Baking a Cake From Scratch

Baking a cake from scratch is not difficult.
I have several recipe books and use from several that I have had over 20 years.

To start you want your pans prepared. Grease and flour the pans. Usually I like to make a 2 layer cake that is made with 2 9" round pans.

Let me use a recipe I really like. My husband enjoys chocolate cake but some family members aren't big on chocolate so here is a banana cake recipe.

Baking a cake from scratch can be just as easy as a mix. You just want to make sure you have all your ingredients before you start. Take inventory and read the ingredients. Read your recipe through because once in awhile I will notice that they ask for something that isn't on the ingredients list. Then you have to substitute or make a quick run to the store.

Our banana cake recipe starts with creaming the shortening and sugar together. It calls for 3/4 cup shortening and 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. Shortening should be soft (you can use butter or margarine, a stick of margarine is 1/2 cup so you would use 1 and 1/2 sticks) and mix the sugar with it on low speed with an electric hand mixer.

As we continue baking a cake from scratch we will add 1 cup (about 3 bananas) of mashed bananas to the shortening mix, then add 1/2 cup milk, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, Mix these all together with your electric mixer on medium speed until everything is mixed and creamy.

I will then just add the 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder plus 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I add one on top of the other and then just mix it all in at one time. Start the electric mixer on slow and gradually get it to high as it mixes.

When you have a smooth mix you are ready to pour it into the prepared pans. Pour some into each pan and get them where they are almost equal. Now I will take and just give each pan two hard taps on the counter to remove air bubbles. Just grab the top with both hands for this. At this point they are ready to bake.

Bake the cake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes a put a knife in the center. If the knife comes out clean the cake should be done. I don't like to over bake a cake as it dries it out.

Now that you know how easy baking a cake from scratch is you can add a nice butter cream frosting and have a delicious cake that you can decorate.

Think of how many orders you could get for homemade cake and beautifully decorated too.

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