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Monday, March 27, 2023

I think cake batter is better than the baked cake; change my mind

 

My son and daughter-in-law came over last night to help us finish birthday celebrations for our daughters. I baked a chocolate-chocolate chip layer cake and frosted it on Saturday afternoon, adapting a recipe to use part butter/part oil, sub soy milk for dairy milk, increase the cocoa powder, and add chocolate chips per my daughters' request. The frosting was a cocoa buttercream made with water instead of milk. 

I've probably baked well over 100 scratch cakes in the 30-some years I've been married. And I still believe that the batter tastes better than the baked cake. I licked the beaters and scraped the bowl with a spatula as my lunch on Saturday. Mmm, mmm, good.

Here's the finished cake, waiting for our guests to arrive. The rest of the dinner of Walking Tacos, tangerines, and alcohol-free sangria turned out fine. Although, I think I was rushing a bit while cooking the chicken and beef for the tacos and didn't season it well enough. Fortunately, we had salsa and hot sauce on hand for everyone.

A fun evening, but I was bushed today.

By the way, the rest of my family thinks the baked cake is better than the batter. How could I possibly be related to them? Oh well, this means I get the beaters and the bowl. I'll put up with being the outlier if it means more cake batter for me.

13 comments:

  1. Sounds like a delicious meal! I've always really enjoyed white and yellow cake batter raw, until having to switch to gluten-free flour. Ooh, and brownie batter? Could eat loads of that raw. Something in the gluten-free flours, maybe the rice flour, gives it a gritty consistency so I'm no longer tempted.

    Cat

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    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      I know what you mean about the texture difference in GF batters. I think rice flour also has a slightly bitter taste to it when raw, compared to wheat flour. Oh, I love brownie batter, too. It's better than the baked brownies.

      Delete
  2. You are right and your family is wrong. Cake batter is way better than cake! Your cake looks beautiful. I almost never make layer cakes--I'm lazy in that regard. I have a chocolate zucchini cake recipe from my mom, and that's the rare exception for me in terms of batter vs cake--both are equally good. I'm guessing it's due to the moisture from the zucchini. Your meal sounds delicious, Lili.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      your mom's chocolate zucchini cake sounds wonderful! That recipe may be one I request from you when we do a post sharing recipes. Great idea, by the way!

      Delete
  3. Lynn from NC Outer BanksMarch 28, 2023 at 7:09 AM

    I like batters too, especially chocolate cake or brownies. But I like the finished product as well, so I'm not an either-or girl-I'm liking them both!

    Your dinner sounds like a great way to continue with the celebration with a delicious menu and your finished cake is lovely. Like Kris, I don't often make layer cakes. I have a banana cake recipe that was always my go to birthday cake for the kids. Really, it's about the only scratch cake I make. I tend to make it in a sheet pan dish though I have done it with a Bundt pan with a glaze over the top. However, I think a frosted layer cake is so much prettier!

    I always get Southern Living magazine and swoon at their "white cake" that is always on their Christmas issue cover. I save those and keep thinking that one of these days, I'm going to try and make one of those show stopping cakes! Hope springs eternal!

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    Replies
    1. Hmm, I wouldn't mind that banana cake recipe, Lynn. We haven't shared recipes for awhile, Lili--maybe that could be a future post?

      Delete
    2. Hi Lynn,
      I had to see what you were talking about with the Southern Living Christmas issue covers, so I searched "Southern Living December Issue" and toggled to the images. Wow, those are some spectacular looking cakes! I'm not suer which back issue I liked best. I always have a couple fo special treats I hope to make at Christmas, but rarely get to them. The holiday season is so busy, adding a special dessert or treat just falls to the bottom of my to-do list. But I'm rooting for you to do one of those show-stopping cakes some year.

      I'm with Kris, your banana cake recipe sounds good and one I'd like to try, too.

      Delete
  4. Such a beautiful cake, and made from scratch. I'm a total outlier, having never baked a cake from scratch or tasted batter. My mother did not allow me in the kitchen so I had a very late start. Home Ec classes were my teachers and earning the worst grades there certainly didn't help. Still shuddering from the look that my college professor (a class requirement for Nutrition majors) made as she peered at my unleavened rolls. That was 48 years ago, and I can't forget her look (astonishment mixed with disapproval and humor). It wasn't just in her facial but her gait as she walked by.

    Again, off topic. Have a good day and hope you get some rest,
    Laura

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    Replies
    1. Hi Laura,
      We each have different gifts. My own mother never baked cakes from scratch, always used mixes. She would say the mixes were more reliable than doing a cake from scratch. I'm sorry your Home Ec classes were more of a challenge than a joy for you.

      I will confess my first attempt at baking bread. I was 19 at the time, working a graveyard shift several nights a week. On one of my nights off, I decided to bake whole wheat bread. I knew nothing about yeast breads. I didn't knead it nearly enough and I erroneously thought it would rise in the oven (you know, like biscuits do) so I didn't leave it to rise very long. I put the loaf into the oven, then laid down on the couch in the next room to listen to music. I fell asleep. I woke to the smell of something burning, ran to the kitchen, and as I opened the oven door, smoke came pouring out. My loaf of bread was a solid, burned brick. It was too hard to slice. My roommates got a great laugh out of that when they woke up the next morning. I'm surprised I ever got up the confidence to try again 10 years later.

      Have a great rest of your evening, Laura.

      Delete
    2. Lili, I think I've complained about this before because I recall your incident exactly. It's probably unfair to blame a late start as to why I don't haveconfidence in the kitchen. We can be motivated to overcome obstacles. I may not have joyful memories in the kitchen, but I value the kitchen as a place to tweak and find recipes. When I see a recipe that is simple and nutritious, I can't wait to try it, hoping to introduce it to our diet. My husband cooks but likes to make food taste good without regard to nutrition.

      Delete
    3. Hi Laura,
      No worries. I think you have a great perspective on creating healthy dishes. Your attitude is valuable and probably presents a good balance for your husband's cooking.

      Delete
  5. I haven't eaten cake batter nor licked the beaters since I was a child. My mom always gave us kids the chance for lick the bowl and the beaters and I have done the same for my kids. When I make a cake now, I always offer the beater and bowl to my husband. I do, however, like licking the beater of whipped cream. I'll stick with a baked cake only because of the raw egg issue in the batter. Not sure I trust store bought eggs enough to eat even a partial one raw.

    And YES to recipe sharing since that sounds like fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alice,
      I did the same with my kids when they were little, as did my mother with myself and my siblings. Batter on a beater is such a treat to a child. Like a lollipop or popsicle.
      A recipe sharing post sounds like it would be a fun one. I'll put something together to get it started this next week.

      Delete

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