For years, I have been trying to recreate a simple layer cake that my mother used to make 40 years ago, and I’ve been unsuccessful.  I’m lokoing for a simple butter flavored yellow layer cake that is NOT light and fluffy.  Her cake had some “density”, and I can only describe it as having “texture”, as opposed to the light airy cakes that are more typical.  Sort of like the difference between a good whole grain loaf of bread and simple Blue Ribbon white bread.  Her cake wasn’t overly sweet, and I remember it as slightly chewy, or at least a bit heavier. 

Any suggestions?  I have found the ‘perfect” bittersweet chocolate frosting, but the frosting screams out for a better cake.

Lee G.

What part of the world was your mother from? If US or Canadian, what ethnic background—or what other factors were likely to influence her choice of recipe sources? Those are important clues.

From your description of the cake, it’s possibly a relative of pound cake. In UK and Australian cookery, that could be a Madeira cake. Google the term. You’ll find several versions but basically, it’s a cross between English sponge and pound cake. No Madeira in it at all, but supposedly often served with Madeira.

In North America, you’re probably looking at some version of a Gold Cake. Rose has one - her All-Occasion Downy Yellow p 39 The Cake Bible. It’s delicious but possibly has a lighter, softer texture than what you’re after. Have a look at the Eight-Yolk Cake in The Joy of Cooking. It’s almost exactly the same recipe as the Gold Cake in my 93-year-old mother’s first cookbook, The American Woman’s Cook Book published by the Culinary Arts Institute in 1949. Only difference is that the Joy recipe adds lemon along with the vanilla and has 1/2 tsp less baking powder.

Sounds like perhaps a pound cake (as Carolita suggests). Perhaps The Cake Bible’s pound cake, but made with bleached AP flour instead of cake flour to give it a little more texture.

I’ve never tried TCB’s pound cake as a layer cake. Have you, Julie? Anyone? I was always after the lighter melting texture, and she wrote that there’s no way to keep those qualities in anything larger than a loaf pan or small bundt.

But your idea, Julie, of using bleached AP might well do the trick. Rose also has some suggestions on p 26 TCB for those who prefer a denser, chewier pound cake (powdered sugar in place of granulated and a reduction in both butter and baking powder). And TCB has a larger version of her Perfect Pound Cake in a 12-cup bundt that she says is firmer but still tender and buttery.

Keep us posted on your research, Lee. And btw, welcome to the forum!

Carol and Lee, sorry, I didn’t really tune in to the need to bake it in a layer cake pan! It is possible that the AP flour might work, but I haven’t tried it so it would definitely be a test cake.

The golden dream and the grand marnier wedding cakes are layer versions of what thought was not possible other than a loaf or bundt for the lemon poppyseed cake or the grand marnier choco chip, respectivelly.  These are denser and firmer buttercakes, don’t crumble yet melt in your mouth, yum!  I believe AP flour did the trick.

I agree that it sounds like our madeira cake ,it was the first thing that came to my mind reading your post.The cake is usually not iced necessarily.It is nice also sliced and buttered.It is definately not a light or airy consistancy and it is a lovely cake

http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/7031/madeira-cake.aspxThis is an australian and new zealand website,but I noticed Nigella Lawson makes madiera also.Hope this helps .Recipe like grandma used to make as quoted on their website.

Im sorry the previous website seemed to have errors,I hope this one helpshttp://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/better-blogs/article/-/5822507/madeira-cake/

Sounds like a 1-2-3-4 cake.  Google it.

Julius, that was my thought too!

Carole Walter has a 1-2-3-4 cake recipe in her book Great Cakes. It is the Absolutely the Best Yellow Cake recipe. I’ve been meaning to try it for ages…never have. I have The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread out from the library right now, and the basic yellow cake recipe in there is based on Carole’s but with some modifications.

It’s a very classic cake recipe and from what I hear it is neither super heavy nor super fluffy.

I was inspired to google it, as Julius suggested. Found this link:
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcakes.html#1234cake
and copied out the Duncan Hines recipe to try some day. Fascinating site, btw, well worth a browse.