As the school year is back into full swing, I need to do my hobbies to make sure that I don’t go insane. Therefore, I have begun the process of trying to make my simple cakes more elevated. In this post, I’m going to share with you how to go from a basic 88¢ Great Value White Cake Mix to the best looking and tasting cake that I have ever made.
Part 1: The Cake
The part seems like it would be as simple as following the instructions, but it isn’t. We are going to make some adjustments. If you want this to be more than your average grocery store cake mix, you will have to do some things that are different. This will really up the flavor factor.
Firstly, we are going to forego the vegetable oil, and instead, we will replace it with some melted butter and DOUBLE THE AMOUNT. The recipe called for 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, so we add 1 cup of melted butter.
Secondly, we aren’t going to put in water. We are going to put in milk instead. But that’s too simple. Put the same amount of milk as you would water into a liquid measuring cup. Then add 2.5 tbsp of lemon juice. Stir and leave it there for 5-10 minutes. Then, add that into the mix.
Then, add your 4 egg whites. No change here. You can use the whole egg if you want. That’s the difference between it being a white cake and a yellow cake. I wanted more of a whiter cake, so I decided to leave the yokes out.
Finally, you can add your flavors here. I added vanilla extract (only like 1 tbsp), but feel free to experiment. Add the zest and juice of 2 small lemons. Maybe add some spices to make it a spice cake. Customize it. Make it your own.
Prepare your pans. Bake it. Let it cool completely. And level the cakes to make them even.
Part 2: Buttercream Frosting
I have done this enough times in the past month to memorize how it is made. Get 2 softened sticks of butter. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat it on a low speed for about 5 minutes until it is a very pale yellow – almost white.
Then you will have 5 cups of powered sugar. You will then sift it. One cup at a time, you will (on a low speed) add in the powdered sugar. After 3 additions, it should look like this.
Here is where you’ll add in 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream. And mix. Then, add the remainder of your powdered sugar (still one cup at a time).
Time to add in your flavoring. I like to do 1.5-2 tbsp so that the flavor is prominent, but do what works for your taste buds. I did more vanilla here because I didn’t want to make it too complicated yet. If the frosting is too thick, add about a tsp of milk. It’ll look like this.
Frost the cake, and let it chill in the fridge while we move onto the next part.
Part 3: Ganache
This was my first time making a ganache, and it was so much easier than anticipated. You’ll need 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream and 1 cup of white chocolate.
Put the heavy cream in a saucepan. On a medium high heat, bring it to a point until right as it starts bubbling. This happens very quickly, so don’t go anywhere.
Once it begins bubbling, pour the heavy cream over the white chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, stir it for 2-3 minutes or until it is all completely incorporated.
Now, I decided to add some coloring and raspberry extract here because my cake is completely white and vanilla, but this next part is optional. Add one drop of a gel food coloring and a tablespoon of whatever flavoring you would like. Get fancy.
Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature:
This part is messy. Pour it all over your cake. Work quickly as it will harden fast.
Part 4: Stabilized Whipped Cream
Last part is the time to get fancy. This really elevated the cake in my opinion. This was a super easy process too.
You will want 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract. This process is made easier if you chill the bowl in advance. On a low speed, beat it until soft peaks form. Now, you will alternate between adding pudding mix and 1/3 cup of powered sugar. I started and ended with the pudding mix. (Pudding Mix – Powdered Sugar – Pudding Mix – Powered Sugar – Pudding Mix). Then, I added a tsp of milk to thin it out just a bit.
I used this to pipe on designs on the cake. It lead to this super yummy final product. It also demystified making ganache and stabilized whipped cream. I definitely recommend making this smooth and delicious cake.
This cake was truly amazing. It’s flavor is out of this world. The pillowy soft cake pairs perfectly with the smooth buttercream, sweet ganache, and the decadent stabilized whipped cream. Make your own version of this cake with the flavors you love and post it in the comments. Let’s see those baking masterpieces.
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