MOIST YELLOW CAKE RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or line with parchment) two 9-inch round pans; three 8-inch round pans; or one 9- x 13-inch pan. Or have on hand two muffin tins lined with cupcake papers; grease the insides of the papers. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, and salt until fluffy. Beat in the oil and vanilla; then the eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg completely disappears before adding the next one. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, Instant ClearJel, and baking powder. Add 1/3 of this mixture to the mixing bowl, mixing until it disappears. Beat in half the milk. Scrape the bowl, then mix in another third of the dry ingredients. Mix in the remaining milk, scraping the bowl. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients, scraping the bowl. Mix for one minute more. For layers, divide the dough evenly between the pans. You can do this by scooping the batter alternately into the pans, or by weighing it (see notes). Bake the cupcakes for 27 to 30 minutes; the 9- x 13-inch cake for 32 to 34 minutes, and the layers for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove them from the oven and place them on a rack to cool. For cupcakes, remove them from the pan as soon as you're able, and return to the rack to finish cooling. A 9- x 13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan. For layers, use a table knife to free the edge of the cake from each pan as soon as you place it on the rack, so it'll contract evenly as it cools. Remove from the pans after 15 minutes, and return to the rack to finish cooling completely before frosting. Yield: two 9-inch layers, 24 cupcakes, or one 9- x 13-inch cake. Notes: To weigh out batter for layers: This recipe yields 3 pounds, 3 1/2 ounces of batter, which means each layer gets 1 pound, 9 ounces before baking (there'll be a little bit of loss from batter sticking to the bowl and scraper). This cake is excellent paired with Super Simple Chocolate Frosting. For a really tall cake, cut each completely cool 9" layer in half horizontally; this will give you four layers (and more frosting) for a lofty presentation