A pumpkin patch

Classic Yellow Cake
The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion Copyright 2003

12 tablespoons ( 1 ½ sticks, 6 ounces) butter
1 ¾ cups (12 ¼ ounces) sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
2 ¾ cups (11 ½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (12 ounces) milk, buttermilk or yogurt I used milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla until fluffy and light, at least 5 minutes.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly blend one-third of the flour into the creamed mixture, then half the milk, another third of the flour, the remaining milk and the remaining flour. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally throughout this process.

Pour the batter into greased and floured or parchment-lined 8- or 9-inch round pans, or a 9x13 –inch pan. Bake for 23 to 26 minutes ( for 8-inch pans), 25 to 30 minutes (for 9-inch pans), or about 35 minutes for the 9x13-inch pan. Remove the cakes from the oven, cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out on a rack to cool completely before frosting.

I made mini-cupcakes and jumbo cupcakes. I got 24 mini-cupcakes and 12 jumbo cupcakes out of this recipes. At first, I just though the cake was okay but after tasting them with the Creamy Frosting, I’d have to say they were more than just okay. I gave my son a mini-cupcake (plain) and he kept begging for another so they must have been pretty good.

Creamy Frosting
Favorite Brand Name Bake Sale Cookbook Copyright 1997

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour and milk in medium saucepan, stir over low heat until thickened. Cool. Beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Add powdered sugar; beat until fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add flour mixture, beat until thick and smooth.

In the 9th or 10th grade, Paula Bonavitch (one of the few other Paulas I’ve ever known) baked a cake for French club and I loved the frosting. Paula gave me the recipe which I lost before I ever made the frosting. I lost touch with Paula Bonavitch too. I remembered the gist of the recipe but it was years and years before I found a similar recipe in print (this was long before you could Google a few ingredients and find any recipe your heart desires). Paula’s recipe and others I’ve tried use granulated sugar. Many use shortening and/or margarine. This one intrigued me since it used all butter and powdered sugar. I really like this, it’s buttery but not overly sweet. I have to wonder why this method isn’t more popular. Other buttercreams are either too sweet or too complicated (the ones with the meringues, eggs, etc.). Some stiffen up but this one stays creamy at room temperature.