This easy White Almond Sour Cream Cake (Doctored Cake Mix Recipe) is delicious, dense enough to hold up to fondant, versatile enough for cupcakes, and sturdy enough to handle light carving.
Doctored Cake Mixes vs. Scratch
Some bakers want to work exclusively with scratch recipes, while others prefer to only work with doctored cake mixes. Some people have STRONG feelings about which team they’re on, haha.
If you ever want to spark a heated discussion, hop over to a cake website’s message boards and ask which is better- mix or scratch. (Don’t do it!)
For me, I have recipes that I LOVE that fall into both categories. Whether it is a scratch cake recipe or doctored doesn’t matter so much to me as how the cake tastes!
Plus, with doctored cake mixes like this one, the cake mix is just the base–the secret is the ingredients and extracts that you add to make it your own.
This White Almond Sour Cream Cake is a great example of a tried and true doctored cake mix recipe that would please any crowd!
Do you Have to Use Almond in this cake recipe?
I love the flavor and texture of this cake. The sour cream in the recipe gives it a soft consistency with a tighter crumb. I really like almond desserts and so for me, the hint of almond in this cake recipe is delicious.
However, if you are not a fan of almond, no problem! Simply leave the almond flavoring out and you will have a fantastic White Sour Cream Cake recipe to serve your friends and family.
Is this Cake Suitable For Carving?
This cake would hold up just fine for light carving.
However, if your cake calls for more extensive carving, or tapering as with a topsy turvy design, the much denser “Durable Doctored Cake Mix Recipe” in our Recipes section would be my preference.
This White Almond Sour Cream cake is very versatile. You can substitute other cake mix flavors with great results.
We also have a fabulous Chocolate (doctored cake mix) version of this cake which you can find here!: Chocolate Sour Cream Cake: Doctored Cake Mix Recipe.
Scratch Version of White Almond Sour Cream Cake
We discovered this popular White Almond Sour Cream Cake years ago on CakeCentral.com (where it is very well known and often abbreviated as WASC). We use this recipe often, but also get rave reviews for our scratch version of this cake which can be found here: Scratch White Almond Sour Cream Cake Recipe.
Don’t miss these other delicious Doctored Cake Mix Recipes!
We’ve made many doctored cake mix recipes over the years! These cakes are super moist, have wonderful flavor, and they taste like they were made from scratch. Each of these cake mix recipes are altered with additional ingredients to make them uniquely delicious. Enjoy!
We hope that you enjoy this recipe!
White Almond Sour Cream Cake~Doctored Cake Mix
This delicious White Almond Sour Cream Cake is a great, flavorful go-to doctored cake mix recipe. Many of our doctored cake mix cakes are based on this popular recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix, sifted (we use cake mix without pudding in the mix)
- 1 cup (121g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (200) granulated sugar
- generous dash of salt
- 1 cup (242g) sour cream or plain yogurt (greek yogurt is fine also)
- 1 cup (240g) water
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla
- ½ teaspoon (2g) almond (If you don't want almond, you can substitute additional vanilla)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour two 8x2 round cake pans. (You could also divide the batter between three 8 inch cake layers if you would rather have an additional layer of filling).
In the bowl of your mixer, combine dry ingredients and whisk at least 30 seconds to blend.
In another bowl, combine sour cream, water, eggs, & flavorings. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stop after 1 minute to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl then continue to beat for the second minute.
Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees....check at 35 minutes to see if middle of cake springs back when touched, a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake come out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, and the cake will be slightly pulled away from the pan.
We bake at 325 degrees to decrease the height of the dome on the cakes.
Makes about 7 cups of batter. Works well for cupcakes.
Decorating the Cake..
(*The cake in our photo was frosted with our Classic Vanilla Buttercream. We used the beautiful piped buttercream technique which we teach in our free video tutorial for Cascading Rosettes of Buttercream!)
My Cake School- Online Cake Tutorials, Cake Recipes, and More! Learn with Us!
Thanks for stopping by! We hope that you enjoy this White Almond Sour Cream Cake as much as we have! Also, don’t miss our full collection of tried and true cake and frosting recipes from our Recipes Section!
We have more doctored cake mixes like this one, as well as tons of tried and true scratch recipes.
You can also find fun cake projects in our Free Cake Tutorials Section. Or, if you are interested in accessing our entire collection of hundreds of cake decorating tutorials, you should consider becoming a member of My Cake School!
Memberships are $30/year and will give you access to every video we’ve made for as long as you are a member. You can find all of the details here: Joining Information for My Cake School. We would love to have you!
Is this the cake recipe you used for the spiral train cake? Would the Chocolate durable recipe work for the train cake?
Has anyone tried this with a gluten-free cake mix and gluten-free flour?
Hi Bebe! On March 15, 2016 you commented with your version of the doctored recipe which included vegetable oil but there was no sour cream listed. So I was about to run to the store with my list and was thrown off by that. Do you leave the sour cream out of the WASC cake now when using the 15.25 yellow or white cake mix?
Hello Coreen! To answer your question, this WASC recipe as listed at the top of the page should be made just as it is (sour cream and all). No changes are necessary to account for the change in box size.
I’ve altered the comment that you mentioned to make it a bit more clear. Mom was actually referencing/listing our doctored White Cake recipe in that post (where we actually did add a bit of flour to account for the change in box size.) -That was just to explain that while we didn’t make any alterations to our WASC recipe, we did change up the other recipe a bit. I hope this helps!
This cake is AMAZING! I am a stickler about vanilla cake because it’s my favorite. This cake has so much flavor & is incredibly moist. This is my new go-to vanilla cake!
Hi Jenny, Thank you for posting your comment on this recipe. We’re very happy you like the recipe.
Hi. What frosting/filling do you recommend for this cake?
This is a cake recipe that can be paired with almost everything. If you leave out the almond flavoring and lemon flavoring you will have a basic vanilla cake. Adding a bit more almond flavoring and you could have a raspberry filling with vanilla buttercream. Cherry flavored buttercream goes well with almond and well as a butter pecan buttercream. Leaving out the almond and adding a bit more lemon goes well with a lemon curd filling and lemon buttercream. Also good with a coconut filling plus coconut frosting. Lots of possibilities with this cake.
Hi Melissa –
Can this recipe be doubled for a large batch?
Thank you
Michelle
Hi Michelle, Yes, the recipe can be doubled
Hi there, I was wondering if all of your recipes and tutorials are on Pinterest?
HI ejfan, Most of our cake recipe are on Pinterest and also pictures of cakes. The cakes that are video tutorials can only be viewed by members of the site.
You can pin the video tutorials, do I not need to pay for a subscription anymore?
Does this wasc dense enough to hold multiple layers / stacking
Hi Nannie- Yes, it is dense enough for stacking but you will need to use supports for your tiered cakes as usual. Hope you enjoy the recipe ;0)
Quick I need help! lol I am making mini naked cakes for a party and they want 60 individual cakes (double stacked and I assumed I’d use a 4″ biscuit cutter to cut out)…..how much stuff should I buy to make all of these?!
@Hdureah- Hi- I would take out the sheet cake pans that you’d like to use for this project, flip one over, and using your biscuit cutter, see how many 4″ cakes you can get from each sheet cake. Then you’ll know how many sheet cakes to make. Here is a link to Wilton’s serving & batter chart which includes sheet cake amounts if you’re unsure of how many cups of batter it will take to fill your pans. This recipe makes about 7 cups of batter. Good luck!
http://www.wilton.com/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
can i use this recipe for a box red velvet cake mix fr cup cake.
Hi Rose, Yes, you can use red velvet cake mix in the recipe, I would add 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (sift the cocoa to remove any lumps).
It will make great cupcakes.
Thanks so much for sharing such yummy cake recipes with us. The WASC cake recipe using the boxed cake mix—is there no oil or butter needed in this recipe?
Thanks so much,
ml
I LOVE this recipe!!! I get compliments on it every time I make it! Thanks for all the GREAT tutorials and recipes!!!?❤️?❤️
What is your favorite brand of cake mix to use for this? Thank you so much!
Hi Alicia, We almost always use Duncan Hines.
Can I use cake flour?
Hi Chan tell, Yes, you can use cake flour
Can you bake this cake in an 8″x3″ round pan? I need to make a tall cake (tiered and fondant covered) and was wondering if I can just bake this in one 8×3 round pan and torte my layers instead of baking in several pans.
Hi Nadia, We always bake in 2 inch deep pans. If you bake in a 3″ pan I would lower the temperature to 325 degrees and lengthen the baking time. You will probably also need to wrap the pan in a baking strip so the outside of the cake layer will not over bake. It is also good to use a baking nail (rose nail) in the center to help with even baking. Don’t overfill the pan, 1/2 full is probably best.
If I made this for a wedding cake (enough for 5 tiers) would it be possible to bake early and freeze so I can assemble at the last minute?
Hi Susan, We don’t freeze decorated tiers, I’m not sure if that is what you had in mind. I definitely recommend baking and freezing the individual layers or freezing the tiers filled and crumb coated. Just keep airtight by wrapping in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Let thaw to add the final frosting or fondant. We have successfully frozen cake layers for 2 months. Hope all goes well.
Hi Bebe, in Nadia’s post above referencing 3 inch pans, you suggested that she reduce her oven temp to 325. I think the original oven temp is also 325. So I wasn’t sure hitch temp is correct. Thanks so much Bebe! Thanks for all you ladies do for us!
Hello. Thank you for hosting such a great site!
I made your scratch German Chocolate Cake for a birthday present, and everyone loved it :).
This cake and the chocolate sour cream cake look wonderful. I am planning to do mini bundt cakes (12 cavity pan) in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, and I was hoping you could suggest how to doctor the strawberry cake mix, please.
I was also hoping you could share what kind of glaze or glazes would be good to go with each cake flavor. I do not want to use frosting so as not to cover the pretty shape of the bundts.
Thank you!!
Can I make cupcakes with these
Hi Trina, Yes, you can make cupcakes with the White Almond Sour Cream, doctored recipe. If you want a vanilla cupcake, just leave out the almond extract.
Made this for a friend who asked me to bake a cake for her – I am a hobby baker. It was a hit! Very moist & tasted great. I did omit the almond extract, I don’t like the flavor. I topped it with the white chocolate buttercream icing. Loved it!
Hi Cyndi, Wonderful! We are so happy you like the recipe! We use this recipe very often for Melissa’s demonstration cakes. I usually leave out the almond also, it makes a great vanilla cake. Thanks so much for posting your thoughts on this cake.
What size pans for a round cake? Do you grease and flour or just grease? Thank you!
Hi Diana, For this cake we use two 8 inch round cake pans that are 2 inches deep. We grease and flour them. You could also add a parchment or wax paper round to the bottom of the pan for extra insurance against sticking. You would grease your pans, add the parchment paper, grease it also then flour the pan.
Do you change anything in this recipe if baking cupcakes?
Hi Sharlyn, Usually cupcakes are baked at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes (checking at 18 minutes). Because this recipe uses a cake mix
the cupcakes will have a higher dome than when using a scratch cake recipe. We would usually bake this recipe at 350 and trim off the dome if it was higher than we wanted because frosting is going to cover the top. If you want a lower dome you could bake at 325 degrees, and baking time would increase a bit.
Hi… can this batter be tinted
Hi Kathy, Yes, the batter can be tinted.
Hi :)
I tried this for the first time as a trial run( I need to make cupcakes for a wedding ) and used Betty Crocker Butter Pecan mix….
I’m a scratch baker, and found the mix by itself was lacking, so tried this…just using vanilla
I thought the comment would be that the flavour was muted, but instead they said it was too dense ( I thought so too) Is there anything that I could add to ” de-densify ” ? Thank you!
Hi Jane, If you would like a less dense cupcake, I think you will like this simple recipe from the recipe section, White Cake (doctored cake mix) here is a link https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/white-cake/. Though mayonnaise may sound a bit unusual, it adds moistness and richness to the recipe. It will work with any flavor of cake mix. You can leave out the almond flavoring if you like. The vanilla extract helps take away the box cake mix flavor. I hope it works for you.
Thanks BeBe …but I do want the butter pecan flavour to be prominent…and I have to also make a small cutting cake …since my tiers are high usually, I’m concerned about the box mix holding up under fondant while travelling to their venue….
Will the version with just mayonnaise added be a smaller batch..like cake mix alone? Because the WASC made more..I was able to get 24 good sized cupcakes using roughly 52g of batter in each…Aah !!
Hi Jane, I didn’t realize you were making a cake also. The White Cake (doctored) will not hold up to fondant or make as many cupcakes as the WASC. To lighten up the recipe for a less dense cake you could try replacing the 1 cup all purpose flour with cake flour. Also, you could separate the egg whites from the yolks. Add the yolks with the other ingredients, beat the egg whites to the soft peak stage and fold into the cake batter at the end. Though I have not tried this it seems logical that it would work. I am going to give it a try soon. Good luck!
Hi, I need to make a cake using 2 loaf pans, 8×4. Will this recipe work if I extend the time of baking to 55-60 min? Should I lower the temp to 300 and/or use rose nails? Thanks in advance!
Hi Tabs, This recipe makes approximately 7 cups of cake batter. You should have about 3 1/2 cups batter for each pan. I think the pans could hold 4 cups of batter. I have not baked this recipe in a loaf pan, but it will be fine to do so. It will help with distributing the heat to use a rose nail, though not absolutely necessary. Bake at 325 degrees, check for doneness at 35 minutes, it could take up to 50 minutes. If the top seems to be getting too brown, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. The cakes will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes then turn out and let cool completely.
Tried this today. Used the creme bouquet and 1/2 tsp of Vanilla flavoring. Also subbed 1 C of milk for the water. Reminds me a angel food cake. Yummy!
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for posting your thoughts on the recipe.
Hi again…So what I finally ended up doing was switching to cake flour, adding in the 2 TBSPS oil, separating the all the eggs…yolks in with the batter, whites beaten and folded in last…used one cup water…1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 a vanilla beabn scraped….very happy with the result!
Thanks again!!
Hi Jane, It is good to know what worked for you to have a less dense cake when using the WASC recipe. Thanks so much for posting your method.
Hi, the cake mix sizes have been reduced and this sometime causes measurements to be off. What size are you using or does it matter ?
Hi Chaun, We most often use Duncan Hines brand of cake mix and it is 15.25 oz. I usually add 6 tablespoons of all purpose (plain) flour to the cake mix. With the above White Almond Sour Cream cake recipe I do not add additional flour because the recipe has 1 cup of flour . I hope you like the cake.
What is the best filling to use with this cake and also with the chocolate sour cream doctored recipe?
Hi BeBe…almost my “D Day”…pickup on Friday around noon for Saturday wedding…I had used your suggestions for cupcake trial
Jane July 27, 2017 at 6:40 am
Hi again…So what I finally ended up doing was switching to cake flour, adding in the 2 TBSPS oil, separating the all the eggs…yolks in with the batter, whites beaten and folded in last…used one cup water…1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 a vanilla beabn scraped….very happy with the result!
Thanks again!!
Now for the real thing…I’m going to bake the cupcakes and ice them thursday…actually 2 recipes and 2 types of icing…so was going to bake cake layers ahead..wondering how far I can …also need to cover it(I’m s l o w…) and I guess decorate it thursday…oh..using 6” pans ..3 or 4? with one recipe….Thanks!!
Jane
adding something else…I have pre baked and frozen …really well wrapped scratch cake layers…they were even moister…could I do taht with this recipe, and bake them today? I guess I need to worry about the friday pickup day…and hope that they keep everything sealed and fridged till saturday..
Thanks
jane
Hi Jane, Yes, you can bake and freeze the cake layers. Almost all of our cake recipes can be frozen. Take the layers out of the freezer on Thursday, the day you plan to decorate. Condensation will form on the top of the wrapped cakes, at that point, unwrap and let the layers continue to thaw. If you are using buttercream to frost your cake, you can crumb coat and decorate with the cake partially frozen. If you are using the Viva paper towel method of smoothing buttercream, you MUST wait until the cake layers are completely back to room temperature or it will take the buttercream forever to crust. If you are using 6 inch cake pans you will have enough for 3 pans, with 2 cups of batter in each pan. I had posted at the end of the recipe that there are 7 cups of batter, however, I made this recipe over the weekend and maybe I miscounted as I was filling the pans, but I thought there was about 7 3/4 cups batter. Anyway you will definitely have enough for 3 layers, possibly 4. If you do use 4 layers you will have a double barrel cake and will need to have a cake cardboard circle between the 4 layers (2 cake layers, dowels, cake circle, 2 more cake layers). We rarely refrigerate our cupcakes because we think refrigeration tends to dry them out. Once you have decorated them, put in a container, we often use bakery boxes. We do not seal the box airtight because in an airtight container, in some cases, the cupcake liners may pull away from the cupcake. If using a plastic container, just don’t seal the lid, leave it slightly open. The completed cake could also be left unrefrigerated unless it has a perishable filling. Your time line is good. Your order will be completed on Thursday for a Friday pick-up. Perfect!
Thank you…but I also have to cover the cake…sowill probably take it out to ice on wednesday afternoon/evening so I have time for mishaps :) It will have to be defrosted before I think…before I’ve done this in the fridge with my scratch cakes…thank you!
Hi Bebe,
If you using 8×3 cake pans…how many will this recipe fill? Goal would be to have a layered 4inch tall cake. Thank you!
Hi Maria, This recipe makes 7 cups of batter. You will need 5 cups for an 8″round 3″ deep pan. When cut horizontally into 3 layers, filled and frosted, it should measure 4 inches or nearly 4 inch tall. Do you have experience baking in 3″deep pans? I suggest using a flower nail in the center of the pan and also Wilton baking strips (or wet towel strips) wrapped around the outside of the pan. Here is a link with a batter amount chart and information on baking in 3″ pans that I think you will find helpful https://www.craftybaking.com/learn/baked-goods/wedding-cakes/charts/baking-time-and-batter-amounts-three-inch-deep-pans
here they are …thanks again !
and more
and more :)
Hi Jane, Your cake and cupcakes are lovely, great work!! Thanks so much for posting your pictures!
I should have added…they froze beautifully, refrigerated beautifully…stayed moist and were apparently really good :) Thanks again!
:) now I’m thinking of using a bundt cake pan (2X) to make a 3D pumpkin…I guess I need one whole batch in each ?
Hi Jane, I am not sure the size bundt cake pan you are using. You can usually fill the pan 2/3’s full. This recipe makes 6 1/2 to 7 cups batter……6 to 6 1/2 cup will typically be enough for a 10 cup bundt pan, so you will need 1 recipe for each half of the pumpkin shaped cake.
Baking time could be from 35 to 55 minutes……….keep an eye on it and check for doneness with a toothpick.
Excellent cake recipe! I used a Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix and added 1 teaspoon orange flower water instead of almond extract. I baked the batter in two 9″ cake pans, which were 2/3 full. They did rise above the pans by about 1″ so next time I will use less batter. Great texture and flavor. Thank You!
Hi Marlene, Thank you so much for posting your thoughts on the recipe!
I made this today with Italian meringue buttercream and it is awesome. Thank you!!!
Wonderful, Jeanne, I’m glad you gave the recipe a try. Thanks for posting!
Hi Melissa, I can change the Sour cream for Greek yogourt?
Thanks
Hi Margot, Yes, you can use greek yogurt instead of sour cream
I made these for my daughter’s class for her birthday with a chocolate buttercream and they were a huge hit! I was wondering if there was a chocolate variation so I could pair it with a peppermint buttercream for her Christmas party?
Hi Jeanette, Wonderful! I ‘m happy you like to recipe! In the recipe section we have the Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (doctored) recipe. Here is a link:
https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/chocolate-sour-cream-cake/
Peppermint buttercream would be delicious paired with the chocolate!
I love your recipe but i have one question. My oven temp is 325 and baked this cake for 52 mins as the tooth pick came out completely clean.
But when cut the cake, the top was cooked completely, slighly brown color on the side and at the bottom, but the lower part of the cake was not fully cooked.
Can someone please explain why this is happening? Is it because of milk? My oven has 6 tiers and electric. I placed my rack on 3rd which is middle. Should i place my cake to little lower rack?
I removed the uncooked cake and cooked cake tasted amazing. I am in desperate need to make this recipe success for me so please help me understand what am i doing wrong.
BTW the cooked cake (After removing the uncooked part) tasted amazing.
Please Help!!
Hi Isha, I am sorry you had this problem. If you were baking in 8 or 9 inch round pans it should not have taken 52 minutes. You should be fine to bake on the middle rack of your oven. It sounds as though your oven is not heating properly. It will be easy to check this. Buy an oven thermometer, it is inexpensive and can be found at Target, most grocery stores, Amazon. Just place in your oven to see if it is heating to the temperature you set for baking. Let me know how it goes.
Hi there
My cake mix requires oil, do i still not add butter of oil at all?
Hi Jacqui, Don’t use the directions on the back of the cake mix box. We do not use oil or butter in the recipe. Some White Almond Cake Mix recipes on other sites use 2 Tablespoons oil and you can add that if you like. Let us know if you have other questions.
HI, I have baked this cake using tofu instead of eggs. I kept all other ingredients same. I didnt have 2 8 inch pans so used 9 inch cake pan.
I baked at 325 with wet strips for 50 mins. The tooth pick came out clean from the center. But when i cut the cake it was undone from the center (goomy looking)
I checked my oven temps with oven thermometer (350 maintained perfectly for 1 hr in the center middle rack. However 325 was reading at 340 over 1 hr)
I am going to give it a try one more time using the convention method, still using tofu, and will be baking at 350 using 2 8 inch.
I have never baked 2 pans at the same time, so can you please guide me on things to watch out for?
Thank you
Hi Isha, I am sorry you had a problem. We don’t have experience using tofu instead of eggs, though I have read that tofu can be used as a substitute. When inserting the toothpick to check for doneness, make a slightly bigger hole so when pulling out the toothpick the crumbs that are clinging to it will not be pulled off. If the cake is not done it will show up on the toothpick. I am glad you are going to give it another try using two 8 inch pans. Have the cake pans at least 1 inch apart from each other and the pans should not touching the sides of the oven. If you have a standard size oven you should not have any problem with space. You can bake at 350 degrees if you like, we bake it at 325 degrees so the cakes will not dome as high in the center. The cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan when it is done, also check with a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake. Hope all goes well. Let us know how it goes
Made this for a gender reveal party, used your crusty buttercream frosting as well, and topped it with pastel M&Ms. it was absolutely delicious! The only thing I would change is using 9” cake pans next time because the layers were – I can’t believe I’m saying this – too high. I had to trim off the edges to make it look nicer because it had spilled up and over my pans. My cakes never rise well and are just okay. But this one? Outstanding!
Hi Terre, Our 8 inch round cake pans are 2 inches deep. Some 8 inch pans are 1 1/2 inches deep. Possibly that was the problem. I will add the depth of pans to the recipe. It will also be fine to bake in 9 inch pans. We are so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for posting your thoughts!!
Hi dear what about if i use petty crocker instead meaning with pudding mix any changes on ingredients
Can I add coconut to the batter, or will it make it too heavy? Also, can I add coconut milk as well in place of the water and light sour cream?
Thanks!!
Hi Patty, I am not sure how much coconut you could add, maybe 1 cup. You could replace the water with coconut milk but I would leave in the sour cream. Also, instead of 2 teaspoon vanilla, you could change it to 1 teaspoon vanilla plus 1 teaspoon coconut extract. Let us know what you think, if you give it a try.
Also, would light sour cream work instead of regular sour cream?
Thanks!!
Hi Patty, Yes, you can use light sour cream. Regular sour cream has more fat and fat adds moisture to a recipe, but it will still be good using light sour cream.
BeBe, I just made your cake again because it’s so delicious. And I solved the problem of too much batter for two 1 1/2 “ pans without buying new 2” pans. I made half a dozen cupcakes, too! The grandkids will prefer having cupcakes to a slice of cake, so it’s perfect. Looking forward to serving it tomorrow for Mother’s Day.
Hi Terre, Perfect!! That is a great solution!! Happy Mother’s Day!!
Hi there! Could this recipe be used for a coconut cake? Would substitute the vanilla and almond extracts for coconut? Or leave in the vanilla and just substitute the almond? Also, could you add in sweetened flaked cocunut to the batter? If you can, should I leave out or adjust any of the other ingredients? Thank you!
Hi Cathy, Yes, you could use this recipe for a coconut cake. The change that I would make to the recipe is to add 1 teaspoon coconut extract plus 1 teaspoon vanilla. I think it would be fine to fold in 1 cup sweetened coconut to the batter before putting into the pans.
HI! I need 2 – 8″ cake layers that will yield 2″ layers after trimming. Will this recipe work for that and how long should I start timing before checking for doneness in 8″ pans? Thanks!
I made this cake with coconut milk in it and it made it too wet. I would suggest for a coconut cake to use coconut flavoring and shredded coconut, but no coconut milk.
Please ignore my previous comment above! I answered my own questions. lol I just baked this cake in two 8 x 3″ Magic Line pans (don’t have 8 x 2) and placed them on the lower middle rack in my oven at a calibrated 325 degrees. My layers took 48 minutes! I have no idea why, but that’s about 10 minutes longer than suggested in the instructions. Perhaps the upper middle rack would have baked quicker, but they were moist and fluffy. Usually I get a too wet texture and its aggravating. This time they don’t seem over or under baked. I’m going to try again later with another batch and lessen the time by 4-5 minutes and see what that produces. Thought this might help others.
Hi. Pardon my lack of knowledge of baking terminology but what do you mean by using a cake mix without pudding in the mix? I was just going to use Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake Mix. I read the ingredients, it doesn’t have the word pudding in it but it has thickeners. Would that be the same as the pudding you are referring to?
Hi MGM, Pillsbury Cake Mix used to have printed on the front of the box “pudding in the mix”. We do not use that brand so I don’t know if it is still there. You are fine using Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker.
Made this today. Used Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake Mix and with plain flour (we don’t have all purpose flour here in Aus). I also used a non stick round pan, 23cm x 9cm (9×3.5). Baked it for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 160°C (fan forced). It turned out just alright. Edible, but I think I need to find an Australian version, as things here are just not the same as in the States. Ingredients are not the same or available, measurements are off, esp the measuring cups, surprisingly, they are not the same. I have measuring cups from the States. That’s why I prefer weighing the ingredients. I have a whole heap of baking pans, but none of them measured 8×2 (approx 20cm x 5cm) :( Having said all that, I still had fun experimenting :D Thanks, BeBe.
Hello. Besides the sour cream, why we won’t be using any oil? I’m looking for a very moist cake
Hi Joan, Our recipe does not have oil. I have seen some WASC recipes that have 2 Tablespoons oil, you can add that to the recipe if you like.
Can you use egg whites only for this? I’d like it to be as white as possible. Thanks
Hi Linda, Yes, you can. Use 4 egg whites instead of 3 whole eggs.
I made this cake yesterday for a mermaid themed baby shower and it was a hit! I followed the recipe exactly (besides adding food coloring to the cake) and also used the suggested Vanilla Buttercream recipe. It was so moist, not overly sweet and the almond taste was just perfect. I did use 9” round pans instead but had plenty of batter.
Hi Lauren! Thanks for your feedback, love your photo! So happy to hear that you loved the recipe. xo
Hi Lauren, Your cake is lovely!! Thanks so much for posting your nice review.
Hi is there a reason why people suggest not to use Pillsbury vs another cake mix? What’s the difference?
Hi Jessica, It is fine to use Pillsbury for most cake recipes. If a recipe has instant pudding as an ingredient, using Pillsbury cake mix might cause it to be too dense because the cake mix also has pudding in the mix. Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker do not. Otherwise, it is personal preference on which brand you use. When Pillsbury changed its formulation and decreased the amount of mix in a box, we thought it also changed the flavor. That is when we switched to Duncan Hines.
Makes perfect sense. Thanks so much for the clarification!
It’s been an hour but the cake top still is not brown. What should i do? The toothpick came out clean. Is there a picture of this cake as it came out of the oven?
Hi Pixie, If a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, the cake is done. If baked in 2 eight inch round pans for one hour, I worry that your cake will be over
baked and dry. Possibly your oven is not heating correctly. It would be a good idea to buy an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heating to the temperature you set for baking.
As usual excellent recipe. Have a question…I have seen on cooking shows to tap the cake pan lightly with batter in it a couple of times before baking to release air bubbles. Do you think this is a good idea or does it take away from the fluffy texture of the cake? Thank you!!
Hi Katherine, Yes, it is a good idea. We tap the pan several times to release the air bubbles and it doesn’t affect the texture of the cake.
PURRFECT Cake layers! just lightly domed but rose beautifully. I had to increase the temp to 340 while decreasing time to 30mins in order due to my finicky oven that also likes to bake lopsided from time to time. Only had to level off each layer slightly, so it will be a beautiful 3 layer bday cake covered in fondant, unicorn head with horn and rose piped rainbow colored mane.
Do you think I can use creme bouquet flavoring instead of the almond?
Hi Sharon, Yes, it will be fine to use creme bouquet.
Thank you for the quick reply! I have another question please: I’m going to bake the cake in 2 9″ pans tomorrow and freeze them for moistness. Bebe, if I want to fill and decorate it on Wednesday afternoon, should I defrost on Tuesday or wait until Wednesday and work with a cold cake? I’m very confused. P.S. This is a birthday cake for my two best friends and I want to get it perfect. BTW, I’m frosting it in buttercream. Thank you so much…I REALLY appreciate it!
I’m sure others will have their personal recommendations, but for me, I don’t freeze mine due to limited space in my freezer, unless I intend to premake them for a future time. I tend to prelevel my layers, use a simple syrup to seal in the moisture, wrap heavily in plastic wrap and refrigerate, then leave out a half hour or so before I need to do the crumb layer, cool, frost, cool lightly, then I add my fondant as I’m mostly involved with children type birthday cakes.
Can I make this with yellow cake mix? I have a half box cake mix I want to use up
Hi Judy, Yes, you can.
Hi can I use butter golden Duncan Hines box mix?
Hi Taylor, I have never used the DH butter golden mix. I assume that it uses butter instead of oil. I did a quick search for comments on using golden butter vs the classic yellow and there were mixed reviews. I would think it would be fine to use for the WASC recipe. I would love to know your thought if you decide to use it.
Hi, can you tell me how many cupcakes this batter makes. I am sorry if you have answered this question in the pass.
I have made this cake many times to great reviews. Now I want to make a number 20, cupcake cake, Would I need to make a double batch of the batter?
Hi Tanisha, The recipe should make 36 to 40 standard size cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the liners. It would be a good idea to place cupcake liners out forming the number 20. This will help you decide if you need to double the recipe. If you double, I think you will have extra cupcakes to freeze for later and that is always good.
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I only need 25 cupcakes.
Tanisha
I made the recipe several times but always come out with a lot of holes in the cake. I really don’t like the way it looks, what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Yolanda, The holes won’t affect the taste but you are right, they do not look good. The next time you use the recipe, mix at a lower speed — not above medium speed and use the paddle attachment not the whisk attachment. Also, before you put the pans in the oven tap them on the countertop which will cause air bubbles to come to the surface. Hope this helps.
I only have Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake Mix with pudding. Will that be a problem?
Hi Michelle, Yes, you can use Betty Crocker with pudding in the mix. It will be slightly firmer and very good. I have used it many times.
instead of adding one cup of water, can I add one cup of maraschino cherry juice? thank you and happy baking
Hi Donna, It should work fine. It will give your cakes a pink tint and a nice cherry flavor. Let us know your thoughts after you make your cake.
Hello
Your cakes are heavenly!
I bake my grandchildren’s birthday cakes; they choose the theme. So far I have made
over 100 cakes; the decorating usually takes 12 hours to incorporate their themes from frosting.
I need to make a sheet cake which takes 3 Duncan Hines cake mixes. Would I have to double your recipe to get enough cake batter for the pan. I will be putting a cross shaped pan (1 cake mix) on top as this is a Baptism cake. I thought your almond cake would be much better than the plain Duncan Hines white mix. I frost with old fashion Crisco frosting in order to make decorations.
Hi Susan, Thank you for the nice compliment. It is wonderful that you bake all the cakes for your grandchildren! This recipe makes 7 cups of batter. I think a Duncan Hines cake mix makes approximately 5 cups of batter, so you have been using 15 cups batter in your sheet pan. According to the cake chart showing batter amounts that we use, a 12 x 18 pan needs 14 cups batter. If that is the size of your pan, you will be fine to double the recipe. Below are links to 2 charts that I think you will find helpful in determining the amount of batter you will need.
http://www.fromkarenskitchen.com/tips/party_cake_batter_amounts_baking_times_2inch_pan.php
http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
Hello from Las Vegas! I am very excited to try your recipe for WASC cake using a Betty Crocker Super Moist 16.25oz mix. My only apprehension is the eggs. Your version calls for 3 whole eggs instead of using all egg whites. I want my cake pure white with no hint of pale yellow at all. So my question is: how many egg whites would I use, 3 or 4…keeping in mind the addition of the flour, sugar and sour cream. Thank you so much for your expert opinion!
Hi Natalie, Use 4 egg whites and clear vanilla for a white cake. Hope you will enjoy the recipe
Hi BeBe. I’m doubling this recipe to make a 12×18 sheet cake. May be a silly question, but how long would you suggest to leave in pan to cool before turning out? And, when turning out, should it be on a cooling rack or directly on to the cake board?
Hi Nancy, Line your cake pan with parchment to prevent sticking. You can use either, but we let the sheet cake cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes then place a cake board over the top of the sheet cake pan. While holding the cooling rack and the cake board together, flip the two over to get the cake onto the cake board. It would be a good idea to tape 3 cake boards together for stability when moving or carrying the cake. Cover the cake board with plastic or cake foil as it will be the serving board.
Hi, BeBe! Getting ready to make this with a Pillsbury 15.25 oz cake mix. Do the ingredients in this recipe reflect the new, smaller cake mix sizes? What about the other recipes on your site – do we need to adjust the basic cake mix size?
Thank you!
Could I use this recipe to make a bunny cake for Easter? I’m wondering if it’s sturdy enough.
Hi Amanda, Yes, this recipe would work well for your bunny cake. Happy Easter!
Thank you so much! Happy Easter to you!
Pls what can I use in place of the cake mix because I can’t find cake mix in my area
Hi Abiola, In our recipe section we have a White Almond Sour Cream recipe that does not use a cake mix. Click on the link below for that recipe. Let us know if you have other questions.
https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/almond-scratch-recipe/
Do you use the oil as un the cake mix instructions?
Hi Carrie, We don’t add oil to this recipe, though you could add 2 Tablespoons if you would like to do so. Hope you enjoy it.
Hi Bebe, do you think this particular recipe would be the best to use for a cake I am making…
1. Flavor wise – I am going to make it into cookies and cream by using a White Duncan Hines mix and folding in crushed Oreos just prior to baking.
2. Texture wise – Stacking 3- 9” layers to carve into a geode cake?
Thank you!
Hi Wen, Yes, this is a good choice. It will be good to have the 3 -9″ layers well chilled before carving.
Hey,
What do you reccomend scratch or doctored cake mix? Which turns out better?
Both recipes will turn out well and we use both. It comes down to personal preference. There are bakers who only like using cake mix for its reliability and scratch bakers who like their cakes to be totally homemade
I accually only do scratch! I’ve only made a cake mix about 5 times! Cake mix has a sort of proccessed taste, I’m assuming you will get that flavor from a doctored cake mix?
Does this recipe accommodate the smaller sizes in the box mixes? Now that the amount is 15.25oz compared to the 18 oz? Like add an extra 1/2 cup of flour to the 1cup?
Hi Anita, Yes, you can use the box mixes that are 15.25 and make no adjustments to the recipe.
Ok that’s good to know! Thank you for responding so quickly!
How long would I need to bake 3 6×2 in pans?
Another question, should the baking temperature still be 325 for 3 6×2 in pans?
Hi Summer, Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
I love the flavor of this cake, my only issue is that I always get a slightly crispy top on cakes and cupcakes. I trim it off, but just wondering if you have any ideas why it might be happening? Thanks
Hi Susan, If you bake in a dark colored pan, reduce the heat by 25 degrees and bake a bit longer. Also, make sure the rack you are baking on is not too high in the oven. Beating the eggs too long after they are mixed in can cause this problem. Let me know if the problem persists.
Thanks! I totally forgot to lower the temperature! I use Wilton cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom and the rack is in the middle of the oven, so I will make the changes and give it another try!
Hi, Alot of doctored cake mixes use milk instead of water. What would that do to this cake recipe. Thanks!!
Hi Patty, I have used milk in other cake mix recipes but I have not used it in this one because of the sour cream. Cake mixes are usually very forgiving so I think it could work. Let me know how things go.
I have not tried this recipe yet but. I am wanting to do the pure white and also want to do a yellow. Can you tell me if there is anything I would need to adjust on either? Also will be baking in 3 8 inch pans so should I adjust time and temperature?
Hi Traci, To make a white cake using this recipe. Begin with a white cake mix, use 4 egg whites instead of 3 whole eggs and use clear vanilla extract. We most often use Duncan Hines Classic cake mix. If you plan to use three 8 inch round pans, bake at 325 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Keep an eye on the cakes.
Hello! I tried this recipe last night and it was a touch too sweet for me. Could I half the sugar? Would that affect the moisteness?
Hi Lisa, Since this recipe begins with a cake mix, and they are very forgiving, I think you could try reducing to 3/4 cup of sugar.
Could I use this cake to do a 3-tier stacked cake? 10 – 8 & 6 in?
Hi Manicia, Yes, this recipe will work well for a 3-tier stacked cake.
can I replace the water with milk??
Hi Carol, Yes, it will be fine to replace the water with milk
one more question, this is for a 12×18 sheet cake a friday order, how far in advance cake i bake and freeze???
Hi Carol, This recipe makes 7 cups of batter. A 12×18 sheet pan can hold 14 cups of batter so you will need to double the recipe. It will be fine to bake and freeze your cake now. Freezing while the cake is warm actually makes it more moist. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. If the cake is wrapped airtight it can be frozen for up to 2 months with no problem. When you are ready to frost, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw on the countertop. When condensations forms on the aluminum foil, remove the foil and allow to continue to thaw. Below is a link to a Cake Batter Amounts Chart that you may find helpful.
http://fromkarenskitchen.com/tips/party_cake_batter_amounts_baking_times_2inch_pan.php
THANKS A LOT!!!, I HAVE TO MAKE TWO OF THESE CAKES SO YOU HAVE BROUGHT MY STRESS LEVEL WAY DOWN!!!!!!!
Can you use cake flour (1 1/4 cups) in this recipe for a finer texture or would it be too fine to hold up?
It will be fine to use cake flour in stead of all purpose , 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons