Best 7 1 2 3 4 Cake Recipes

CLASSIC 1-2-3-4 CAKE (WITH VARIATIONS) RECIPE

Steps:

• Butter and flour a Bundt cake or (10-inch) tube cake pan or two 9-inch round cake pans (or three 8-inch round cake pans).
• Heat the oven to 350 F for Bundt or tube pan, or 375 F for layers.
• Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder; set aside.
• Cream the 1 cup of butter until light. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar; continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the sifted flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth; do not overbeat.
• Turn into the prepared pan(s).
• Bake a tube or Bundt cake at 350 F for about 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cake bounces back when touched lightly with a finger. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes then carefully remove to cool on a rack.
• Bake layers at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when touched lightly with a finger.
• For a Bundt or tube cake glaze, combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons of milk or cream, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth; add more milk, as needed, for drizzling over the cake.
• If you made a layer cake, use your favorite frosting.

BASIC 1-2-3-4 CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 °F.
• Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs,1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.
• Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely and spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a 3-layer cake.

1-2-3-4 LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with flour; tap out any excess.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed until lightened, 3 to 4 minutes; scrape down sides once or twice. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating after each addition until batter is no longer slick, about 5 minutes; stop once or twice to scrape down sides.
• On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, a little of each at a time, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven for even browning. Continue baking until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 10 to 20 minutes more. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes; set on racks, tops up, until completely cool.
• Remove the parchment from bottom of each cake. Using a serrated knife, slice each layer in half horizontally. Set aside the prettiest domed layer for the top of cake. Place another domed layer, dome-side down, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup lemon curd over surface to within 1/2 inch from edges. Place second cake layer over the first, and spread another 1 cup curd over top. Repeat with third cake layer and remaining cup curd. Transfer partially assembled cake to the refrigerator.
• Just before serving, place reserved dome on top of cake. Spoon sweetened whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle with mixed berries, and dust with confectioners' sugar through a fine sieve.

1-2-3-4 CAKE

Steps:

• Butter and flour the bottom and sides of three 8 by 1 1/2-inch cake pans with the softened butter, tipping out the excess flour.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until it is light, creamy, and fluffy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar into the butter, and beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. As the sugar blends in it will change the color of the butter to a much lighter color, almost white.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl until they are well blended. Gradually beat into the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, starting with the flour mixture, add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with two equal additions of the milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. In a clean bowl using clean beaters beat the egg whites until they form firm, glossy peaks. Do not overbeat until they are stiff and dry. Fold the whites into the batter.
• Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it equally among them. Give the filled pans a little knock on the countertop to level the batter. Bake in the center of a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes, or until each cake springs back when touched in the center. Remove the pans from the oven and put them on wire cake racks to cool for a few minutes, then loosen the layers by running the flat side of a knife blade around the sides of the pans, put a rack on top of each pan, and invert so the cake comes out onto the rack, top side down. Then reverse the layers so they are top side up.
• Mix the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, and orange rind together and drizzle the mixture over the still warm cake layers, being careful not to let it all soak into one spot; then pile the layers on top of each other. Let the cake cool.

1-2-3-4 CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans,.
• Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy.
• Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
• Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.
• Divide batter equally among prepared pans.
• Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter.
• Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.
• Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes.
• Invert cakes onto cooling racks.
• Cool completely and spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a 3-layer cake.

SWANS DOWN 1-2-3-4 POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter and lightly flour 10 inch tube pan. Sift Swans Down Cake Flour, then lightly spoon 3 cups cake flour into measuring cup.
• Cream butter in large bowl. Gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Sift the already sifted cake flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, blending well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and extracts, blending after each addition until smooth (do not overbeat as this will yield a dry cake). Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake until tester inserted into cake comes out clean, around 1 hour and 25 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.
• This recipe is made available as a courtesy by The Reily Foods Company.

1-2-3-4 CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch baking pans and line the bottom of each with parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Stir baking powder and salt into cake flour.
• In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the four egg yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla to the mixture.
• Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with one third of the flour. Stir just until the flour is incorporated.
• In another bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Stir one third of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Hint: Whisk the egg whites first in the mixer and put the stiff egg whites on a plate. Then beat the sugar and butter in the same bowl.