocolate*#2#2#ounces#57#g black cocoa powder**#4#4#tablespoon#22#g water, boiling hot#0.5#1/2#cup#122#g brown sugar, either light or dark#1#1#cup#213#g sour cream, full fat#0.25#1/4#cup#60#g canola oil or brown butter***#0.5#1/2#cup#99.5#g kosher salt #1#1#teaspoon#0#g eggs#2#2#large#100#g all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached#1#1#cup#120#g baking powder#1.25#1 1/4#teaspoon#0#g

This stunning black cake is a showstopper that captures the essence of Oreo cookies without synthetic dyes. The secret lies in the black cocoa powder combined with rich dark chocolate, making a creamy chocolate batter that yields a wonderfully moist and fudgy cake crumb. This simple recipe requires just a large bowl and a whisk, making it excellent for beginner bakers.

Black cocoa powder is the star of this cake and the main ingredient used in classic Oreo (and Hydrox) cookies. Think about the flavor of an Oreo cookie. It’s smoky and sweet and has a slightly alkaline taste. This flavor is characteristic of black cocoa, which is made via the alkalization of natural cocoa. This process, amongst other things, changes the cocoa’s color, flavor, solubility, and pH.

There are many black cocoas available and the final color of your cake will be determined by the color of your cocoa. And although it is named “black cocoa,” these range from deep red and brown to pitch black. I list all the types I’ve tested in the notes section of the recipe.

This Black Cocoa Chocolate Cake is in the Single-Stage Cake family. Pretty soon, I’ll have a more explanatory guide about these families. Briefly, Single-Stage Cakes have all the ingredients mixed together pretty much all at once, and minor aeration occurs by whisking. Cakes this way have a very moist and denser crumb with a tight crumb framework. This works exceptionally well with chocolate flavors as it lends a “fudgy” texture often associated with chocolate desserts.

Additionally, these types of single-stage mixing chocolate cakes are very forgiving in baking. This one uses cocoa powder, which reduces gluten development and produces a fudgy, moist crumb. My single-stage chocolate cakes can also be baked to your preference. Slightly underbaking will give you a fudgy texture, whereas completely baking will provide you with a spongier texture.

Preheat the oven.
‍Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Prepare the chocolate batter.
Chop the chocolate bar (or regular-sized chips) into mini-chip sizes (about ¼ inch/half centimeter chunks) so it melts more easily.

Add the chopped chocolate, black cocoa, and boiling water to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the chocolate pieces are fully melted.

Add the brown sugar and sour cream and let the bowl sit for about 5 minutes, whisking a couple of times to allow the chocolate to bloom and the black cocoa to neutralize a bit.‍
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Add the canola oil, salt, and eggs and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the flour and baking powder and whisk until no traces of flour remain.

*You can use either chocolate in bar or chip form. Chips contain different types of more temperature-stable fats, but in this cake, I find that it makes little difference in the final texture. Use semi-sweet chocolate for a sweeter cake and darker chocolates for a less sweet, smokier, cocoa-forward cake.
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**Black cocoa powder is natural cocoa that has been alkalized, which changes specific properties of the cocoa, including its solubility, flavor, and color. It's tough to find in stores, so I buy mine online. This cake bakes up lovely and very deep brown to pitch black because of the high ratio of dark chocolate particulates that saturate the liquids. Don’t worry if you have a “black” cocoa that looks a little brown when uncooked. I’ve tested several brands ranging from medium brown to black, and my favorites for this cake in this order are King Arthur Flour Black Cocoa, Cacao Barry Noir Intense, Magic Mountain Black Cocoa, and Cocoa Trader black.

Also - try always to measure cocoa powder by weight if you can. The powder is so fine that getting the correct volume measurements is tricky.
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***Brown butter intensifies the flavor of this cake almost exponentially. Using oil produces a cake that is wonderfully chocolate flavored, but browned butter adds a depth of flavor due to the Maillard reaction, which creates hundreds of delicious aromatic compounds during browning. To substitute brown butter in this recipe, you’ll need to multiply the amount of oil by 1.25. That is the amount of butter you’ll need to brown, after which you will measure exactly how much butter you’ll need for the recipe. If you’re unsure how to brown butter, I suggest watching my tutorial on YouTube. Allow the butter to cool slightly before adding it to the chocolate cake batter.

Single-Stage Cakes

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
‍This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 28-33 minutes.
‍This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 28-33 minutes.
This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
‍This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 43-50 minutes.
‍This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 50-55 minutes.
‍This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.
‍This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

Bake for about 18-22 minutes.
‍This is a very moist, fudgy cake. When shaking the pan, the centers should not jiggle. A skewer inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs. Using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88-93°C). (A 190 °F/88° C cake will create the fudgiest texture.)

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Cupcakes

Two dozen, standard size

cupcakes_2doz

Cupcakes

24-48 standard-sized cupcakes

24-28

3 cups

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

1 1/2 cups

1.5

For this recipe, you'll need a standard-sized cupcake pan.

Cupcake pans come in various sizes, such as mini or jumbo, but the Cakeculator requires the standard size (left).

Before baking, line your pan with cupcake liners (right) to ensure easy removal and portability of your cupcakes. I recommend using greaseproof liners, preferably in darker colors, to minimize the appearance of oil spots from richer cakes. I buy mine on Amazon or at Target.

Prepare the pans.
‍Add cupcake liners to standard-sized cupcake trays.

Prepare the pan.
Add cupcake liners to a standard-sized cupcake tray.

Fill the pan.
Add enough batter to each liner until about two-thirds full.

Cool cupcakes.
Carefully place the hot cupcake tray onto a cooling rack.

Remove cupcakes from trays.
Once the cupcakes have cooled down enough to handle, remove from the trays and onto the cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each one individually using your chosen frosting using a spatula or piping bag.

Cupcakes

Three dozen, standard size

cupcakes_3doz

Cupcakes

36-40 standard cupcakes

36-40

4 1/2 cups

7 1/2 cups

9 cups

2 1/4 cups

1.5

2.5

For this recipe, you'll need a standard-sized cupcake pan.

‍

Cupcake pans come in various sizes, such as mini or jumbo, but the Cakeculator requires the standard size (left).

Prepare the pans: Add cupcake liners to a standard-sized cupcake trays.

Prepare the pan: Add cupcake liners to a standard-sized cupcake tray.

Fill the pan: Add enough batter to each liner until about two-thirds full.

Cool cupcakes: Carefully place the hot cupcake tray onto a cooling rack.

Remove cupcakes from trays: Once the cupcakes have cooled down enough to handle, remove from the trays and onto the cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each one individually using your chosen frosting using a spatula or piping bag.

Sheet Cake

one-eighth sheet pan (10x7" | 25x18cm)

cake_eighthsheetpan_1

Sheet Pans

10x7" (25x18cm) eighth-sheet cake

3/4 cup

1 1/2 cups

3 cups

1/2 cup

0.75

0.25

0.5

For this recipe, you'll need a 1/8th sheet pan that is 10 by 17 inches (25 by 18 cm) and 1 inches (2.5 cm) in depth.

Pans are available in various materials and finishes, but I achieve the best results with aluminized steel pans. These pans, typically lighter in color, distribute heat slowly and evenly, ensuring consistent baking. If you have a pan with a different finish, I suggest reading this excellent King Arthur article to learn about heat diffusion through various baking materials.

Sheet pans are available in various depths, but my recipes are tailored for 1-inch deep pans. This depth is ideal as my cakes usually rise between 1 to 1.5 inches—enough to ensure they won't overflow. This is a super cute size for mini sheet cakes that feeds 1-2 people. Imagine giving this for a couple to enjoy on a picnic! I have a video here showing how you can make little giftable cakes using this size of pan.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware sheet pans. You can find these at Target at affordable prices or on Amazon.

Prepare the pan: If you plan on serving inside the baking pan, you can butter and flour the entire interior. If you plan on removing the cake from the pan for further assembly, butter the sides and then lay parchment along just the bottom.

For Chiffon Cakes only: Line the bottoms of the cake (not non-stick) pan(s) with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Prepare the pan: Line the bottoms of the pan with parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pan.

Cool the cake: Move the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan. Some cakes will deflate slightly (particularly the chiffons), but all my cakes are designed to be cooled while resting upright in the pans.

Remove cake from pans: If you're not serving your cake in the pan, allow it to cool almost completely before removal. Once the cake pan has cooled down enough to handle, slide a knife around the perimeter of the cake to loosen it, and carefully invert the pan above a wire rack. The cake should fall right out, and you can peel the parchment off the bottom. You can leave the cakes out if your frosting is done, and you're immediately moving to assembly. Usually, if it's more than 30 minutes, I will wrap the cake in plastic to reduce moisture loss. The cakes must be completely cooled before moving on to the assembly.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Sheet Cake

Half-sheet pan (18x13" | 46x33cm)

cake_halfsheetpan_1

Sheet Pans

18x13" (46x33cm) thin half-sheet cake

4-6

3 cups

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

2 cups

1.5

2.5

For this recipe, you'll need a half sheet pan that is 18 by 13 inches (46 by 33 cm) and 1 inches (2.5 cm) in depth.

Sheet pans are available in various depths, but my recipes are tailored for 1-inch deep pans. This depth is ideal as my cakes usually rise between 1 to 1.5 inches—enough to ensure they won't overflow and are suitably thin for stacking or creating letter cakes, which allows for ample filling.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware sheet pans. You can find these at Target at affordable prices or on Amazon.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pan.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cupcakes

One dozen, standard size

cupcakes_1doz

Cupcakes

12-14 standard cupcakes

12-14

1 1/2 cups

2 1/4 cups

3 cups

3/4 cup

0.5

0.75

For this recipe, you'll need a standard-sized cupcake pan.

Cupcake pans come in various sizes, such as mini or jumbo, but the Cakeculator requires the standard size (left).

Prepare the pan.
‍Add cupcake liners to a standard-sized cupcake tray.

Fill the pan.
‍Add enough batter to each liner until about two-thirds full.

Cool cupcakes.
‍Carefully place the hot cupcake tray onto a cooling rack.

Remove cupcakes from trays.
‍Once the cupcakes have cooled down enough to handle, remove from the trays and onto the cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each one individually using your chosen frosting using a spatula or piping bag.

Cupcakes

Four dozen, standard size

cupcakes_4doz

Cupcakes

48-52 standard cupcakes

48-52

6 cups

9 cups

12 cups

3 cups

or this recipe, you'll need a standard-sized cupcake pan.

Cupcake pans come in various sizes, such as mini or jumbo, but the Cakeculator requires the standard size (left).

Prepare the pans: Add cupcake liners to a standard-sized cupcake trays.

Prepare the pan: Add cupcake liners to a standard-sized cupcake tray.

Fill the pan: Add enough batter to each liner until about two-thirds full.

Cool cupcakes: Carefully place the hot cupcake tray onto a cooling rack.

Remove cupcakes from trays: Once the cupcakes have cooled down enough to handle, remove from the trays and onto the cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each one individually using your chosen frosting using a spatula or piping bag.

Sheet Cake

9x13" (23x33cm) rectangle

cake_9x13

Sheet Pans

9x13" (23x33cm) sheet cake

4-6

2 1/4 cups

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

1 1/2 cups

2.5

0.75

1.5

For this recipe, you'll need a rectangular cake pan that is 9 by 13 inches (23 by 33 cm) and 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) in depth.

This 9x13 pan is a must-have for any baker, versatile enough for cinnamon rolls, brownies, and rice krispy treats. For the ultimate all-purpose pan, opt for one labeled as a cake pan with sharp corners. This design ensures clean, precise edges for cakes but is equally suitable for everything else I mentioned.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pan.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

9" (22.9cm) round, 2 layer

cake_9in_2lay

Round Cakes

9" (22.9cm) round cake, two layers tall

7-10

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

8 1/4 cups

3 cups

1.5

2.75

3.5

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 9 inches (22.9 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

American round cake pans typically come in two depths: either 2 or 3 inches. My recipes are designed for 2-inch deep pans, promoting even rising. While you can use 3-inch pans, be aware that your cakes may have more rounded tops.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

If you're baking multiple layers, it’s ideal to use multiple pans and bake them simultaneously on a single rack immediately after mixing the batter. If you have only one pan, you can bake sequentially. After each cake layer is baked, let it cool briefly before transferring it to a cooling rack. Rinse the pan with cold water to cool it down completely before reusing it for the next batch of batter.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pan.
Butter or spray with oil the insides of 9" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
Line the bottoms of two 9" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Remove cake from pans: I remove cakes from their pan while they are still slightly warm to preserve moisture. Once the cake pan has cooled down enough to handle, slide a knife around the perimeter of the cake to loosen it, and carefully invert the pan above a wire rack or plate. The cake should fall right out, and you can peel the parchment off the bottom. You can leave the cakes out if your frosting is done, and you're immediately moving to assembly. Usually, if it's more than 30 minutes, I will wrap the cake in plastic to reduce moisture loss. The cakes must be completely cooled before moving on to the assembly.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

9" (22.9cm) round, 3 layer

cake_9in_3lay

Round Cakes

9" (22.9cm) round cake, three layers tall

9-14

6 cups

9 cups

11 1/4 cups

4 1/2 cups

4.5

3.75

5.25

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 9 inches (22.9 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pan. ‍
Butter or spray with oil the insides of 9" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
Line the bottoms of three 9" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

9" (22.9cm) round, 1 layer

cake_9in_1lay

Round Cakes

9" (22.9cm) round cake, one layers tall

4-6

3 cups

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

1 1/2 cups

1.5

1.75

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 9 inches (22.9 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Prepare the pan.
‍Butter or spray with oil the insides of a 9" cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pan.
Line the bottoms of a 9" cake (not non-stick) pan with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pan: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pan.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

8" (20.3cm) round, 1 layer

cake_8in_1lay

Round Cakes

8" (20.3cm) round cake, one layer tall

4-6

1 1/2 cups

3 cups

4 1/2 cups

1 cup

0.5

1.5

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 8 inches (20.3 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Prepare the pan.
Butter or spray with oil the insides of an 8" cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pan.
Line the bottoms of a 8" cake (not non-stick) pan with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pan: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Remove cake from pan: I remove cakes from their pan while they are still slightly warm to preserve moisture. Once the cake pan has cooled down enough to handle, slide a knife around the perimeter of the cake to loosen it, and carefully invert the pan above a wire rack or plate. The cake should fall right out, and you can peel the parchment off the bottom. You can leave the cakes out if your frosting is done, and you're immediately moving to assembly. Usually, if it's more than 30 minutes, I will wrap the cake in plastic to reduce moisture loss. The cakes must be completely cooled before moving onto assembly.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

8" (20.3cm) round, 3 layer

cake_8in_3lay

Round Cakes

8" (20.3cm) round cake, three layers tall

6-8

4 1/2 cups

7 1/2 cups

10 1/2 cups

3 cups

1.75

2.5

3.5

4.5

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 8 inches (20.3 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pan. ‍
Butter or spray with oil the insides of 8" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
Line the bottoms of three 8" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Cool the cakes: Move the pans to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan. Some cakes will deflate slightly (particularly the chiffons), but all my cakes are designed to be cooled while resting upright in the pans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

8" (20.3cm) round, 2 layer

cake_8in_2lay

Round Cakes

8" (20.3cm) round cake, two layers tall

6-8

3 cups

4 1/2 cups

7 1/2 cups

2 cups

1.75

2.5

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 8 inches (20.3 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pans.
Butter or spray with oil the insides of 8" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
Line the bottoms of two 8" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

7" (17.8cm) round, 3 layer

cake_7in_3lay

Round Cakes

7" (17.8cm) round cake, three layers tall

6-9

4 1/2 cups

7 1/2 cups

9 cups

2 1/4 cups

2.25

1.5

2.5

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 7 inches (17.8 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pan.
‍Butter or spray with oil the insides of 7" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
‍Line the bottoms of three 7" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

7" (17.8cm) round, 2 layer

cake_7in_2lay

Round Cakes

7" (17.8cm) round cake, two layers tall

4-6

3 cups

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

1 1/2 cups

1.5

1.75

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 7 inches (17.8 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pan.
‍Butter or spray with oil the insides of 7" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
‍Line the bottoms of two 7" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

6" (15.2cm) round, 2 layers

cake_6in_2lay

Round Cakes

6" (15.2cm) round cake, two layers tall

4-6

2 1/4 cups

3 3/4 cups

5 1/4 cups

1 1/2 cups

0.75

1.25

1.75

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 6 inches (15.2 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pan.
‍Butter or spray with oil the insides of 6" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
‍Line the bottoms of two 6" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

6" (15.2cm) round, 1 layer

cake_6in_1lay

Round Cakes

6" (15.2cm) round cake, one layer tall

3-4

1 1/2 cups

2 1/4 cups

3 3/4 cups

3/4 cup

0.5

0.75

1.25

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 6 inches (15.2 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Prepare the pan.
‍Butter or spray with oil the insides of a 6" cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pan.
‍Line the bottoms of a 6" cake (not non-stick) pan with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pan: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

4" Mini Cakes (10.1 cm) rounds, silicone mold, 1 dozen

minicake_6cavmold_1doz

Specialty Sizes

Twelve 4" mini cake layers (makes six 2-layer cakes)

one cake per person/6 people

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

9 cups

2 cups

1.5

For this recipe, you'll need a silicone mold with cavities that are 4 inches (10.1 cm) wide.

Silicone molds are my favorite way to bake mini cakes as they reduce food waste (compared to if you were to cut out cake rounds from a large cake slab). Silicone is rubber-like manufactured material containing no plastic.

For baking, use food-grade silicone, typically indicated on the manufacturer's labeling. These silicones are heat-safe up to 400°F/205°C. The ones I use are these on Amazon, though many specialty bake shops are now starting to carry these molds. These molds are awesome. I use them for brownies and even freeze ice cream patties in them for cookie sandwiches.

If you’d like to learn more about mini cakes and baking in these molds, I have a larger detailed post dedicated on the subject: How I Bake Mini Cakes in a Silicone Mold.

Prepare the pan: Grease the pan with a light spray of cooking oil.

Prepare the pan: Food-safe silicone is a naturally non-stick surface. This didn't really prove to be a problem for nice mini chiffon cakes, but don't treat the silicone with any fat/oil/spray or paper. We don't want to add any extra fat to the surface because the cake will need a little support by sticking to the sides.

Fill the pans: Fill each silicone mold cavity about 2/3 full. You want the baked cakes to reach the top edge of your mold. Don't worry if you have cake with domes in the middle because we can trim the tops to get nice little even layers for your cakes.

Cool the cake: Allow the cakes to cool in the mold for at least 10 minutes or cool to the touch. If the cakes have a domed top, use a serrated knife to trim off the excess cakes, using the mold as a guide.

Remove cake from pans: Once your cakes are trimmed, carefully peel the silicone away from the cakes (not the other way around) and allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating. Sometimes I like to make my cakes ahead of time (like a couple days before needed) then freeze them in neat little stacks. I put a small square of parchment in between each layer, wrap a stack of cakes in saran wrap, then place them in a freezer safe bag. I assemble them while frozen still and by the time you're ready to serve, they will be defrosted.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

6" (15.2 cm) round, 3 layers

cake_6in_3lay

Round Cakes

6" (15.2 cm) in diameter, w/ three layers, each ~1.5" (3.8cm) tall

6-8

3 3/4 cups

6 3/4 cups

8 1/4 cups

2 1/4 cups

1.75

1.25

2.25

2.75

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 6 inches (15.2 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Generally, most batters can sit for about an hour without a significant loss in rise, except for chiffon cake batter, which should be baked right after mixing.

Prepare the pan.
‍Butter or spray with oil the insides of 6" cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pans.
‍Line the bottoms of three 6" cake (not non-stick) pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pans. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pans: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, stack and frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

Cake

7" (17.8cm) round, 1 layer

cake_7in_1lay

Round Cakes

7" (17.8cm) round cake, one layer tall

3-4

1 1/2 cups

3 cups

4 1/2 cups

3/4 cup

0.75

0.5

1.5

1.25

For this recipe, you'll need a round cake pan 7 inches (17.8 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) in depth.

In my kitchen, I prefer using Nordicware, Fat Daddio's, and Wilton pans, in that order.

Prepare the pan.
Butter or spray with oil the insides of a 7" cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour around the sides of the pan.

Prepare the pan.
‍Line the bottoms of a 7" cake (not non-stick) pan with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.

Fill the pan: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pan.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

4" Mini Cakes (10.1cm) rounds, silicone mold, 1/2 dozen

minicake_6cavmold_halfdoz

Specialty Sizes

Six 4" mini cake layers (makes three 2-layer cakes)

one cake per person/3 people

4 1/2 cups

6 cups

1 cup

1.5

For this recipe, you'll need a silicone mold with cavities that are 4 inches (10.1 cm) wide.

If you’d like to learn more about mini cakes and baking in these molds, I have a larger detailed post dedicated on the subject: How I Bake Mini Cakes in a Silicone Mold.

Prepare the pan: Grease the pan with a light spray of cooking oil.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost as desired. (Detailed tutorial coming soon.)

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Maple American Dreamy Buttercream

Sugarologie Buttercream

unsalted butter, softened slightly#1.5#1 1/2#cup#340# powdered sugar (1), unsifted ok*#0.25#3/4#cup#90#g maple or vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g fine sea salt (to taste, start with a pinch)#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g pure maple syrup#0.67#2/3#cup#208# powdered sugar (2), unsifted ok#1.25#1 1/4#cup#141# heavy cream (optional)**#3#3#tablespoon#45#

This frosting is a maple-flavored variation of my American Dreamy Buttercream. It’s just as easy to make. For the sugar syrup, we’re going to substitute pure maple syrup. This gives it a light, earthy, and sweet maple flavor. If you want a more maple-forward buttercream, at the end when you’re doing your tasting, feel free to add pure maple extract to your liking.

What is the texture of American Dreamy Buttercream?

This version of American buttercream is smooth and creamy, with no graininess or grittiness often found in traditional American Buttercreams. Texturally, it resembles Russian (condensed milk) buttercream or French buttercream.

What is the flavor and taste of American Dreamy Buttercream?

This frosting has a medium-high sweetness at around 43%, which is a tempered sweetness for most American Buttercreams. For comparison, my Classic American Buttercream tops at 55%, but I’ve seen recipes with upwards of 65-70% sugar. I’ve created this recipe to contain similar sugar levels to European buttercreams, which have an average sweetness of 38%. You can increase or decrease the sugar level without adversely affecting stability.

The flavor of this buttercream is buttery-maple.

For more information about the science of my American Dreamy Buttercreams, I highly suggest reading my complete guide.

Prepare the Frosting Butter.
Add the slightly softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.

Add the powdered sugar (1), maple/vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes. ‍
Add the maple syrup incrementally.
Add the syrup in 3 to 4 additions. Stop the mixer to add a small amount, then mix at medium speed using the whisk attachment. Repeat until all the syrup is incorporated, scraping down the bowl a couple of times for even mixing.

Mix at high speed after adding all the syrup for one minute. Since most syrups are clear, it can be hard to tell when they're fully emulsified, so set a timer and mix for the full minute.‍
Adjust frosting for sweetness and density.
Taste the frosting to determine how much powdered sugar to add. It should be smooth, creamy, buttery, and slightly sweet. Add powdered sugar in a few increments, mixing at low speed to minimize mess. Once all the sugar is added, mix on high speed for 30 seconds and taste again. I prefer a slightly sweeter buttercream (see my footnotes).

You can stop here or add more powdered sugar as desired. Just keep in mind that exceeding double powdered sugar (2) amounts may result in a grainy texture due to sugar granules.‍
Adjust frosting for texture and flavor.
Switch to the paddle attachment and smooth the frosting at low speed for a few minutes to remove large air pockets. Taste the frosting; if it's too buttery, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Adjust salt and vanilla/maple extract as needed. If you’re satisfied with the texture and flavor, whip on low speed for at least one minute.

*The amount of powdered sugar you use will depend on your sweetness preference and syrup. Start with a small amount, mix, and taste. My sugar amount recommendations are in the chart in the introductory section.

As you adjust for sweetness, consider when you will serve this frosting. I’ve found that the sweetness will lessen as the buttercream sits out for more than one day. (I’m still studying this, but I think it concerns the sugar type and how it migrates into the water in the butterfat.) If you use corn syrup, the sweetness will decrease by about 20%. For all the other syrups, it reduces by about 10%. If you’re serving the next day, I would over-sweeten the buttercream just a bit, and it should be perfect for the next day. This effect is minimal and may even be something only you, as the baker, will notice.
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**If at the end of mixing you find that your buttercream is too thick/heavy/overly buttery, you can add heavy cream. Start with one tablespoon, whisk on high speed, and taste it. You can keep doing this until you like the texture and taste. The butter can handle a little more liquid (probably up to double the amount I have listed in this recipe), but once it gets to the texture of a firm Greek yogurt, you'll probably need to stop adding heavy cream. If you get to the breakpoint where the buttercream is too loose or splits, just add a tablespoon of softened butter to re-emulsify the buttercream.

Chocolate Ermine Buttercream

Ermine Buttercream

all-purpose flour#3.5#3 1/2#tablespoon#26.25#g unsweetened cocoa powder, any kind*#4#4#tablespoon#24#g white granulated sugar#1.25#1 1/4 #cup#250#g whole milk, cold from fridge#1#1#cup#244#g heavy cream, cold from fridge**#8#8#tablespoon#122#g unsalted butter, softened slightly#1.25#1 1/4#cup#282.5#g vanilla extract#1.25#1 1/4 #teaspoon#5#g fine sea salt#0.5#0#teaspoon#0#g

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This frosting is the chocolate variation of my Ermine Buttercream, which is lightly textured, not too sweet, and has great heat stability.

What is the texture of Ermine Buttercream?

This buttercream has the most unique texture of my True Buttercreams; it’s creamy and buttery yet deceivingly light without any greasiness or heaviness. This chocolate version is no different, is very pleasant on the palate, and has a lovely delicate texture that is great for any of my Cakeculator cakes.

What is the taste and flavor of Chocolate Ermine Buttercream?

Due to the added cocoa powder, this frosting has a very light and pleasant chocolate flavor. It’s not intensely chocolate and errs more on the side of being a medium-light cocoa flavor. This is important to know because in general, chocolate is a very overpowering flavor. I try to use chocolate flavors judiciously in my desserts because it’s all you can taste. And since this frosting has a lighter chocolate flavor, you still have the ability to let other flavors shine if that’s your goal.

This frosting is also not very sweet. At around 26% sugar, this buttercream is also one of the least sweet of my True Buttercreams, making it an ideal frosting if you prefer lightly sweetened desserts or are trying to balance the sweetness of your dessert/cake.

To delve deeper into the science of Ermine Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my Complete Ermine Buttercream Guide.

Cook sweetened cocoa paste.
If you plan to sieve your flour paste, place your sieve atop a shallow tray or plate for easy access. Otherwise, just have your tray out and ready.

Get a timer ready. Set the timer for one minute for every cup of milk/cream. (e.g., for the 3 cup frosting, there is 1 ½ cups total liquid, which equals 1 minute and 30 seconds.)In a pan, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and sugar. Pour in the cold milk and heavy cream. Whisk until you no longer see lumps.

Place the pan on medium-low heat. Cook the flour mixture, whisking continuously and scraping the sides. It will gradually start to thicken into a slightly firm pudding.

Once you see large bubbles pop in the center, start your timer and continue to whisk vigorously. Feel free to decrease the heat a bit if the starch begins sticking to the bottom of the pan, but you want a steady bubbling mixture throughout this process.
Sieve (optional) and cool sweetened cocoa paste.
When the timer is up, use a spatula to scrape the hot paste onto your tray.

If you have clumps or want to ensure you get a super smooth frosting, push the hot paste through a sieve onto the tray.

Spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil and press it directly onto the surface of the paste. I like to flatten it out a bit, too, so it cools faster.

Let this sit at room temperature to cool. I will sometimes place the tray in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes to speed up the process. It should feel completely cool to the touch before use.

Aerate butter.
Add the softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until it's paler in color and slightly more voluminous. Add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add cooled cocoa paste.
Ensure your paste is cool to the touch. Mix the paste in 4 to 5 additions. Add the first amount, then whisk on high speed for a few seconds before adding the next.
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Adjust buttercream for texture.
‍The whisk introduces many air pockets, so switch to the paddle attachment for smoothing. Run the mixer on low speed for a few minutes until most of the air pockets are smoothed out.

Compared to most other buttercreams, this frosting may feel looser. Don't let that deter you; it will still pipe and frost a cake just fine. It has a lower butter content than my other buttercreams, so that it will feel less dense. Running a spatula over the top of the buttercream several times while smoothing onto cakes or through a piping tip will give you the smoothest result with this frosting style.

*You can natural, Dutch-processed, or even black cocoas with this frosting. All impart different levels of chocolate flavor with natural being the most assertive and Dutch-processed more mellow. If you use black cocoa, you don’t get a black frosting, but a more gray or dark brown frosting that tastes slightly like Oreo cookies. You’ll likely have to adjust for flavoring (like salt, vanilla, or even cream of tartar to balance alkalinity in the black cocoa) and can do that in step 5 to your taste.

**You can use all whole milk for this recipe; it’s a direct substitution, so just use the same amount of whole milk for heavy cream. The result is a looser buttercream, which will still frost and pipe good. I prefer this heavy cream version - it only increases the fat by about 2%, so it is nearly undetectable on the palate, yet it creates a more stable emulsion, which I find frosts and smooths much more beautifully.

However, do not use milk with a lower fat content than whole (3.5%). You may get it to work in small amounts of frosting, but as you exceed 2 cups of frosting, lower fat percentages have more trouble emulsifying with the butter, so you’ll end up with a very loose and drippy frosting.

(version 1.0) Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

egg whites, fresh#0.5#1/2#cup#121#g granulated sugar#1.125#1 1/8#cup#225#g cream of tartar#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g unsalted butter, softened to a cool room temp#1.125#1 1/8#cup#254.25#g vanilla extract#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#10#g fine salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g

This is the original Swiss Meringue Buttercream from Cakeculator 1.0. Since my new Cakeculator was released, I have retired this version and am therefore no longer updating this recipe. However, some of you have expressed that you would like to use this one, so here you are!

If you're wondering why I changed this recipe, it was to give more versatility to the idea of a Swiss Meringue Buttercream. The difference between this one and the new one is that my newer version incorporates what I call "Frosting Butter," which creates a more distributed emulsion. What this means is that the final frosting is less greasy or buttery on the palate. I also am finding that my buttercreams that use Frosting Butter whip up more easily after begin stored in the fridge. My newer version also allows you to use pasteurized egg whites if you like.

Prepare your double boiler.
Make sure you can fit your stand mixer (or other heatproof) bowl on the top so that the bottom is exposed to steam but not directly touching the water. Bring the water to a gentle boil.
Heat the meringue syrup.
Add egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar to the bowl of your stand mixer (or other heatproof bowl). Mix with a spatula. It will be viscous (pretty gooey) and thick.

Place the bowl on top of the double boiler and check to make sure that the steam is getting to the bottom of the bowl properly. Continuously stir with the spatula. The eggs will thin out, all the sugar will melt, and the mixture will become more opaque. Use a thermometer to ensure you reach 160 °F (71 °C). Remove from the double boiler.
Whip the meringue.
Place the bowl in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Whisk on high speed for 10 minutes until the bowl has cooled to the touch, the meringue has more than doubled in volume and starts to ball up around the whisk. Set aside to cool completely.
Add the softened butter to the meringue.
Add in the butter, one TB chunk at a time. The frosting will lose volume at first, and then start to come together and look and feel little like firm freshly whipped cream, leaving tracks in the frosting.‍
Flavor and smooth the frosting.
The whisk attachment introduced lots of air pockets, so switch over to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for at least a few minutes to smooth out the frosting. Add your vanilla and salt. Give the frosting a taste and adjust, if needed.The final frosting should be ultra smooth and creamy.

*If you’re using fresh eggs, one large US egg contains around 28-33 g of egg whites. For example, a 3 cup quantity of frosting requires 121 grams of egg whites, so you’ll need about four eggs.

Pudding Ermine Buttercream

Ermine Buttercream

milk, whole, cold from fridge#1.25#1 1/4#cup#305#g instant pudding, any flavor*#8#8#tablespoon#96#g powdered sugar (1), unsifted#1#1#cup#120#g unsalted butter#1#1#cup#226#g powdered sugar (2), unsifted#8#45293#cup#60#g

Pudding Ermine Buttercream is a simple variation of my Classic Ermine Buttercream. While traditional Ermine frostings involve cooking a sweetened flour paste mixed into whipped butter, my pudding version incorporates instant no-cook pudding to reduce preparation time significantly. This shortcut not only streamlines the process but also allows for pre-flavored variations, such as chocolate, all while maintaining the superb texture and stability of traditional Ermine Buttercream.

What is the texture, taste, and stability of Pudding Ermine Buttercream?

Pudding Ermine Buttercream retains the smooth, creamy, and deceptively light texture of traditional Ermine Buttercream. This version has slightly less butter and a bit more sugar. While flavor options are limited to available pudding varieties, there are some tasty choices for your cakes. In terms of stability, it matches traditional Ermine made with wheat flour, which is excellent for piping and stacking cakes. However, achieving a smooth, bubble-free finish might require a few extra passes with a scraper or knife.

What flavors of pudding can you use in this buttercream?

Here are the flavors of Instant Jell-O Pudding that I’ve tested with the frosting:

If you would like more information on the science of the Ermine Buttercream variation, I have a more thorough guide on Pudding Ermine. I also highly recommend exploring my comprehensive Ermine Buttercream Guide to gain a deeper understanding Ermine Buttercream, including its scientific background, suitability for your baking needs, and potential modifications.

Make the instant pudding.
In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the cold milk and pudding. Allow the pudding mixture to sit for about 5 minutes, then whisk in the powdered sugar (1). Set this aside for now.
Prepare the Frosting Butter.
Add the slightly softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.

Add the powdered sugar (2) to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the instant pudding to the butter.
The pudding should be slightly thickened. Mix the pudding in at 4 to 5 additions. Add the first amount, then whisk on high speed for a few seconds before adding the next.
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Adjust buttercream for texture.
‍The whisk introduces many air pockets, so switch to the paddle attachment for smoothing. Run the mixer on low speed for a few minutes until most of the air pockets are smoothed out. Taste test the frosting for optional salt and a splash of vanilla. Instant pudding comes pre-salted and highly flavored, but if you like you can add a bit more salt and vanilla to balance the sweetness.

*You can use any flavor of instant pudding; please see the chart in my introduction for suggestions. Note that the cookies n' cream flavor contains more pudding mix in a single box due to the added cookie pieces. For this variation, use 40 grams of pudding mix per cup of frosting, or an entire 120-gram box for 3 cups of frosting. I recommend adding a pinch of cream of tartar to balance the alkaline flavor of the Oreo cookies, which you can incorporate during the final taste-testing in step 4. Additionally, this version may require extra sweetness; feel free to add up to 50% more powdered sugar during this stage if a sweeter frosting is desired.

Matcha Brown Sugar Latte Buttercream

Sugarologie Buttercream

matcha, sifted#1.5#1.5#tablespoon#9#g water, warm from tap#3#3#tablespoon#42#g sweetened condensed milk#0.33#1/3#cup#100.98#g brown sugar, light or dark#0.5#1/2#cup#106.5#g unsalted butter#1.67#1 2/3#cup#377.42#g powdered sugar, unsifted is ok#6#6#tablespoon#45#g vanilla extract#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#0#g fine sea salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g

My Matcha Brown Sugar Latte Buttercream is a loving tribute to matcha, meticulously designed for enthusiasts. As a custom Sugarologie buttercream, it’s built to prioritize flavor, texture, and stability. The deep, earthy notes of matcha blend seamlessly with a luscious base of condensed milk and brown sugar syrup. This buttercream offers a silky-smooth texture and fantastic stability, making it ideal for intricate piping and large layer cakes.

What is the texture of Matcha Brown Sugar Latte Buttercream?

My matcha brown sugar latte buttercream has a creamy, dreamy texture, much like my other Sugarologie Buttercreams. It’s made with heated brown sugar syrup, producing a smooth consistency with no hint of graininess.

I measure the aeration in my frostings, which refers to the percentage of air within the frosting. Sugarologie Buttercreams have have low aeration—around 12%. This means that in any given volume, 12% is air, while the rest consists of butter, sugar, and water. For comparison, highly aerated frostings like whipped cream can contain up to 50% air.

Aeration plays a key role in texture, impacting mouthfeel, greasiness, and spreadability. While my emulsion-based frostings have low aeration, don’t be deterred—air is just one factor in texture. In these frostings, the high ratio of silky, creamy syrups combined with butterfat creates a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth creaminess.

To learn more about the science of this buttercream, check out my full Matcha Brown Sugar Latte Buttercream Guide.

Heat matcha brown sugar latte syrup.
Sift matcha powder into a small saucepan. Add water and whisk until all the large lumps are gone. Whisk in condensed milk until fully combined. Then whisk in brown sugar until fully combined.

Heat the syrup on medium-low heat until it starts to bubble, whisking the entire time. Use your spatula to ensure that all the brown sugar should be dissolved. If not, cook a bit more. Pour the syrup into a heatproof container to cool completely.
Prepare the Frosting Butter.
Add the slightly softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes.
Combine the matcha syrup with the Frosting Butter.
Ensure your syrup is cool to the touch. Add the syrup in 2 to 3 additions, mixing for about 30 seconds or until combined. Once all the syrup has been added, mix on high speed for an additional minute.
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Flavor and smooth the frosting.
The whisk attachment introduced many air pockets, so switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for at least a few minutes to smooth out the frosting. Taste the frosting and adjust for vanilla and salt, if needed.

*For this recipe, opt for culinary-grade matcha. It's more affordable and ideally suited for cooking, especially when mixed with other ingredients, ensuring great flavor for your buttercream.

The Black Buttercream

Sugarologie Buttercream

heavy cream#0.33#1/3#cup#82#g boiling water#0.5#1/2#cup#120#g black cocoa powder, sifted*#0.5#1/2#cup#43.2#g Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#4#g milk powder**#5#5#tablespoon#25#g vanilla extract#1#1#tablespoon#13#g unsalted butter#1#1#cup#226#g powdered sugar (1), unsifted #1.67#1 2/3#cup#200#g powdered sugar (2), unsifted #0.67#2/3#cup#80#g cream of tartar***#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#3#g fine sea salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#3#g

Embrace the dark side with my black frosting—a lusciously creamy, dreamy buttercream with a captivating deep color made exclusively from black cocoa. Perfected over months, this recipe is undoubtedly the most delicious black buttercream I've ever tasted. It has a rich, chocolatey Oreo flavor and is built with my Sugarologie frosting method, which gives it stability for large layer cakes and intricate piping work. Plus, it's colored naturally with black cocoa instead of food dyes, ensuring no stained smiles.

This is the second version of my black buttercream, which has an improved, more accessible, no-cook method and no thermometers. I've also calibrated this recipe to include some ingredient variations based on some requests you all have made.

What is the texture of The Black Buttercream?

All my Sugarologie frostings possess a supremely silky, smooth, and creamy texture; this black buttercream is no exception. By emulsifying sugar syrup into butter, we achieve an exquisitely smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture without graininess or heaviness. It mirrors the luxurious consistency of European meringue buttercreams.

I measure the aeration of my frostings, the volume taken up by air, and give it as a percentage. The Black Buttercream is on the low end of aeration for my frostings, at 12%. This indicates that for any given volume of frosting, 13% is taken up by air, and the rest are the ingredients (butter, sugar, water, etc.). To compare, a high-aeration frosting could be something like whipped cream, with percentages up to 50%.

The instructions below detail my preferred food processor method for making this frosting. This method yields the most consistent and best results, especially if you're aiming for a silky smooth texture on your cakes. While I have alternative methods that don’t require a food processor, this technique is the quickest and most effective, and I highly recommend it for optimal results.

What is the taste and flavor of The Black Buttercream?

The best way to describe this frosting is as Oreo cookie butter. Imagine blending Oreos and butter into a smooth, creamy concoction- that’s the essence of this frosting. Oreos derive distinctive flavor from black cocoa, an alkalized form of natural cocoa. This alkalization gives the cookies a unique, almost bitter taste. To balance the alkalinity, I add cream of tartar, an acidic powder that enhances sweetness and sharpens flavor. While optional, including cream of tartar elevates the frosting by balancing the flavors.

To delve deeper into the science of Italian Meringue Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "The Black Buttercream Complete Guide."

Remove butter and heavy cream from the fridge.
‍Remove butter and heavy cream from the fridge. Cut the butter into 2-inch chunks and let it soften slightly for about 10 minutes at room temperature (ideal temperature 55-65°F (13-18 °C)). Allow the heavy cream to reach room temperature, or warm it slightly in the microwave until it feels warm to the touch.

Make the black cocoa syrup.
In a measuring cup with markings on the side (you’ll need these to read amounts for later), combine cream and boiling water. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds, then let sit for a minute.

Whisk in black and Dutch-processed cocoa powders until smooth, followed by the milk powder. Let the cocoa syrup cool completely. Place the cup in an ice water bath or refrigerate to speed up cooling. After it’s cool, whisk in the vanilla extract.
Smooth the butter and add the black cocoa syrup.
Add the softened butter to the food processor bowl and pulse until it is somewhat creamy. It may still have chunks in it since it’s hard to get all the butter at the bottom to mix.

Now, we can add the syrup, which must be done in at least three additions. Start with a healthy splash (about a quarter of the mixture, if you want to be precise) and pulse until the butter turns a light gray. During this first addition, you may need to scrape periodically to get the butter down.

Then, use the markings on your measuring cup and add half of the remaining syrup. Pulse to mix the liquid and scrape occasionally to get the residual black liquid and butter chunks down towards the blade. When the syrup is completely emulsified, the frosting will look solid gray with no streaks of syrup visible. Repeat for the remaining syrup.

After this step, the buttercream should be gray yet still thick and creamy with no streaks of syrup. Scrape down the bowl.
Add powdered sugar (1) to the processor. Add half of the powdered sugar (labeled as powdered sugar (1)), pulse, and run continuously until fully integrated and thick. Add the remaining powdered sugar along with cream of tartar and a pinch of fine salt, repeating the mixing process. Scrape down the bowl.
Taste and add powdered sugar (2) to the frosting. Based on your preference, taste the frosting and decide if additional powdered sugar (labeled as powdered sugar (2)) is needed. Add as desired and pulse to combine. Check the consistency and color; it should be dark, smooth, and glossy, perfect for piping or spreading.

For a super glossy finish, run the processor for an additional 5-10 seconds.

*Black cocoa powder is an alkalized version of natural cocoa powder, which turns the cocoa black in addition to raising the pH. It has a smoky, mellow, and sometimes alkaline flavor reminiscent of Oreo cookies. It’s hard to source in stores, so I buy mine online. (I get it at Amazon, here.)
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**You can use either nonfat, whole, or buttermilk powder in this recipe. I’ve calibrated it so that all will work great. In terms of emulsifying powder, buttermilk powder is the best and yields the thickest frosting. Whole comes in second because of a little extra fat, and nonfat comes in last, yet it still gives a silky smooth, stable black frosting.
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***Cream of tartar is an acidic powder used to offset the alkalinity of the black cocoa powder. If you can’t find it, you can substitute apple cider vinegar or powdered citric acid. Just use the same volume amount and add more if you prefer a less alkaline taste.

Vanilla German Buttercream

egg yolks#6#3#large#60#g white granulated sugar#0.33#1/3#cup#66#g cornstarch#1.5#1 1/2#tablespoon#12#g whole milk, cold from fridge is ok#1#1#cup#244#g butter, unsalted#1#1#tablespoon#14#g butter, unsalted#1.5#1 1/2#cup#339#g powdered sugar, unsifted ok#0.67#2/3#cup#80.4#g vanilla extract*#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon##g fine salt (start with a pinch)#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#1#g

German buttercream, or custard buttercream, is a rich, creamy frosting with a velvety texture and rich flavor. I like to think of it as the more sophisticated older sister of Ermine Frosting, offering a similar light, creamy texture that isn't overly sweet. Its complexity comes from a generous amount of pastry cream, making it my dark horse of frostings—surprisingly delightful and often underestimated in flavor and versatility. The pastry cream enhances the taste and contributes the stability necessary for piping decorations and creating smooth finishes on large layer cakes.

What is the texture of German Buttercream?

German Buttercream shares a similar texture with Ermine Buttercream, appearing lighter and creamier than it looks without being overly buttery, dense, or heavy. These buttercreams are often called "whipped cream-like," but their lightness stems from the soft texture of the pastry cream blended with soft butterfat, not from air incorporation like typical whipped cream foams.

I quantify the aeration of my frostings, which reflects the volume percentage occupied by air. My German Buttercream contains about 12% aeration, indicating that air makes up 12% of the volume, with the rest comprising the listed ingredients. In contrast, highly aerated frostings like whipped cream can contain up to 50% air.

While aeration influences texture, impacting mouthfeel, greasiness, and spreadability, it isn't the sole determinant of texture in emulsion-based frostings. This frosting's luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth feel arises from the seamless integration of silky pastry cream and butterfat, creating a uniquely creamy buttercream.

What is the taste and flavor of German Buttercream?

German buttercream tastes like a buttery vanilla-scented, not-too-sweet pastry cream. The egg yolks add umami to frostings, which is quite unique since it's not a very common taste in frostings. The only way I’d describe it is that you’ll be amazed at its rich, delicious flavor, but I can’t pinpoint it; it’s undeniably delicious. If you’d like to learn more about this, you should check out my French Buttercream Guide, which covers this topic a bit more.

Also, if you prefer less sweet frostings, German Buttercream is the one for you. With only 18% sugar content, it's notably less sweet than other options yet remains deliciously satisfying. The inclusion of pastry cream not only enhances its flavor but introduces an umami element that perfectly balances the sweetness. This creates a well-rounded frosting that doesn’t rely on excessive sweetness.

To delve deeper into the science of Italian Meringue Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "German Buttercream Complete Guide."

Pastry Cream: Prepare egg mixture.
Line a small tray or shallow plate with enough plastic wrap to encase your pastry cream. In a heat-proof bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar by whisking them immediately to prevent the sugar from drawing out moisture and forming lumps. Mix in the cornstarch until smooth. Tip: Place a towel under the bowl to keep it stable during mixing.
Pastry Cream: Temper the egg mixture with warmed milk.
Pour milk into a saucepan and heat on medium until bubbles form around the edges, and a gentle fog rises.

Continuously whisking, gently pour one-third of the warm milk into the egg mixture to temper it. Once incorporated, gradually add the remaining milk. Transfer the combined mixture back into the saucepan.
Pastry Cream: Cook until thickened and allow to cool.
Over medium-low heat, whisk the mixture vigorously, making sure to reach the corners and bottom of the pan. When the first bubble appears on the surface, cook one minute per cup of milk, whisking continuously.

Then remove from heat and whisk in the small amount of butter labeled “unsalted butter (1)” in the recipe.

Pour the pastry cream through a sieve into a plastic-lined shallow tray to remove any lumps. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate to speed up cooling, if desired.

Once the pastry cream is cool to the touch, move on to the next steps.
Prepare the Frosting Butter.
Add the slightly softened butter (the larger amount labeled “unsalted butter (2)”) to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the pastry cream to the frosting butter.
Ensure the pastry cream is at room temperature. Gradually add it to the whipped butter in two or three additions, whipping for about a minute after each. After all the pastry cream is added, mix for an additional minute on high speed.
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Smooth and adjust for flavorings.
Switch over to the paddle attachment and smooth it at the lowest speed for a few minutes. Taste the buttercream and adjust for salt and vanilla.

Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream

white granulated sugar#1#1#cup#200#g water#0.25#1/4#cup#60#g fresh or pasteurized (carton) egg whites*#0.5#1/2#cup#120#g butter, unsalted#1.25#1 1/4#cup#283#g powdered sugar, unsifted#3#3#tablespoon#22.5#g vanilla#1.5#1 1/2#teaspoon#8#g fine sea salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#1#g

Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC) has a unique texture that differentiates it from other buttercreams. It is made by combining whipped egg whites with hot sugar syrup, which is then mixed with butter. This process results in a denser frosting but remains delightfully light, creamy, and velvety. The sugar syrup enhances the texture and improves stability, making IMBC one of the most reliable frostings for high-pressure and temperature conditions.

What is the texture of Italian Meringue Buttercream?

In comparison to other buttercreams, Italian Meringue Buttercream stands out for its creamy, velvety texture and refined mouthfeel. A huge reason for this is the sugar syrup, which is cooked to the hard ball temperature. This creates a very sticky, syrupy, and thick solution and, when emulsified with butter, creates the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth texture. The butterfat is interlaced with this thick syrup and breaks up large pockets of butterfat. Both emulsion components, the butterfat, and the thick, viscous syrup, melt in your mouth.

What is the taste and flavor of Italian Meringue Buttercream?

Italian Meringue Buttercream has a light, subtly sweet buttery flavor with a delicate hint of vanilla. At 34% sugar, the sweetness is well-balanced and not overly cloying. The butter contributes a smooth, buttery note, while the sugar syrup adds a refined sweetness that makes the buttercream both sophisticated and versatile. In general, though, the meringue itself doesn’t offer too much in terms of flavor. And this makes sense if you think about the flavor of the top of a lemon meringue pie. There is a hint of egginess, but for the most part, there is an overwhelming sweetness, and people tend to pay more attention to the texture.

To delve deeper into the science of Italian Meringue Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "Italian Meringue Buttercream Complete Guide."

Prepare your ingredients and workspace. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Place egg whites in the stand mixer bowl. Set up your workstation to monitor both the sugar syrup and the meringue.
Simultaneously heat the sugar syrup and start whisking the meringue.

For traditional Italian Meringue/raw egg whites:
Start whisking egg whites on low. Heat sugar syrup on medium-high. When the syrup reaches 220°F (104°C), increase the mixer speed to medium-high until soft peaks form. Continue heating syrup to 245-248°F (118-120°C). If your meringue reaches soft peaks before the syrup is ready, turn the mixer to low speed.

For pasteurized (carton) egg whites:
Whisk egg whites at medium speed. Heat syrup to 245-248°F (118-120°C). The meringue might not foam yet, which is fine; just immediately move on to Step 3.
Pour the sugar syrup into the whipping meringue. Check to make sure your stand mixer is moving at medium speed. Once your syrup has reached its temperature, immediately and slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg whites. You want to aim for where the edge of the mixing meringue meets the bowl (see my pictures above). Depending on the quantity of meringue I’m making, this may take up to 30 seconds or more.

Mix until you get a soft, runny foam (this will take a few minutes with pasteurized egg whites) or stiff peaks (up to 5-10 minutes or more for a traditional Italian meringue). Pour the slightly warm meringue into a bowl—no need to clean the stand mixer bowl or whisk for the next step.
Make the Frosting Butter. In the stand mixer bowl, beat slightly softened butter on high speed for 2 minutes until light, smooth, and creamy. Scrape down the sides as needed. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, silky, soft, and ball inside the whisk.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the meringue to the frosting butter. Ensure that your meringue is at room temperature and add it to the Frosting Butter in 2 to 3 additions, whipping for about 1 minute after every addition. Once all the meringue has been added, mix for an additional minute at high speed.
Smooth and adjust for flavorings. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for a few minutes to smooth. Taste and adjust salt and vanilla as needed.

*Usually, I do 1 cup of frosting for testing, but it’s really difficult to make the sugar syrup and meringue with such a small quantity of ingredients, hence the 2 cup recipe for testing.

**This recipe can use fresh or pasteurized (carton) egg whites. No other ingredient modifications are required to make this swap, although there will be slight variations in the protocol, which I’ll explain. I typically use pasteurized egg whites for this recipe. This is an easier option and great for your first attempt at this recipe.

Cream Cheese Chocolate American Buttercream

American Buttercream

Dutch-processed cocoa powder#3#3#tablespoon#18#g water, boiling#2#2#tablespoon#31#g full-fat cream cheese, cold from fridge#1#1#cup#226#g unsalted butter, cold from fridge#14#14#tablespoon#196#g powdered (confectioner's) sugar, unsifted#3.125#3 1/8#cup#375#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g fine sea salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#1#g

This is the Chocolate variation of my Cream Cheese American Buttercream, which has an intense sweet cream cheese flavor and is made in less than 10 minutes. It’s got a wonderful chocolate flavor that pairs well with the tangy cream cheese. It’s also as stable as the original, with a super thick (non-runny) and creamy consistency that's great for intricate piping and smoothing onto cakes.

Here's a video on this buttercream:

Prepare chocolate paste. In a small bowl, sift Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Add boiling water and stir into a thick paste. Set aside.
Smooth out cream cheese and butter: Mix cold cream cheese on low speed in a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer with paddle attachment) until smooth and lump-free. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Cut cold butter into chunks and add to the same mixing bowl. Cream on low speed until smooth and lump-free.
Add the powdered sugar in increments. Gradually add powdered sugar in thirds, mixing on low speed. On the last addition, add vanilla and a pinch of salt (adjust to taste). Continue mixing until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be thick and resemble white clay.
Add chocolate paste and cream cheese, then smooth out the buttercream. Ensure the chocolate paste is cool. Scrape it into the butter-sugar mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
Add the smooth cream cheese and mix on low until fully incorporated. Use a spatula for final mixing to avoid over mixing.

*Try to use the highest-quality powdered sugar you can find; these are typically labeled “10X” or higher. Generic brands tend to cut their powdered sugar with a higher ratio or coarser types of starch, which, when uncooked, can feel grainy or sandy in the final frosting. One American brand that works well for me is C&H.

**Cream of tartar can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. You can substitute citric acid, which I order from Amazon, here. If you don’t have access to these ingredients, you can substitute an equal amount of white distilled or apple cider vinegar.

Vanilla Instant Ermine Buttercream

Ermine Buttercream

Instant Clear Jel*#5.5#5 1/2#tablespoon#41.25#g white granulated sugar#1.25#1 1/4 #cup#250#g whole milk, cold from fridge#1.125#1 1/8 #cup#274.5#g unsalted butter, softened slightly#1.25#1 1/4 #cup#283#g vanilla extract#1.25#1 1/4 #teaspoon#5#g fine salt#0.5#45293#teaspoon#0#g

Instant Ermine Buttercream is one of my shortcut versions of my Classic Ermine Buttercream. Traditional Ermine frostings are made by cooking a sweetened flour paste, which is added to whipped butter. This instant version uses a paste made from Instant Clear Jel, which thickens liquids without heat in minutes. The final frosting is nearly identical to Classic Ermine Buttercream, making this version ideal for those who want Ermine’s glorious light texture and excellent stability with less work.

What is the texture, taste, and stability of Instant Ermine Buttercream?

This frosting is nearly identical to my original Ermine Buttercream but has slightly lower sugar and fat content due to the formulation of the Instant Clear Jel-based sweetened flour paste. The final flavor and texture are still outstanding. It’s got this lighter texture from the high ratio of that flour paste and relatively low butter content compared to other True Buttercreams. The flavor of the butter is still very light, and the Instant Clear Jel imparts no additional starchy flavor. Its stability is identical when using wheat flour - excellent for piping and stacking cakes, but for smoothing, you may need extra passes with a scraper or knife to get it completely smooth and bubble-free.

o delve deeper into the science of my Instant Ermine Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "Instant Ermine Buttercream Complete Guide."

Make sweetened flour paste: In a bowl, whisk together the Instant Clear Jel and sugar. Take the time whisk thoroughly as this ensures the Clear Jel has been evenly distributed within the sugar and will prevent a lumpy paste.

While vigorously whisking the entire time, pour the cold milk into the bowl. Continue whisking until the paste slightly thickens, which may take a couple minutes. By the end of this, If you feel with your fingers, the paste may have a few granules of undissolved sugar, which is fine. If you feel lots of sugar, keep whisking. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes while you prepare the butter.
Aerate butter: Add the softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until it's paler in color and slightly more voluminous.
Add sweetened flour paste: Check your paste; by now it should be thick enough to pick up with a spatula and you should feel very little to no sugar granules left in the paste.

Mix the paste in 4 to 5 additions. Add the first amount, then whisk on high speed for a few seconds before adding the next.

Once all the flour paste has been added, add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt and mix on high speed for an entire 2 minutes.
Adjust buttercream for texture: The whisk introduces many air pockets, so switch to the paddle attachment for smoothing. Run the mixer on low speed for a few minutes until most of the air pockets are smoothed out.

Compared to most other buttercreams, this frosting may feel looser. Don't let that deter you; it will still pipe and frost a cake just fine. Remember that it has a lower butter content than my other buttercreams, so that it will feel less dense. Running a spatula over the top of the buttercream several times while smoothing onto cakes or through a piping tip will give you the smoothest result with this style of frosting.

Yogurt Whipped Cream Frosting

Whipped Cream

heavy whipping cream*, very cold from the fridge#1.25#1 1/4#cup#284#g full-fat plain Greek yogurt, cold**#0.5#45293#cup#113#g powdered sugar (sifted if clumpy)#0.5#45293#cup#57#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g

My yogurt whipped cream is stable enough to fill cakes, frost smoothly, and even pipe crisp designs. It’s a little less sweet than most frostings and has a light tangy flavor from the added Greek yogurt.

Of all the stabilizers for whipped creams I tested, this one with Greek yogurt is my favorite; it's relatively inexpensive, readily available in most supermarkets, and tastes fantastic.

Greek yogurt is a type of strained yogurt thicker and higher in protein than unstrained kinds. The thickness or creaminess of yogurts doesn’t come from fat - it's from protein.

During yogurt fermentation, bacteria consume lactose, the sugar in dairy-based milk. A by-product of this fermentation process is lactic acid, which increases acidity.

This does a couple of things. It gives yogurt that tangy flavor that is so delicious but also causes milk proteins to get sticky. The proteins cling together so well that they turn a liquid (milk) into a semi-solid gel (yogurt).

To make Greek yogurt, it is then strained, and the watery portion (also called the whey) is removed. This creates a more highly concentrated yogurt in milk proteins.

There are probably a couple of ways that Greek yogurt stabilizes whipped cream. The high amount of protein is probably adding bulk to the water part of the whipped cream, making it seem thicker. When tasting this whipped cream, you may notice that it doesn’t feel greasy or heavy, but it has more body, if that makes sense.

I use high-fat Greek yogurt in this recipe, which contains up to 5% fat. That works to help a little because fat is the critical component surrounding air bubbles in whipped cream.

If all that sounds complicated, don't worry because the process of making it is not. The steps are pretty similar to regular whipped cream:

Step 1. Chill your mixing bowl and whisk

The fat in yogurt and whipped cream is more solid at cold temperatures. The more solid they are, the more stable they are for encasing air bubbles. A cold bowl and whisk keep everything chilled while prepping the whipped cream.

Step 2. Add heavy cream and Greek yogurt

To your mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and yogurt together. They will mix and help each other to collect those air bubbles and create a fluffy cream.

You're going to whisk on medium speed until it’s thickened but still liquidy.

Step 3. Add powdered sugar

Dump in all the powdered sugar—no need to sift unless your powdered sugar is clumpy. I rarely do because the ratio of water to sugar is relatively high, and the sugar should dissolve pretty quickly, even if there are a few sugary lumps.

Step 4. Whisk until soft peaks

Whisk on medium speed until you reach soft peaks. Try not to use your mixer at high speed. Yes, it may take longer than if you were to whisk super fast, but the time it takes to go from soft to stiff peaks is rapid. This allows you to have complete control and not have a grainy whipped cream.

Step 5. Manually whisk

Turn off the mixer and remove the bowl. Use the attachment or another handheld whisk and manually whisk until you like the texture.

For frosting a cake, you’ll want a super smooth cream that doesn’t droop when you hold it onto a whisk, as you see above.

If you feel like it’s too grainy, add a splash more of chilled heavy cream and whisk again until it softens to the texture you like.

Here's a video I made comparing Greek yogurt whipped cream with other stabilizers, including gelatin, cornstarch, Whip-It, and mascarpone. You can watch how I make the Greek yogurt whipped cream if you start at the 08:10 mark of the video.

Prep the mixing bowl: Place your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for about 15 minutes. A cold bowl keeps the milkfat solid to trap air more efficiently, giving us a loftier whipped cream.
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Whip heavy cream with Greek yogurt: After the bowl is nice and cold, add Greek yogurt and heavy whipping cream and whisk on medium-high until it's slightly thickened.
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Whip in the sugar: Add in your powdered sugar and vanilla (if using). Whip on medium speed until you reach soft peaks. Turn off the mixer and remove the bowl. Using either the stand attachment or a handheld whisk, manually whisk the cream until you reach the desired texture.

If you reach a point where the cream is overly grainy or even chunky (but not separated—in that case, you've started to make butter and will have to start over), you can just add a splash of heavy cream until the smooth texture returns.

*Heavy whipping cream contains 36% or more fat. The higher the fat content, the more air you can incorporate into the whipped cream. See my Stabilized Whipped Cream post here for more information about different creams and the science behind whipped cream.

**I've gotten the best results using Fage 5%, which is super thick, but I have also used Chobani with good results. Any full-fat Greek yogurt should work.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Whipped Cream

full-fat cream cheese, cold*#1#1#cup#226#g heavy cream, chilled from the fridge#1#1#cup#240#g powdered sugar, unsifted is fine#1#1#cup#120#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g

This is the lightest cream cheese frosting on my site; it's fluffy and aerated from the addition of whipped cream. It's still amazingly stable though - it pipes amazingly and gives you the smoothest finish on cakes.

A larger whipped cream tutorial is in the works, but in the meantime, here's a video describing this frosting:

Smooth out the cream cheese. Add the cold cream cheese to a large bowl. Smooth it out on low speed with a hand mixer, or smash it with a spatula until all the lumps are gone.
Whip heavy cream. To another bowl, add the chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer, mix on medium-high speed until you reach stiff peaks.
Loosen up the cream cheese. Grab the large bowl of cream cheese. We will fold the whipped cream in, but first, we must thin it out. Take a scoop of whipped cream and stir it into the cream cheese. This is also an excellent time to ensure all the lumps are gone in the cream cheese. ‍
Fold whipped cream into cream cheese. Now, we will fold the rest of the whipped cream in. Add another scoop of the whipped cream to the cream cheese, and pull the cream cheese over the whipped cream with a cutting and swooping motion. (Watch the video above to understand how to do this.) The folding will get easier the more whipped cream you add. Take your time, it usually takes me a few minutes to get through all the cream, but this will preserve the lighter texture.

*It doesn’t matter if you use block or tub-style cream cheese as the fat content between those two is usually a couple of percent and unimportant. It’s more important that your cream cheese contains some sort of hydrocolloid, so read the ingredient label and ensure it contains at least one of these: xanthan gum, locust bean gum, carob bean gum, or guar gum. Also, make sure you purchase full-fat cream cheese.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

fresh or pasteurized (carton) egg whites*#0.5#1/2#cup#121#g sugar, granulated or powdered**#1.125#1 1/8#cup#225#g unsalted butter#1.125#1 1/8#cup#254.25#g powdered sugar, unsifted#8#8#tablespoon#60#g vanilla extract*** #2#2#teaspoon#10#g fine salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g

This is the new and improved Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe. If you're looking for the original version from my older Cakeculator, go back and look for "Retired Frostings" and you'll see my old one there :)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) is a fantastic frosting that not only looks great but also tastes amazing. This silky, creamy frosting is made by heating egg whites and sugar before blending in butter. My updated recipe uses new techniques to reduce the buttery flavor and enhance the sweet vanilla taste, creating an ethereal, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

What is the texture of Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

Swiss Meringue Buttercream is incredibly silky-smooth with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This is achieved through the emulsification process, which evenly distributes the meringue syrup throughout the butterfat, reducing the buttery flavor and texture. With a fat content of 30%, this buttercream has a moderate level of fat.

What is the taste and flavor of Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

The overall flavor of this buttercream is a sweetened vanilla butter. The meringue doesn’t offer too much in terms of flavor. And this makes sense, if you think about the flavor of the top of a lemon meringue pie. There is a hint of eggy-ness, but for the most part, there is an overwhelming sweetness and people tend to pay attention more to the texture.

To delve deeper into the science of Swiss Meringue Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "Swiss Meringue Buttercream Complete Guide."

Set up the double boiler (bain-marie). Find a pot to hold a large metal bowl without touching the bottom. If you plan on whipping your egg whites, you can use the stand mixer bowl for this step. If not, use another metal bowl.

Fill the pot with water so the bowl is directly above but not touching the water. The closer the bowl is to the surface, the better, as this is where heating will be most efficient. Remove bowl for now and heat the water to a gentle simmer.
Heat the meringue syrup. Add the egg whites and sugar to your bowl and mix with a spatula; it will be viscous (gooey) and thick.
Once you see a steady fog rising from the surface of the water, place the bowl atop the pot. Continuously stir with the spatula, scraping down the sides to remove any sugar stuck on the sides. As the mixture heats, the eggs will thin out, the sugar will dissolve, and the mixture will become more opaque.

For fresh egg whites: use a thermometer to ensure you reach 160-165 °F /71-74 °C.
For liquid pasteurized egg whites from a carton: use your fingers to rub a bit of meringue carefully; once you no longer feel any sugar granules, your meringue is done.

Whip the meringue (optional). (Whipping the meringue provides a minimal increase in aeration, so I usually skip this and move on to step 4. However, both preparations, meringue or syrup, must be cooled to the touch before adding the butter in the next steps.)Use the whisk attachment and whip on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. The timing will depend on the quantity of egg white mixture and powder in your stand mixer, but you’ll know it’s done when the meringue is very stiff and balls inside the whisk.

If for some reason (egg yolk contamination), you don’t get your meringue to whip, don’t worry. You can still proceed with this buttercream.

Prepare the Frosting Butter. Add the slightly softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again on medium high speed for another 1-2 minutes.

(If you used the stand mixer bowl to heat and whip your meringue, just move the meringue to another bowl for now, and you can use the stand mixer bowl to make the frosting butter. You don’t need to clean the bowl.)

Combine the meringue/syrup with the Frosting Butter. Add the syrup/meringue in 2 to 3 additions, mixing for about 30 seconds or until combined. Once all the syrup has been added, mix on high speed for an additional minute.
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Flavor and smooth the frosting: The whisk attachment introduced lots of air pockets, so switch over to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for at least a few minutes to smooth out the frosting. Give the frosting a taste and adjust for vanilla and salt, if needed.
The final frosting should be ultra smooth and creamy.

*If you’re using fresh eggs, one large US egg contains around 28-33 g of egg whites. For example, to make a 3 cup quantity of frosting, you need at least 4 eggs. Also, you may use pasteurized egg whites, which can be found in most grocery stores in cartons next to the fresh eggs. Please see the sections above for further explanation.

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Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting

Whipped Cream

heavy whipping cream, cold*#1.5#1 1/2#cup#340#g white granulated sugar#0.25#1/4#cup#50#g vanilla#1#1#teaspoon#5#g

This whipped cream frosting uses heavy whipping cream and sugar whipped together to create a super light foam. The only thing that stabilizes this frosting is the cold milkfat, so be sure to use it immediately after making and store the whipped cream within 2 hours at room temperature.

I usually use this unstabilized version of whipped cream on super simple cakes or topping desserts, such as pies. You can frost the sides with it, but it takes practice since whipped cream is pretty delicate.

A comprehensive guide of whipped creams is in the works, but in the meantime, I do have this older video, which covers the basics:

Prep the mixing bowl: Place your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for about 15 minutes. A cold bowl keeps the milk fat solid to trap air more efficiently, giving us a loftier whipped cream.
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Whip heavy cream: Add heavy whipping cream and whisk on medium speed until slightly thickened.
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Whip in the sugar: Add in your granulated sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk on medium speed with a stand mixer. Once the whipped cream reaches soft peaks, I like to whisk by hand (I just remove the whisk attachment, but you can use a regular whisk, too) so that I can control the texture more easily.

If you reach a point where the cream is overly grainy or even chunky (but not separated—in that case, you've started to make butter and will have to start over), you can just add a splash of heavy cream until the smooth texture returns.

*Heavy creams with a fat content of 36% or higher work best for whipped cream frostings. In the US, these are typically labelled “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream.” Some heavy creams also contain hydrocolliods, such as carageenan. These are stabilizers that prevent leakage of water after whipping and provide a sturdiness to the final cream. These are excellent heavy creams to use in whipped cream frostings if you can find them.

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Vanilla Ermine Buttercream

Ermine Buttercream

all-purpose flour*#6.5#6 1/2#tablespoon#49#g white granulated sugar#1.25#1 1/4 #cup#250#g whole milk, cold from fridge#1#1#cup#244#g heavy cream, cold from fridge**#8#8#tablespoon#122#g unsalted butter, softened slightly#1.25#1 1/4#cup#283#g vanilla extract#1.25#1 1/4 #teaspoon#5#g fine sea salt#0#0#teaspoon#0#g

Ermine Buttercream combines a sweetened flour paste with whipped butter, giving it a unique, delicious flavor and light texture. The stability of the flour paste allows us to use less butter than other buttercreams, which is likely why many compare this frosting to whipped cream. It also uses less sugar and is ideal for those who need the stability of a buttercream but dislike the heaviness and sweetness of other frostings.

What is the texture of Ermine Buttercream?

This buttercream has the most unique texture of my True Buttercreams; it’s creamy and buttery yet deceivingly light without any greasiness or heaviness.

To determine the texture of a frosting, I look at the emulsion fat-to-water ratio and aeration.

For this emulsion, Ermine Buttercream has an interestingly high ratio of water-based ingredients, such as sweetened flour paste. Typically, how much you can shift this ratio is balanced. And because the sweetened flour paste is relatively stable, we can add more, giving the final frosting a low butter amount—only 25% compared to most True Buttercreams, which have fat percentages between 35-45%.

Aeration is the amount of air incorporated into the buttercream during mixing. This buttercream's aeration is low, which is typical for my True Buttercreams. Don’t let these low percentages deter you, though. The emulsion and its components play a huge part in these types of frostings, and the high-ratio sweetened flour paste and its pudding-like smooth texture are light enough to compensate for the low air percentage.

What is the taste and flavor of Ermine Buttercream?

Of all the True Buttercreams, this frosting contains the least butter and has a lighter flavor. Most of the taste and flavor come from the sweetened flour paste, which can be made in various ways. The classic style of this buttercream uses all-purpose flour and tastes like a very light vanilla pudding.

At around 27% sugar, this buttercream is also one of the least sweet of my True Buttercreams, making it an ideal frosting if you prefer lightly sweetened desserts or are trying to balance the sweetness of your dessert/cake.

What flours work in Ermine Buttercream?

To delve deeper into the science of Ermine Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: Complete Ermine Buttercream Guide.

Cook sweetened flour paste.
If you plan to sieve your flour paste, place your sieve atop a shallow tray or plate for easy access. Otherwise, just have your tray out and ready.

Get a timer ready. Set the timer for one minute for every cup of milk/cream. (e.g., for the 1 cup frosting, it’s about 30 seconds, and the 3 cup frosting is 1 minute and 30 seconds.)In a pan, whisk together the flour and sugar. Pour in the cold milk and heavy cream. Whisk until you no longer see lumps of flour.

Place the pan on medium-low heat. Cook the flour mixture, whisking continuously and scraping the sides. It will gradually start to thicken into a loose pudding.

Once you see large bubbles pop in the center, start your timer and continue to whisk vigorously. Feel free to decrease the heat a bit if the starch begins sticking to the bottom of the pan, but you want a steady bubbling mixture throughout this process.
Sieve (optional) and cool sweetened flour paste.
When the timer is up, use a spatula to scrape the hot paste onto your tray.

If you have clumps or want to ensure you get a super smooth frosting, push the hot paste through a sieve onto the tray.

Spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil and press it directly onto the surface of the paste. I like to flatten it out a bit, too, so it cools faster.

Let this sit at room temperature to cool. I will sometimes place the tray in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes to speed up the process. It should feel completely cool to the touch before use.

Aerate butter.
Add the softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until it's paler in color and slightly more voluminous. Add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add cooled flour paste.
Ensure your paste is cool to the touch. Mix the paste in 4 to 5 additions. Add the first amount, then whisk on high speed for a few seconds before adding the next.
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Adjust buttercream for texture.
‍The whisk introduces many air pockets, so switch to the paddle attachment for smoothing. Run the mixer on low speed for a few minutes until most of the air pockets are smoothed out.

Compared to most other buttercreams, this frosting may feel looser. Don't let that deter you; it will still pipe and frost a cake just fine. It has a lower butter content than my other buttercreams, so that it will feel less dense. Running a spatula over the top of the buttercream several times while smoothing onto cakes or through a piping tip will give you the smoothest result with this frosting style.

*You can use many types of flour. For more science behind this substitution, visit my Complete Ermine Buttercream Guide.

**You can use all whole milk for this recipe; it’s a direct substitution, so just use the same amount of whole milk for heavy cream. The result is a looser buttercream, which will still frost and pipe good. I prefer this heavy cream version - it only increases the fat by about 2%, so it is nearly undetectable on the palate, yet it creates a more stable emulsion, which I find frosts and smooths much more beautifully.

However, do not use milk with a lower fat content than whole (3.5%). You may get it to work in small amounts of frosting, but as you exceed 2 cups of frosting, lower fat percentages have more trouble emulsifying with the butter, so you’ll end up with a very loose and drippy frosting.

Vanilla Russian Buttercream

Russian Buttercream

unsalted butter#1.5#1 1/2 #cup#339#g powdered sugar*, unsifted is fine#0.75#3/4#cup#90#g vanilla extract #1#1#tsp#5#g fine sea salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#1#g sweetened condensed milk#0.75#3/4#cup#229.5#g

Russian Buttercream, or Condensed Milk Frosting, is made primarily of butter and sweetened condensed milk. Its simplicity makes it an excellent beginner recipe, yet it still creates a wonderfully stable frosting with an amazingly complex flavor. And I’ve seen all the comments about how this frosting can often feel and taste overwhelmingly buttery, so I’ve updated my recipe’s method to create a new lighter version of Russian Buttercream that melts in your mouth with a silky texture.

What is the texture of Russian Buttercream?

My Russian Buttercream has been reformulated and has a unique, silky smooth, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. This is because it uses my Frosting Butter, which has been pre-conditioned to emulsify perfectly with the condensed milk.

Typically, Russian Buttercreams are denser than other True Buttercreams, and this is likely due to a couple of things. First, there is the sweetened condensed milk, which is a concentrated syrup of milk proteins and sugars.

The second factor contributing to density is low aeration. I measure the aeration of my frostings, which is the volume taken up by air and given as a percentage. Vanilla Russian Buttercream is on the very low end of aeration for my frostings, which is 12%. This indicates that for any given volume of frosting, 12% is taken up by air, and the rest are the ingredients (butter, sugar, milk proteins, etc.) To compare, a high aeration frosting could be whipped cream, with percentages up to 50%.

Aeration is an interesting characteristic because it helps us understand texture. It affects the mouthfeel, greasiness, and smoothness of a particular type of frosting. Though most of my emulsion-based frostings are minimally aerated, don’t let the low percentages deter you. Air is not the only contributor to texture.

In my emulsion-based frostings, a large ratio of silky or creamy syrups is usually interlaced with the butterfat, creating a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess for the final buttercream. In addition, my pre-conditioning step to make Frosting Butter helps break up the butterfat to create a more even emulsion, contributing even more to this silky texture. However, I would note that this is one of my denser True Buttercreams and one I’d either use in moderation (e.g., piping cupcakes, smearing onto a sheet cake) or paired with other lighter elements in the dessert so everything is not overall too heavy.

What is the flavor of Russian Buttercream?

The flavor of Russian Buttercream is very unique, especially considering how few ingredients are used. There is a strong buttery-ness combined with a cooked, dairy-forward flavor of sweetened condensed milk. Combining these two ingredients creates a buttercream with a medium sweetness (32%) and a robust dairy flavor.

To delve deeper into the science of Russian Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "Russian Buttercream Complete Guide."

Prepare the Frosting Butter: Add the slightly softened butter to the mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.
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Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again on medium high speed for another 1-2 minutes.
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Add the sweetened condensed milk: Continue with the whisk attachment and add the condensed milk in three parts, mixing for one minute on high speed before adding the next portion. Scrape the bowl down a few times during this process.

Once all the milk has been added, mix on high speed for one minute. Just looking at the mixture to see if it’s properly mixed is difficult because the butter and milk are similar colors, so this ensures proper emulsification and prevents a runny frosting. At the end of this step, the buttercream should be thick and creamy.If your buttercream looks runny, greasy, curdled, or broken at any time during this process, it's not yet emulsified; turn up the speed or mix for longer until it comes together.

If your buttercream looks greasy, curdled, or broken at any time during this process, it's because the butter was too cold. Just keep mixing and eventually, the butter will warm as it mixes.

Flavor and smooth the frosting: The whisk attachment introduced lots of air pockets, so switch over to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for at least a few minutes to smooth out the frosting. Give the frosting a taste and adjust for vanilla and salt, if needed.The final frosting should be ultra smooth and creamy.

*Try to use the highest quality powdered sugar. In my experiments, I found that generic brands tend to either use a higher ratio or lower quality of starch (typically corn or tapioca) to cut the powdered sugar, which can give the final frosting a slightly gritty or granular texture. The brands I use in my kitchen are C&H or Domino powdered sugar.

Vanilla French Buttercream

French Buttercream

whole eggs*#2#2#large#100#g white granulated sugar#1#1 cup#cup #200#g unsalted butter#1.33##cup#300.58#g powdered sugar, unsifted ok#6#6#tablespoon#45#g vanilla extract#2#2#teaspoon#10#g fine salt (start with a pinch)#0.25#1/4#teaspoon#1#g

French buttercream is a luxuriously decadent frosting made primarily from eggs, sugar, and butter. Flavor-wise, it’s a bit more complex than the meringue buttercreams because the added yolks impart a rich, creamy, pastry cream-like flavor. The silky smooth texture makes it perfect for all your cake decorating needs. My method uses a simple water bath, making this frosting ideal for those looking to elevate their frosting game in terms of decorating, flavor, and texture. Additionally, my recipe is versatile in that you can use either whole eggs or just yolks.

What is the texture of French Buttercream?

My French buttercream is creamy, silky-smooth, and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This is achieved through emulsification, which evenly distributes the egg-based sugar syrup throughout the butterfat, reducing the buttery flavor and texture. With a fat content of 40%, this buttercream has one of the highest fat levels among my European buttercreams, contributing to its creamy texture.

I measure the aeration of my frostings, which is the percentage of volume occupied by air. Generally, my European buttercreams have low aeration, with French buttercream at around 11%. This means that for any given volume of frosting, 11% is air, while the rest comprises ingredients like butter, sugar, and water. For comparison, a highly aerated frosting like whipped cream can have up to 50% air.

Aeration is crucial in understanding texture, affecting mouthfeel, greasiness, and spreadability. Although most of my emulsion-based frostings have low aeration, don’t let that deter you. Air isn’t the only factor influencing texture. In emulsion-based frostings, the high ratio of silky or creamy syrups interlaced with butterfat creates the luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth creaminess of the final buttercream.

What is the taste and flavor of French Buttercream?

The overall flavor of this buttercream is a lighter version of a sweet and vanilla-scented pastry cream. The egg yolks contain many fats, which pass on some lovely flavors. And don’t worry about it tasting “eggy” - that’s not how I would describe the flavor. You taste more of the sugar and butter, and it’s finished with a slight custardy flavor at the end.

My recipe can use either whole eggs or just yolks, which have very slight differences:

The graphic above shows that the yolks-only Frech Buttercream is slightly more yellow. I typically make French buttercream using whole eggs. It’s cheaper and more efficient, and it gets me 90% of the way there flavor- and texture-wise when I want a French buttercream. When leftover yolks from another recipe (macarons or meringues), I will go for the yolks-only version.

To delve deeper into the science of French Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "French Buttercream Complete Guide."

Set up the double boiler (bain-marie). Find a pot to hold a large metal bowl without touching the bottom. If you plan on whipping your egg whites, use the stand mixer bowl for this step. If not, use another metal bowl.

Fill the pot with water so the bowl is directly above but not touching the water. The closer the bowl is to the surface, the better, as this is where heating will be most efficient. Remove the bowl for now and heat the water to a gentle simmer.
Prepare, heat, and (optionally) whip the egg syrup.
Add eggs (or yolks and water for the yolk-only substitution) to a large heat-proof mixing bowl. (If you plan on whipping your egg syrup, use the bowl of your stand mixer.) Add the sugar and immediately start mixing with a spatula until the sugar is evenly distributed.

Place the bowl on top once your double boiler is at a gentle simmer. Use a spatula to gently stir periodically and heat until the egg syrup reaches 160°F (71°C). Then, pour the hot syrup into a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup.Optionally, you can whip the egg syrup to create a runny foam after it reaches the desired temperature. However, there is little difference in the final buttercream when doing this (see the step-by-step section above for an explanation). Place the bowl in your stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to mix on high speed until the mixture becomes slightly more voluminous and paler. Then, pour the egg foam into a heat-proof measuring cup, as indicated above.

Prepare the frosting butter.
Add the slightly softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once.

After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes.
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‍Combine the cooled meringue syrup with the butter.
Ensure that your egg syrup (or foam) is at room temperature and add in 2 to 3 additions, whipping for about 1 minute after every addition. Once all the egg syrup has been added, mix for an additional minute on high speed.
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Flavor and smooth the frosting.
The whisk attachment introduced many air pockets, so switch over to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for at least a few minutes to smooth out the frosting. Give the frosting a taste and adjust for vanilla and salt, if needed.

*If you want to make the version using egg yolks instead of whole eggs, you’ll need to substitute 2 yolks and 2 teaspoons of water for every egg. For example, for a 3 cup version of frosting, instead of 2 large eggs, you will need 4 large egg yolks and 4 teaspoons of water.

Vanilla American Dreamy Buttercream

Sugarologie Buttercream

unsalted butter#1.5#1 1/2#cup#340#g powdered sugar (1), unsifted ok*#0.25#3/4#cup#90#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#5#g fine sea salt (to taste, start with a pinch)#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g sugar syrup**#0.67#2/3#cup#208#g powdered sugar (2), unsifted ok#1##cup#120#g heavy cream, cold from fridge (optional)***#3#3#tablespoon#45#g

My American Dreamy Buttercream is an incredibly smooth and not-too-sweet version of American buttercream. Most traditional American Buttercreams use powdered sugar, which can create an overly sweet and grainy texture. This recipe is made by creaming butter with sugar syrup, which contains a high ratio of dissolved sugars, creating a frosting with a wonderfully creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Also, this frosting is incredibly versatile, as I’ve recently tested seven different syrups you can use.

What is the texture of American Dreamy Buttercream?

I measure the aeration of my frostings, which is the amount of volume taken up by air and given as a percentage. American Dreamy Buttercream is on the low end of aeration for my frostings, coming in at 13%. This number indicates that for any given volume of frosting, 13% is taken up by air, and the rest are the ingredients in the frosting (butter, sugar, water, etc.) Just to give you a comparison, a high aeration frosting could be something like whipped cream, with percentages up to 50%.

Aeration is an interesting characteristic because it helps us understand texture. It affects the mouthfeel, greasiness, and smoothability of a particular type of frosting. Though most of my emulsion-based frostings are minimally aerated, don’t let the low percentages deter you. Air is not the only contributor that affects texture. In emulsion-based frostings, there is usually a large ratio of silky or creamy syrups that are interlaced with the butterfat, creating a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess for the final buttercream.

What is the flavor and taste of American Dreamy Buttercream?

This frosting is medium sweet at around 40%, which is tempered sweetness for American Buttercreams. For comparison, my Classic American Buttercream tops out at 55%, but I’ve seen recipes that have upwards of 65-70% sugar. I’ve created this recipe to contain similar sugar levels to European buttercreams, which have an average sweetness of 38%. You can increase or decrease the sugar level without adversely affecting stability.

The flavor of your final buttercream depends on the type of syrup you use, but no matter which syrup you choose, there will be a moderately strong butter flavor followed by a floral vanilla. The syrup chart below goes into more flavor details.

What types of sugar syrups can you use in American Dreamy Buttercream?

So far, I’ve tested seven different sugar syrups.

For more details about each syrup and why sometimes some syrups taste sweeter than others, I highly suggest reading my American Dreamy Buttercream guide.

Prepare the Frosting Butter.
Add the slightly softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.

Add the powdered sugar (1), vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes. ‍
Add the sugar syrup incrementally.
Add the syrup in 3 to 4 additions. Stop the mixer to add a small amount, then mix at medium speed using the whisk attachment. Repeat until all the syrup is incorporated, scraping down the bowl a couple of times for even mixing.

Mix at high speed after adding all the syrup for one minute. Since most syrups are clear, it can be hard to tell when they're fully emulsified, so set a timer and mix for the full minute.‍
Adjust frosting for sweetness and density.
Taste the frosting to determine how much powdered sugar to add. It should be smooth, creamy, buttery, and slightly sweet. Add powdered sugar in a few increments, mixing at low speed to minimize mess. Once all the sugar is added, mix on high speed for 30 seconds and taste again. I prefer a slightly sweeter buttercream (see my footnotes).

You can stop here or add more powdered sugar as desired. Just keep in mind that exceeding double powdered sugar (2) amounts may result in a grainy texture due to sugar granules.
‍Adjust frosting for texture and flavor.
‍Switch to the paddle attachment and smooth the frosting at low speed for a few minutes to remove large air pockets. Taste the frosting; if it's too buttery, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Adjust salt and vanilla as needed. If you’re satisfied with the texture and flavor, whip on low speed for at least one minute.

*There are several types of sugar syrups you can use in this buttercream. In my photographs and video tutorial I’ve used light corn syrup; please read the ingredient description above for additional syrup suggestions and how to use them.

**The amount of powdered sugar will depend on your sweetness preference and the type of syrup you’re using. Start with a small amount, mix, and taste. Please see the chart in the introductory section for my sugar amount recommendations.

As you’re adjusting for sweetness, think about when you will be serving this frosting. I’ve found that as the buttercream sits out for more than one day, the sweetness will lessen. (I’m still studying this, but I think it has to do with the sugar type and how it migrates into the water in the butterfat.) If you use corn syrup, the sweetness will decrease by about 20%. For all the other syrups, it decreases by about 10%. This means if you’re serving the next day, I would over-sweeten the buttercream just a bit, and it should be perfect for the next day. All in all, this effect is minimal and may even be something that only you, as the baker, will notice.

***If at the end of mixing you find that your buttercream is too thick/heavy/overly buttery, you can add heavy cream. Start with one tablespoon, whisk on high speed, and taste it. You can keep doing this until you like the texture and taste. The butter can handle a little more liquid (probably up to double the amount I have listed in this recipe), but once it gets to the texture of a firm Greek yogurt, you'll probably need to stop adding heavy cream. If you get to the breakpoint where the buttercream is too loose or splits, just add a tablespoon of softened butter to re-emulsify the buttercream.

Sweet Cream Frosting

Sugarologie Buttercream

unsalted butter, softened slightly#1.25#1 1/4 #cup#282.5#g sweet cream buttermilk powder*#0.25#1/4#cup#40#g milk (1), whole milk, cold#0.5#1/2#cup#122#g powdered sugar (1), (unsifted)#2.5#2 1/2 #cup#300#g milk (2), whole milk, cold#0.5#1/2#cup#122#g powdered sugar (2) (unsifted), optional#0.75#3/4#cup#90#g vanilla extract (optional)#1#1#teaspoon#5#g fine sea salt (optional)#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g

My Sweet Cream Frosting has a unique light, yet creamy texture. It contains less fat than heavy cream, which is possible via a combination of my mixing technique and emulsifying ingredients. Using butter, milk, sugar, and buttermilk powder gives this frosting a lightly tangy flavor reminiscent of vanilla ice cream with a fantastic and stable texture for frosting cakes and piping atop cupcakes.

I have three versions of American Buttercream on my site. There's the classic version, which is butter and powdered sugar creamed together. That's the sweetest and has the most texture to it. Then there's American Dreamy Buttercream, which is super smooth with a slightly sweet taste. This one has the least amount of butter of all three, is a bit sweeter, and has a unique flavor much like vanilla ice cream due to the buttermilk powder.

Here's a video on the science and process of this frosting:

Whip the butter and buttermilk powder. Remove butter from the fridge, cut into 2-inch chunks, and let soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes (cool but not too soft, 55-65°F/13-18°C).

In a stand mixer bowl, combine butter chunks and buttermilk powder. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low speed to soften, then beat on high for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. The mixture will be grainy but lighter in color and texture.

Add milk (1) to the butter. Gradually add milk in at least 4 portions, allowing each to emulsify before adding the next. Start by pulsing the mixer to avoid splashes, then mix at medium or high speed until creamy and well-emulsified. You’ll know it’s emulsified when it turns creamy rather than chunky and sticks to the bowl rather than sliding everywhere. Once all milk is added, mix on high for 1 minute.
Add powdered sugar (1) to the frosting. Gradually add powdered sugar, approximately 1 cup at a time, pulsing to reduce mess, then mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Once all sugar is added and no traces are visible, mix on high for 1 minute.

⚠️CHECKPOINT: Ensure the frosting matches the consistency shown in the reference pictures. It should be creamy, yellow from the buttermilk solids, and free from milk or powdered sugar traces. If your buttercream seems curdled, it’s not emulsified because the butter is too cold. Just keep mixing until it is smooth and creamy.
Add milk (2) to the frosting. Taste the frosting. It should taste like a thick American Buttercream with a slight granularity from the powdered sugar. It’s still a little dense, so again, we will add the milk in (at least) four parts. Adding milk at this stage does take a little longer than Step 2, but just keep whisking before adding the next addition.

Add the milk in at least 4 additions, and allow to mix thoroughly until adding the next portion. For every addition, start by pulsing the mixer so it doesn’t splash milk everywhere, then move to medium or high speed to fully emulsify. When all the milk has been added, and the buttercream is no longer sliding around the bowl, mix at high speed for one full minute.
Taste and add powdered sugar (2) to the frosting. Taste the frosting and decide if you need more powdered sugar (2) for sweetness. Add gradually, mixing well after each addition.
Optionally, add a bit of vanilla and a pinch of salt, adjusting to taste. Mix on high for 1 minute and scrape down the bowl.
Adjust for the color and texture of the frosting. This frosting is naturally cream-colored, depending on the intensity of yellow in your buttermilk powder. If you prefer a whiter buttercream, add the tiniest dot of purple gel food coloring, which should cancel out the yellow undertones.

Switch to the paddle attachment and mix for 2-3 minutes to smooth out large air pockets. The frosting should have a dense, smooth, and glossy texture, like thick whipped cream.

*Sweet cream buttermilk is a byproduct of butter processing, a water-based liquid full of lactose, milk fat, and proteins. The liquid is then spray-dried to create a fine powder. It is different than (most) liquid buttermilks sold in cartons. You can read more about this in the article above. My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill Sweet Cream Buttermilk powder (you can find it on Amazon here), which has the sweetest flavor and lightest color. Coming in second is Judee’s (here, on Amazon).

**Use good quality powdered sugar if you can. I’ve used C&H powdered sugar in my experiments, and when I switched to the generic Safeway brand, there was a noticeable graininess, probably from the uncooked cornstarch. They likely use a higher ratio of it in their product.

Cream Cheese American Buttercream

American Buttercream

full-fat cream cheese, cold from fridge (I use Philadelphia)#1#1#cup#226#g unsalted butter, cold from fridge#14#14#tablespoon#196#g powdered (confectioner's) sugar, unsifted#3.125#3 1/8#cup#375#g vanilla extract#1#1#teaspoon#10#g fine sea salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#1#g

Cream cheese frostings can be finicky, creating runny or drippy icings that are hard to work with. My recipe is super thick and non-runny, with a creamy and stable consistency with a classic American buttercream sweetness. It’s also one of my site's easiest cream cheese frostings and has an amazing tangy, intense cream cheese flavor.

What is the flavor and texture of Cream Cheese American Buttercream?

Cream Cheese American Buttercream has a very sweet cream cheese flavor with a moderately high butterfat and high sugar content. Cream cheese contains lactic acid, a byproduct of fermented dairy. This means that it is naturally acidic, or has a slightly sour taste, and adding it to an American Buttercream helps balance the sweetness.

The texture of this cream cheese frosting is creamy, thick, and dense. There is little aeration during the preparation of ingredients, and that combined with the high ratio of butter and sugar creates a super-dense frosting.

To delve deeper into the science of Cream Cheese flavored American Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "Cream Cheese American Buttercream".

Here's a video of the process:

Smooth out the cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl (if using a stand mixer, use your paddle attachment), mix the cold cream cheese on low speed until creamy and until no lumps remain. Try to mix as little as possible and stop just when it is smooth. You can check with a spatula by smearing it around a little and then scrape out the cream cheese into another small bowl and set aside.
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Smooth out the butter. Cut the cold butter into chunks so it’s easier to work with and add to the same bowl (no need to clean the bowl or attachments). Cream until smooth and there are no visible lumps.
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Add the powdered sugar in increments. Add about a third of the powdered sugar; you can eyeball this. Start on low speed and gradually mix. Once it's all mixed in, add the next third of powdered sugar and mix. When adding the last third of the sugar, add the vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt. Cream cheese comes already salted, so start with a pinch and correct it by tasting at the end. (If you're using a hand mixer, this is the longest part and may take a couple of minutes. I like to make a scraping motion while mixing to help everything come together faster.)
At the end of this step, you’ll have a white, very thick sugar-butter mixture that you can pick up with your fingers. It will look and feel like white clay.
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Add cream cheese and smooth out the buttercream. Add all the smooth (and still cold) cream cheese to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed and stop just when all the lumps disappear. You can use a spatula to do the final mixing because it will thin out a bit once the cream cheese has been added. Try not to over mix at this point; you want to stir the cream cheese into the butter-sugar mixture rather than whip it or mix it at high speed.

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Buttercream Cheese Frosting

Sugarologie Buttercream

unsalted butter, very cold from the fridge#1.5#1 1/2#cup#339#g dried milk powder*#2.33#2 1/3#tablespoon#12#g water#1#1#tablespoon#14#g cream cheese, full fat**#12#12#tablespoon#170#g white granulated sugar#0.75#3/4#cup#150#g dried egg white powder or Wiltons meringue powder#1#1 1/2#tablespoon#9#g lemon juice (optional)#0.5#1/2#teaspoon#1#g fine sea salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g

Cream cheese buttercream can be a cake decorator’s nightmare. Most I tried were frustratingly loose and runny; they never frosted smoothly and would squeeze out between cake layers during assembly. Twenty-two rounds of testing, and 4 months later, I came up with this cream cheese frosting recipe for layer cakes.

My cream cheese buttercream is thick, creamy, and tangy. Adding meringue powder and milk powder helps stabilize the extra water in the cream cheese. This stable frosting supports the weight of multiple cake layers, frosts super smooth, and pipes intricate designs. This technique I’ve created is probably different than other cream cheese buttercreams you’ve seen, but it’s pretty awesome. You’ll be able to use cream cheese frosting for layer cakes with the same dependability you have with Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream.

To delve deeper into the science of my ButterCream Cheese Frosting, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "ButterCream Cheese Frosting Complete Guide."

Here's a video on the process:

Prep butter and milk powder: Cut cold butter into 1-inch chunks and return it to the fridge. In a small bowl, hydrate milk powder with water, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
Set up a double boiler: Prepare a double boiler for your stand mixer bowl. Bring the water to a boil.
Loosen cream cheese: Add cold cream cheese and sugar to the stand mixer bowl. Whisk on medium speed for at least 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly grainy. Set that aside while the water heats.
Heat cream cheese mixture: Place the mixer bowl over the double boiler. Stir the mixture with a spatula, heating until it reaches 170-180°F (78-82°C). At the end, carefully check the texture by rubbing a small amount between your fingers; it should feel smooth, like Vaseline, with no sugar grains. If you feel sugar, keep cooking until it all dissolves.
Add stabilizers: Remove the bowl from the double boiler and stir in the powdered egg whites and milk powder paste. Place the bowl on your stand mixer and with the whisk attachment, whisk on high speed for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens to a glue-like consistency.
Emulsify cream cheese with butter: Gradually add the cold butter chunks with the mixer on medium speed. Increase to high speed once all the butter is added, and mix until the mixture becomes a thick, off-white buttercream, about 1 to 5 minutes.
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Smooth and flavor: Switch to the paddle attachment. Add lemon juice (optional for acidity) and a small pinch of salt. Mix on low speed for about a minute to smooth out air pockets. If the frosting is too soft, chill the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes, then mix until smooth.

*The cream cheese brands that I’ve tested: Lucerne, Walmart’s Great Value, Target’s Good and Gather, Trader Joe’s, Philadelphia (block or tub)

** The citric acid in lemon juice increases the acidity or “tanginess” of cream cheese without adding a lemon flavor. It’s delicious if you love a cream cheese flavor. You can sub vanilla extract, but it adds an extra flavor element on top of the cream cheese instead of enhancing it like lemon juice.

Vanilla Classic American Buttercream

American Buttercream

unsalted butter#1.125#1 1/8#cup#254#g powdered sugar, unsifted is ok*#2.5#2 1/2#cup#300#g whole milk, cold from fridge#3.5#3 1/2#tablespoon#49#g vanilla#2#2#teaspoon#10#g cream of tartar**#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g fine salt#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g

Classic American Buttercream is a creamy frosting with a famously assertive, sweet buttery flavor. Its amazingly simple method involves mixing butter with powdered sugar, which gives the frosting great stability, but can also make it powerfully sweet and dense. In my recipe, I focused on balancing the sweetness and a lighter texture to create a version of American Buttercream that you’ll turn to over and over again.

What is the flavor and taste of Classic American Buttercream?

My version of this frosting has a well-rounded sweetness that is butter-forward with a lingering flavor of floral vanilla.

Taste-wise, Classic American Buttercream is one of the sweetest buttercreams you can make on my site, coming in at 48% sugar. In my frosting recipes, including this one, you’ll see salt as an ingredient. It not only enhances flavors in the frostings, but salt also tones down the perceived sweetness, making frostings much more enjoyable to eat.

Sourness also contrasts with sweetness very well. In baking, we commonly use several types of acids (i.e., substances that produce a sour taste). In my Classic American Buttercream, I prefer to use a strong acid that’s in powder form, so it doesn’t mess with the consistency too much. My preferred ingredients are either cream of tartar, containing tartaric acid, or citric acid.

What is the texture of Classic American Buttercream?

Classic American Buttercream has a thick and dense texture. With medium aeration and heavy-hitting ingredients (rich butter and solid sugar make up 90% of this frosting), this type is one of the densest on my site.

This buttercream style is a “crusting” type where a thin, crispy layer of sugar forms on any exposed surface. As the buttercream sits, residual water on the exposed exterior evaporates. And because American Buttercream recipes contain such a high amount of undissolved sugar, this leaves behind sugar crystals. The time to achieve “crustiness” and how crusty it gets will depend on a few factors, including the sugar and water content of your recipe, and the humidity levels of your environment.

What is the stability of Classic American Buttercream?

Due to the high butterfat and solid sugar content, Classic American Buttercream is fairly good for holding up heavy cake layers and piping intricate designs. The crusting also helps hold the piped designs for extended periods of time.

Regarding temperature stability, I have yet to test my Classic American Buttercream. However, this buttercream uses butterfat as its primary source of stability, which starts melting around 90°F/32°C. Solid sugar added to the buttercream will increase that temperature just a bit. For the most part, you’ll want to keep desserts frosted with Classic American Buttercream below this temperature and avoid placing the frosting in direct sunlight.

To delve deeper into the science of American Buttercream, including its characteristics and preparation, explore my comprehensive guide: "American Buttercream Complete Guide."

Aerate the butter. Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl). Using the whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed for about 2 minutes or until it's paler in color and slightly more voluminous. Scrape the bowl down at least once during this step.
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Add the powdered sugar in 4 to 6 increments. Pour about ¼ of the powdered sugar into the mixing bowl; you can eyeball it. Continuing with the whisk attachment, mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then switch to high speed and mix for 10-20 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and repeat this process until all the sugar is added.

Once all the powdered sugar has been added, mix for an additional minute on high speed. Scrape down the bowl.
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Add the cold milk in 2 to 3 increments. The frosting should be thickened and whiter from all the powdered sugar, so let's adjust for a softer consistency. Pour about ⅓ of the milk into the butter-sugar mixture. Continuing with the whisk attachment, mix on low speed to incorporate for a few seconds, then on high speed for 10-20 seconds. Check the consistency; if you like it, mix for a whole minute on high speed and then move to step 4. If you prefer a smoother and slightly lighter texture, repeat adding the milk, and once all the milk has been added, mix on high speed for 1 minute.
‍‍
Flavor, taste, whiten (optional) and smooth the buttercream. Switch over to the paddle attachment if you’re using a stand mixer. (With a hand mixer, use low speed for this step.) First add the vanilla extract. Then add a pinch of the cream of tartar and pinch of salt and mix for one minute. Give the frosting a taste and adjust for salt and acid.

Optionally, you can get a slightly whiter buttercream by using the end of a toothpick and adding a speck of violet food coloring to cancel out the orange undertones. When all adjustments have been finalized, mix on low speed for about 2-5 minutes.

*Try to use the highest quality powdered sugar you can find; these are typically labeled “10X” or higher. Generic brands tend to cut their powdered sugar with a higher ratio or coarser types of starch, which when uncooked, can feel grainy or sandy in the final frosting. Two American brands that I use are C&H and Domino.

Also, if you prefer a less sweet buttercream start off by only adding around 25% less in step 2. If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add the rest when you do your taste test in Step 4. This will make the buttercream a tad stiffer, but after smoothing it will be nice and creamy.

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Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream

Sugarologie Buttercream

Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted*#3#3#tablespoon#18#g boiling hot water#3#3#tablespoon#42#g any chocolate, chopped (with emulsifiers**)#1.33#1 1/3#cup#240#g unsalted butter, softened slightly#1#1#cup#226#g powdered sugar, unsifted#0.33#1/3#cup#40#g fine salt (to taste, start with a pinch)#0.125#1/8#teaspoon#0#g

This buttercream frosting is based on my American Dreamy Buttercream and has a wonderful chocolate flavor from both melted chocolate and cocoa powder. I’ve formulated this recipe so that you can use any chocolate type (chips or bar form) as well as flavor (milk to extra dark.) Because chocolate contains dissolved sugars within the finished frosting is smooth, creamy, and full of chocolate flavor.

Hydrate the cocoa powder. Sift Dutch-processed cocoa powder into a small bowl. Pour boiling water over it and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate. Chop chocolate into small pieces (if using bars) and place in a heatproof bowl.

Microwave method:
Microwave on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until 75% melted. Stir until the remaining chocolate is entirely melted.

Water bath method:
Simmer a small pan of water, then remove from heat. Place the bowl with the chocolate in hot water. Stir until melted. Avoid getting water into the chocolate to prevent seizing.

Let melted chocolate cool until the bowl is warm but not hot to the touch (80-95°F/26-35°C if you have a thermometer).

Whip butter. Add slightly softened butter to a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low to break up the butter, then on high until pale and voluminous (2-3 minutes).
Combine Chocolate and Butter. Scrape melted chocolate into the butter and mix with a spatula. Then, mix on high speed for a few minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.

Add the cocoa powder paste to the butter and chocolate mixture. Mix on high speed for a few minutes, scraping down the bowl to ensure thorough mixing. The frosting should be slightly paler and thicker.
Adjust for taste and smooth out the frosting. Taste the frosting and adjust sweetness with powdered sugar and salt as needed. Mix on high for 1 minute after adjusting.

Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for at least 3 minutes to remove air pockets. Initially, the buttercream may be loose, especially with lower-percentage chocolates, as they contain different fats and take longer to set. You can use it immediately for a softer working temperature and then chill frosted cakes in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.

If you prefer a firmer consistency when piping or spreading onto cakes, you can place the whole bowl in the freezer for a couple of minutes - just enough to get a chill on the bowl. Then, put it back on the mixer to smooth out until you like the consistency.

Conversely, if your frosting seems too stiff, you can warm it slightly to get a smoother and softer texture. Take a couple of tablespoons out from the bowl and place it into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave, then mix it back in. You can also use a hair dryer on the side of the bowl to warm the frosting slightly.

*Dutch-processed cocoa (aka European cocoa - I prefer the Droste brand) works best in this recipe. It’s an alkalized form of natural cocoa, which imparts a more mellow flavor, less acidic taste, and darker hue. Your finished frosting will have a deeper brown color and a pleasant, well-rounded chocolate flavor.
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**I’ve formulated this recipe so you can use any type of chocolate: bar, chips, or callets. This recipe only requires that the chocolate’s ingredients contain an emulsifier, which will be labeled: “lecithin,” “soy lecithin,” or “sunflower lecithin.” Most grocery store chocolates that I’ve seen will have this listed. If you’re using bar chocolate, just make sure it’s chopped to chip-like sizes. Also, you can use any flavor of chocolate (except for white), so be sure to read my guide in the intro, which will help you choose the right one.

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Chocolate Mousse

Chocolates

dark chocolate#3#3#tablespoon#42#g unsalted butter, cold from fridge#1#1#tablespoon#14#g heavy cream, cold from fridge#0.33#45294#cup#80#g sour cream, cold from fridge#2#2#tablespoon#30#g powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy#3#3#tablespoon#23#g fine salt#0###0#g

Prep bowl and chocolate.
Chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachments by placing them in the freezer for at least 5 minutes.

Chop the chocolate into chip-sized pieces and combine with unsalted butter and a pinch of salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the mixture in 20-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval until smooth (alternatively, use a double boiler). Set aside.
Whip heavy cream and sour cream.
Remove the bowl and whisks from the freezer and add chilled heavy whipping cream and sour cream. Whisk on medium speed until the cream thickens to the consistency of a melted milkshake.

Add powdered sugar and continue to mix until soft peaks form.
Mix melted chocolate into the cream mixture.
Ensure the melted chocolate is slightly warm (reheat for 10-20 seconds in the microwave if necessary) to avoid chocolate chunks in the whipped cream. Gently pour the warm chocolate into the whipped cream, folding quickly with a spatula or whisk until fully integrated and no streaks remain.
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‍Chill the mousse before use. To allow the cocoa butter to set slightly, chill the mousse in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to slightly firm up before using it to fill cakes. After filling, set the cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before applying the outer layer of frosting.Store the cake in the refrigerator, especially if using whipped cream frosting, and remove 30 minutes before serving to allow it to come to a slightly softer consistency.

My mousse features melted dark chocolate, butter, sugar, and sour cream and gains its light, airy texture from freshly whipped cream. While some chocolate mousse recipes use whipped eggs for aeration, this version relies on whipped cream instead. The result is a decadently flavored yet light and creamy mousse that's perfect for filling cakes.

What is the texture of this chocolate mousse?

A mousse is characterized more by its preparation method than its specific ingredients. Defined as a mixture lightened by incorporating air (the French term "mousse" translates to "foam"), this recipe achieves its airy texture through whipped cream. The result is a light, creamy, and foamy consistency that makes an excellent, non-heavy filling for cakes.

How stable is chocolate mousse filling?

This filling contains a high ratio of sour cream and whipped cream, both of which require refrigeration. I typically leave these types of cakes at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. Afterwards, they should be stored in the fridge, where the cold not only ensures safety but also helps stabilize the mousse. The cold causes the fat in the whipped cream to solidify, trapping air and firming up the cocoa butter in the chocolate, which further stabilizes the mousse.

For optimal layering stability in all cakes except chiffon, it's important to create a frosting dam. I recommend always using a dam with this filling, unless you're preparing a full cream cake as shown above. To construct a dam, pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of each cake layer using a piping bag before adding the mousse. This technique prevents the layers from shifting and contains the mousse effectively, ensuring a neat finish for your cake.

What type of chocolate can you use this this mousse filling?

You can use any chocolate you like, so long as you use bar chocolate and not chips. I’ve tried chips before, and they just have so little cocoa butter (or other types of fats) that they don’t melt as smoothly. They’re really made to hold that “chip” shape in cookies and not be meltable into liquid chocolate. My favorite is Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate bar because it has a bit more chocolate-forward flavor and sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter taste and lighter color, opt for milk chocolate. Conversely, chocolate bars with higher cocoa percentages will yield a more intense chocolate flavor and less sweetness in your mousse.

If you’re a visual learner, you can check out my Chocolate Mousse video to see how I put this filling together for a chocolate cake.

Strawberry Compote

Fruity

strawberries, fresh or frozen#1#1#cup#453#g white granulated sugar#2#2#tablespoon#28#g water#2#2#tablespoon#30#g lemon juice#1#1#teaspoon#5#g

*I typically use frozen strawberries as they are tasty, affordable, and available year-round, although I opt for fresh strawberries during the early summer months. Frozen strawberries tend to release more juice during cooking, not because they are juicier, but because freezing breaks down the fruit's cell walls. This damage makes them collapse more easily upon thawing, allowing them to release their juices more readily.

Prepare Strawberries:
Fresh Strawberries: Rinse, remove stems, and quarter the berries.Frozen Strawberries: Use whole; no preparation needed.
Cook the Strawberries in sugar:
Combine strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. If you prefer a less chunky compote, mash the strawberries with a fork a little. The mixture will thicken slightly as the strawberries soften.
Cool and Store:
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the compote to cool to room temperature; it will thicken as it cools. Once cooled, transfer the compote to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate, or use immediately to fill your cake.

Strawberry compote is a delightful concoction that combines the sweetness of fresh or frozen strawberries with the richness of a simple sugar syrup. This versatile filling is cooked briefly to soften the berries while maintaining their vibrant color and chunky texture.

What's the difference between a jam and a compote?

Compotes and jams are similar but differ significantly in texture, cooking process, and usage. Compote is made by simmering whole or large pieces of fruit in syrup and is a chunkier, looser preparation. Jam involves cooking the fruit with sugar until it breaks into a uniform, thicker consistency, and pectin powder is often added to help it set.

This filling is a compote, meaning it’s chunkier and sometimes contains whole, small strawberries. You can vary the chunkiness during cooking by mashing with a fork. I love this texture in cakes as it contrasts with the smooth frosting and soft cake.

It’s also very easy to customize with spices; just add some during the cooking process to add another flavor to your compote. Some ideas are a vanilla pod, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, basil, mint, or thyme.

How to use strawberry compote in a cake:

Creating a frosting dam for stability is essential when using this filling between cake layers. Simply use a piping bag to pipe a circle of frosting along the edge of each cake layer before adding the strawberry compote. This dam prevents the layers from sliding and ensures that strawberries do not protrude from the sides, giving your finished cake a neat and polished appearance.

Build your perfect cake:

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Orange Cranberry Butter Loaf Cake

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{cake-name} Cake

filled with

{filling-name}

& frosted with

{frosting-name}

Cake Size

{cake-size}

Cake Servings

{pan-serves}

Frosting Level

{frosting-level}

Frosting Quantity

{pan-frostingyield}

Filling Quantity

{pan-filling_yield}

{cake-name} Cake

{statcard-details} i.e

Difficulty Level: 2/5 (easy)

Cake Texture: Soft and tender, with medium-light crumb

Flavor Profile: Assertive earthy ube with a buttermilk undertones

Appearance: Vivid purple

Best for: Ube lovers

Good Frosting Pairings: Cream Cheese Frostings

Filling ideas: Coconut

Cake Family: Creamed Fat Cakes

Cake Parent: Yellow Base

{cake-intro} i.e

What is the flavor of this chocolate cake?

Here’s a video on making this cake:

{frosting-name}

{statcard-details} i.e

Difficulty Level: 2/5 (easy)

Cake Texture: Soft and tender, with medium-light crumb

Flavor Profile: Assertive earthy ube with a buttermilk undertones

Appearance: Vivid purple

Best for: Ube lovers

Good Frosting Pairings: Cream Cheese Frostings

Filling ideas: Coconut

Cake Family: Creamed Fat Cakes

Cake Parent: Yellow Base

{frosting-intro} i.e
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Now we're going to alternate dry (flour mixture) and buttermilk.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until almost all the flour has been mixed in. Scape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is gone.
Add half the buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
Add another 1/3 of the flour, mix, and scrape.
Add the rest of the buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
Add the final 1/3 of the flour, which I like to do by hand with a spatula to avoid over-mixing.

{filling-name}

{statcard-details} i.e

Difficulty Level: 2/5 (easy)

Cake Texture: Soft and tender, with medium-light crumb

Flavor Profile: Assertive earthy ube with a buttermilk undertones

Appearance: Vivid purple

Best for: Ube lovers

Good Frosting Pairings: Cream Cheese Frostings

Filling ideas: Coconut

Cake Family: Creamed Fat Cakes

Cake Parent: Yellow Base

{filling-intro} i.e
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Now we're going to alternate dry (flour mixture) and buttermilk.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until almost all the flour has been mixed in. Scape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is gone.
Add half the buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
Add another 1/3 of the flour, mix, and scrape.
Add the rest of the buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
Add the final 1/3 of the flour, which I like to do by hand with a spatula to avoid over-mixing.

Pan: {pan-name}

{pan-intro} i.e
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Now we're going to alternate dry (flour mixture) and buttermilk.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until almost all the flour has been mixed in. Scape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is gone.
Add half the buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
Add another 1/3 of the flour, mix, and scrape.
Add the rest of the buttermilk, mix, and scrape.
Add the final 1/3 of the flour, which I like to do by hand with a spatula to avoid over-mixing.

Read this before you begin

The Cakeculator recipes work best with grams.

For consistent results, measure ingredients by weight. I develop recipes using grams, which is why they are listed first. For measurements under 5 grams, I provide volumetric measurements (e.g., teaspoons) as home scales often lack precision at smaller weights.

This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.

I've converted grams to volume-based measurements (cups, teaspoons, etc.) for American bakers who prefer it. While these are less precise and may result in awkward proportions, the recipes will still work. For optimal precision, use weight measurements.

Use room temperature ingredients.

All my ingredients are used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F (18-24 °C). I will always indicate if you need something warmer or cooler. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.

Pay attention to the ingredient types.

I avoid being brand-specific but will note interesting results from different ingredients. For salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for everything except frostings, where finer table salt is preferred as it dissolves more easily. If substituting table salt for kosher salt in my recipes, use half the volume indicated.

Substitutions are hard.

That said, they aren’t impossible but are probably the most challenging aspect of recipe development. For example, substituting reduced-fat milk for whole milk (reducing fat by less than 2%) is usually fine. However, replacing oil with applesauce or Greek yogurt with sour cream in things likes cakes can affect some pretty big things like texture and density. I am quite meticulous about selecting ingredients for my recipes, so start with the original for the best results, and make modifications cautiously.

Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.

I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club—and I invite you to join! Preparing ahead can ease the intimidation of baking, especially with cakes. Consider making frostings or fillings in advance, as I do. I will try to always note these things in my recipes. As you become more proficient, you'll anticipate steps and prepare accordingly (e.g., needing an extra clean bowl for a meringue). Also, check your ingredient list and gather everything you need before starting.

{cake-name} Cake

filled with

{filling-name}

& frosted with

{frosting-name}

Cake Size

{cake-size}

Cake Servings

{pan-serves}

Frosting Level

{frosting-level}

Frosting Quantity

{pan-frostingyield}

Filling Quantity

{pan-filling_yield}

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The Cakeculator

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Step 3. Add powdered sugar

Step 4. Whisk until soft peaks

Step 5. Manually whisk

A larger whipped cream tutorial is in the works, but in the meantime, here's a video describing this frosting:

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A comprehensive guide of whipped creams is in the works, but in the meantime, I do have this older video, which covers the basics:

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Build your perfect cake:

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Pan Size

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Need help with the Cakeculator?

The Cakeculator Quick Start Guide

How to Pick the Right Buttercream

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Stuck on what to select in the Cakeculator?

Orange Cranberry Butter Loaf Cake

Red Velvet Cake with Ermine Frosting

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{cake-name} Cake

{cake-name} Cake

What is the flavor of this chocolate cake?

Here’s a video on making this cake:

{frosting-name}

Now we're going to alternate dry (flour mixture) and buttermilk.

The Cakeculator
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