Both of my daughters typically request yellow birthday cake over chocolate, which consistently leaves me wondering if there was a mix up at birth. Almost every year we have the same conversation where I ask, “What kind of cake do you want for your birthday…chocolate or yellow?” and the answer I get is “yellow.” Then I immediately follow up with, “Are you sure? You don’t want chocolate???” But no matter how hard I try I can’t win them over, although one year I did get my older daughter to agree to a yellow AND chocolate marbled cake, which turned out to be a win-win for everyone. :)
So as promised (on Facebook a couple weeks ago), below is the yellow cupcake/cake recipe we’ve been using. And while this recipe below (originally from Joy of Cooking) contains sugar and some white flour – both against our real food rules – I recognize this is WAY better than the store bought boxed version that many have relied on for years and that unfortunately contains a lot of unwanted additives (like hydrogenated oils)! And for the homemade frosting I even used all natural beet juice for the pretty pink color you see in the photos. For a less girly look feel free to experiment with small amounts of other colored juices as well (I froze the leftover juice in an ice cube tray since it didn’t take much). So for those occasions which are truly special – like birthdays! – we hope you enjoy this homemade treat with your loved ones.
I am admittedly horrible at decorating cakes so here are some links to the supplies that helped me pull these together:
- “Fancy” cupcake holders (I got the pictured ones at Michael’s but there are similar cute ones online as well)
- Cake stand (or tall tower for a larger crowd)
- Frosting decorator (pictured below – this thing is a must)
- Non-artificial chocolate sprinkles (optional)
Yellow Cupcakes (better than the box!)
Click here for two frosting recipes to choose from...yes, just pick one!
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup cake flour
- 1 cup white whole-wheat flour, King Arthur
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 eggs, large, separated
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 sticks butter, at room temp
- 1 ¼ cups sugar, + 1 tablespoon, divided
Instructions
-
Line a cupcake pan with 20 paper liners and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the milk, egg yolks, and vanilla.
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In a large mixing bowl use an electric whisk to beat the butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar together until creamy. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add both the flour mixture and milk mixture in small batches (and alternating) while the mixer is still going. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
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Again using an electric mixer whip the egg whites along with 1 tablespoon sugar until they are light and fluffy and peaks begin to form. Do not overmix because the mixture will become dry. Using a rubber spatula carefully fold the egg whites into the cake batter until it is combined thoroughly (again be careful not to overmix).
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Equally divide the batter into the 20 cupcake liners and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean, about 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely before adding frosting.
Recipe Notes
Cupcakes can be frozen unfrosted.
Click for the frosting recipes.
Grilled Meat and Veggie Foil Packets…Yum!
Two questions: does the beet juice give a hint of beet taste? and
can you use the cupcake recipe for a cake also? (dumb question, I know)
Maxine – You can most definitely bake a cake with this recipe and we did not taste the beet juice at all. I also got a couple neighbors to try the cupcakes and they didn’t say a word about the beet juice (I didn’t even mention it was in there!).
Thank you so much for this! I’ve been looking for a homemade yellow cake box style recipe. Now I can make cupcakes! Yum! This goes against my dieting rules though—trying to avoid sugar!
Growing up my mom would use strawberry juice in whip cream to make it light pink and use that to “ice” our cakes. A little less sugar and very yummy.
10
Looks great, but it is your birthday-you should have hubby make your cake while you sit and relax
I am hoping either my husband or my daughters (with his help) will make me a chocolate cake with this frosting recipe…that would be the perfect combo for me! But I enjoy baking so as long as we get cake that is all that matters :)
Where can you buy beet juice?
You can honestly get it at any store in a can of cooked beets! But I bought beet juice (to drink) at either Earth Fare or Trader Joe’s (sorry I don’t remember)!
Sounds like the old 1-2-3-4 cake recipe…awesome! But why not try honey instead of the white sugar? I just made a spice pound cake using honey and it was so moist even after 3 days! Yeah we waited 3 days to eat it because our Bee Master had to judge it first. Hardest thing we’ve done in a long time. lol But it was worth it! ;)
Happy Birthday and thanks for the great recipe! I love cake from scratch! My hubby doesn’t eat frosting of any kind so I never frost our cakes unless it is a special occasion.
Do you have a similar cupcake recipe for chocolate lovers? My son is turning 4 and he loves chocolate cupcakes. I would like to make homemade cupcakes for him.
Yes – this recipe can be made into cupcakes: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/
Regardig beet juice: I have never looked for it, but found lots of references to beet (or beetroot) juice available–one from Walmart (not that I shop there!). But found directions for making it without a juicer:
aking Beet Juice Without a Juicer
A juicer is helpful when it comes to making all kinds of juices, but it is not essential. There are other ways to create healthy and delicious juice from beets and other vegetables and fruits.
Ingredients and Tools
One to three fresh beets
Blender
Paring knife
Vegetable peeler
1/4 cup water
Instructions
Clean and peel the beets.
Chop the beets as finely as you are able. The finer the job you do, the easier your blender will be able to juice them.
Add the beets to the blender with about 1/4 cup of water.
Blend well.
If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water until it reaches the consistency you desire.
Strain the juice through a piece of cheese cloth to get the pulp and any large pieces of vegetable out.
Hope this helps..I plan to make the cupcakes too.
Silly question…Where did you buy the cute polka dot napkin in the first picture?
Hi Melissa. Some of Lisa’s favorite school lunch supplies, including cloth napkins, can be found here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/24/my-favorite-school-lunch-supplies/. ~Amy
How timely! My kids and I just made yellow cupcakes an hour ago for the 3yo’s birthday, also tomorrow. Your recipe looks a bit healthier than the one we used, so we’ll try it next year. Happy birthday!
Oops, I meant to add that even though it’s a lot of work, I really enjoy making homemade cakes for my kids. The icing especially always tastes so much better than what’s at the store (excluding perhaps only Dr. Oetker brand).
Just making sure- For the 100% whole wheat flour you used regular whole wheat flour not whole wheat pastry flour?
I don’t know which she used, but the pastry flour I buy in bulk is made from SOFT white wheat, which is 100% whole wheat. Regular white wheat flour is from HARD white wheat (also 100% whole wheat). You could probably use either in this recipe. Pastry flour is good for this type of recipe though. You just wouldn’t want to use it for making bread because it has a different protein content and wouldn’t be strong enough for bread.
Hi Deana. Lisa uses King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat Flour. It is probably similar to what DeAnne uses but is not a pastry flour. ~Amy
Happy birthday! I’ve been wanting to try beet juice to color my butter cream frosting. They are always such a pretty shade of pink!
Regarding the survey, I know you didn’t ask this, but I am an e-mail subscriber and it would be so nice if you allowed the whole post to show up in the e-mail, instead of having to click onto the website. And then it’s even worse if you get to the website and there is only a portion of the feed THERE and you have to click again.
I usually read blogs on my phone when I have a few spare minutes and the ones that I have to click thru, I usually just skip.
It’s a little thing, but it would be nice to not have to click and wait for page to load (twice).
Blessings!
Sandy
Ener-G egg replacer is really good too. You can find it online on Amazon or at Whole Foods. I use it for cookies and muffins. Also, applesauce works well for egg replacer if you are needing it for binding instead of leavening. The cake may not rise as much and just be a bit denser.
Lisa, do you have any recommendations for good egg substitutes for baking? I am trying to plan for my 10 month old daughter’s first birthday cake, and we just found out that she is allergic to eggs, soy & oats-nightmare for my real food baking!
Chia seeds can be used as an egg substitute. Soak 1 tablespoon in 3 tablespoons of water for about 5 minutes and it will make a gel-like mixture
Try googling “flax eggs”. It is just ground flax seed and water mixed together and works wonderfully as an egg substitute in baking but I’m not sure of the flax/water ratio off the top of my head.
This looks delicious and my daughter’s birthday is coming up! I brought in a substitute cupcake for her at school today and she requested strawberry frosting, which I’ve never made. I used this recipe and it was yummy!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/real-strawberry-frosting/
Do you have any cake recipes that are dairy free? I love your blog but struggle with some recipes because I have a dairy intolerance. It’s so difficult to find a good cake and frosting recipe without dairy.
Hi Megan. You can substitute coconut oil for the butter and almond or coconut milk for the regular milk and make the cupcakes/cake dairy free. You can also easily find a glaze recipe that does not contain dairy or here is one for a vanilla meringue frosting: http://cakejournal.com/recipes/white-meringue-frosting/ Hope that helps. ~Amy
Can wait to make these tomorrow. This post was so timely! I literally got online to search for a new yellow cupcake strawberry recipe because the ones I just made from Food Network were a complete FLOP! This look great, I will be making them exactly like your picture for my daughter’s 3rd birthday party tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY and THANK YOU for posting this today! Love your website and recipes!
It is so hard to get a good light and fluffy yellow cake. Was your cake light or a little on the dense side? Did you let your milk and eggs warm up to room temp. before using?
You can have the ingredients at room temp and I bet that would help make it even lighter!
Hi there,
Do you happen to have a recipe for chocolate cake???
Hi Keely. We do! Here ya go: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/. Enjoy. ~Amy
Thanks for the recipes. I made homemade frosting a few weeks back, with a recipe similar to yours. But instead of beet juice I added pureed strawberries. I pureed fresh strawberries in a small food processor and added a bit at a time to the frosting mixture. I was just experimenting to see how it would turn out. And it turned out pretty good. The frosty had a slight pink tint and it tasted good.
Happy Birthday Weekend!
-Heather
Happy Birthday to you! I just had my 36th birthday last Saturday and my 15yo daughter made a rich chocolate cake with salted caramel icing from scratch for me. We bake just about everything from scratch and my kids love being in the kitchen! I thoroughly enjoy your blog, keep it up!
Is there a way you can could figure out how many calories this was..?
Hi Valeria. We do not provide nutrition information for our recipes. These posts can help explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/29/mini-pledge-week-8-stop-eating-when-you-feel-full/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/. There are many tools available online which can help you calculate those details. Good luck. ~Amy
Hey Lisa,
I may not live on your street, but I am a neighbor… So next time you need taste testers we can stop by. :) My super sensory taster kids are the perfect guinea pigs.
Hey Lisa,
I may not live on your street, but I am a neighbor… So next time you need taste testers we can stop by. :) My super sensory taster kids are the perfect guinea pigs.
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY spring chicken!
Happy birthday! This post was perfect timing. We’re celebrating my stepson’s 9th birthday tomorrow and I was going to make cupcakes. I didn’t bake the original recipe that I had planned & made this one instead. I dropped the time to 20 minutes to check if they were done. They look a little overdone, but I haven’t tasted them yet. And there were some crumbs on the toothpick. I’m not making another batch of cupcakes for tomorrow so these will have to do. I’ll be making the icing in the morning. Thanks for the recipe! I’m glad I didn’t have to resort to using a box mix!
The cupcakes taste great! They were just a little darker than I would have liked. Here’s a question: I have boys – what would be good to use to make boy colors for the icing? They definitely wouldn’t appreciate pink cupcakes. :)
Hi Christina. Look at the suggestions for egg dye colors. They might inspire you: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/30/guest-post-natural-easter-egg-dyes/. Also, here is another recipe for blue I found: http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/natural-blue-food-coloring-dye-just-in-time-for-easter/. Good luck. ~Amy
Thanks for the suggestions! I like the idea of using the blueberries or blackberries to create the blue. I’m afraid if I tried the red cabbage idea that I’d add too much baking soda and it would taste disgusting.
So, not to sound demanding or anything, but my little boy and mother-in-law both like strawberry cake. Is it possible to turn this recipe into a strawberry flavored one? Maybe reduce the liquid and add pureed strawberries? Or does anyone have a different recipe? Thanks!
Try this recipe from Martha Stewart
http://www.marthastewart.com/310430/strawberry-cupcakes
It is featured in her cupcake book book and is AMAZING! It’s actually the reason I bought the book. Plus, the recipe features a swiss meringue buttercream frosting base, which is the best white frosting recipe I have ever made!
Incidentally, my go to Yellow Buttermilk Cupcake recipe is featured in this book. Though I can’t wait to try the beet juice in the buttercream fossting when I make cupcakes for my daughters’ birthdays next week and the week after.
Thanks for the tip! If I’m understanding correctly, it looks like the cupcakes would have diced strawberries in them. Do you think I could puree the strawberries? I don’t think my boy would like pieces of strawberry in it.
I would guess you could, as you originally said, remove some liquid and replace it with puree. In my opinion fruit puree always tastes watery. My solution has been to simmer it until it starts to thicken; steaming off some of the liquid and concentrating the natural sugars. I would also ommit some of the sugar in the recipe, as concentrated straberry puree will add to the sweetness, and the more sugar in a recipe the easier it will brown.
These sound yummy! I absolutely love your blog and have found lots of recipes that are in our weekly rotation. Thanks for all the wonderful information:)
Happy Birthday! I turn 36 tomorrow too:)
Sounds wonderful! How do you make the beet juice?
Hi Angie. I think Lisa purchased a bottle of beet juice for this recipe. You can, however, google “how do you make beet juice” and there are several step by step vidoes. :) ~Amy
I was both puzzled and amused by you calling them “yellow” cupcakes. In Australia we would call them vanilla cupcakes rather than go by colour!
They are called yellow cupcakes because they use WHOLE eggs and thus are yellow in color, this differentiates them from WHITE cupcakes which use only egg whites and thus are white in color.
10! I like the email updates!
As a mom of boys, I can attest that little boys don’t mind pink, when it comes to cupcake icing. We always make pink, from freeze dried strawberries. :)
The recipe looks great and will be our dessert for our Memorial Day gathering and probably also our Father’s Day cake! Any ideas on making the frosting a bit more of a “manly” color? (I live in a household filled with boys!)
Happy Birthday! Thank you for all that you do!
Hi Christine. I am just copying you on my reply to this same question above: “Look at the suggestions for egg dye colors. They might inspire you: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/30/guest-post-natural-easter-egg-dyes/. Also, here is another recipe for blue I found: http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/natural-blue-food-coloring-dye-just-in-time-for-easter/. Good luck.” ~Amy
Yummo! We have a big 1-0 birthday here soon and I can’t wait to try them.
The strawberries look great on top of the cupcakes. For kids birthdays, I also like to use cupcake rings or picks as an alternative to making cutsy things with artificial colored frosting, candy and sprinkles. I find the colors are just not vibrant enough in naturally colored sugar, frosting and candies or the items simply do not exist replicate pictures I find on the internet. When I think of the cute themed cakes/cupcakes I made for my 3 daughters birthdays before giving up artificial colors, I would have never been able to recreate them using natural colors, sigh. Anyway I found pink ballet slipper cupcake rings at our local cake decorating store for my 6 year-olds ballet themed party this past winter and princess cupcake picks on etsy for my 3 year-olds preschool treat & party. I feel a little guilty about the environmental waste of using picks, but when my daughter’s preschool friends all bring in these fancy hypercolored bakery creations, white frosting and sprinkles just won’t cut it. I really wish there were more naturally colored decorating options, so I could go back to making fun themed cakes and cupcakes again like my Mom did for my brother and I.
Another great way to make frosting pink and taste great… strained raspberry puree!!
I made an icing similar to this the other day, but I used strawberry puree instead of beet juice. YUM! (It came out much lighter in color, but oh so tasty.)
Does the frosting taste like beets? I have made green frosting with spinach and it tasted great…but the next day tasted a little like greens. We ate it anyway!
Hello Theresa. Both Lisa’s family and the “tasters” didn’t detect a hint of beet. :) ~Amy
This recipe is very similar to my own that I made for my daughter’s preschool graduation. Unfortunately I overheard someone behind me tell their 2 year old son not to try one as they were an “acquired” taste just for grownups! She said that the other cupcakes made from the funfetti box mix were for the kids. That bummed me out. When did vanilla cupcakes become an acquired taste?
Have you tried using sprouted flour when you make cupcakes?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Michele. No, we have not tried that. Please share your experience if you do. : ) ~Amy
These look beautiful! I love recipes that use whole wheat flour as well as white flour.
10 like the emails as is. Thanks!
The butter in the cake recipe is that salted or unsalted? Thanks. Can’t wait to try this :)
Hi Nicole. Unsalted.
~Amy
What is it about these ingredients that makes them unprocessed? I’m at a loss…
flour
whole-wheat flour
baking powder
vanilla extract
sugar
I believe she mentioned in the intro that these don’t fit the exact guidelines of “unprocessed”–only that they were better than a box cake.
Lisa, what a brilliant idea you have with the foil packets.
This might just be the perfect way to prepare food. It is quick and easy. There is virtually no clean up. It also locks in flavor and nutrients.
I can’t find a single flaw here!
I agree with you about children stressing over food. We all want them to make healthier decisions but we also want them to be there decisions.
There is no easy answer here.
I think if we introduce them to a wide variety of delicious and nutritional food, along with the occasional junk food then they will find a good balance.
Lisa,
I have a yellow real food cupcake recipe posted on my blog that does not contain white flour or white sugar. I used whole wheat pastry flour and honey. I brought the cupcakes to class and everyone loved them and couldn’t believe they didn’t contain white sugar or flour. I posted the link at the bottom in case you want to check it out
http://funfoodandfitnesswithgeneva.blogspot.com/2013/03/real-delicious-cupcakes.html
Do you have the baking time for this as a sheet cake? My 4 year old has requested a soccer cake, which is easy peasy: spinach in the icing, figurines on top. Easier than last year’s lavender elephant request….
Hello Melanie. That would completely depend on the size and thickness of the cake. If you are sticking to this recipe, then I would guess somewhere between 30 and 38 minutes…but that’s a guess and I would keep a close eye on it. ~Amy
How does the second pink frosting recipe (the one pictured) do on cupcakes that are stored at room temp? I need to make cupcakes this weekend for my daughter’s birthday that is not going to be held at our home. So, they will be at room temp for a bit.
Hi Melissa. They will be okay at room temperature for a little while as long as the room temperature isn’t too warm. Enjoy your party. ~Amy
So I am not a baker by any means, but I tried this recipe yesterday and my cupcakes came out REALLY dense. Could I have done something wrong or is it supposed to be that way? Any tips on what to do differently to make them lighter? Also, I made the 1st frosting recipe and definitely added too much beet juice because the frosting tastesd terrible :( I think I will try berries to dye the frosting next time just in case I put too much in :)
Hi Madison. It is really difficult to tell what may or may not have happened. Including whole grain flour does make the result a bit more dense than what you might be used to. Also, the addition of beet juice really should not have influenced the icing flavor much at all. Best of luck on your next try! ~Amy
The most likely problem (other than the whole wheat flour) is overmixing once you add the beaten egg whites.
Mix very very gently, and only until it’s just mixed.
Third most likely is old baking powder, because it’s a leavening agent too.
that was wonderful i loved that taste sooo good!!!
im doing this for my b day
I made this recipe into a cake for my daughter’s birthday. It was absolutely delicious!! I had several compliments. The cake was fairly dense, but I cut the cake in half and put a home made strawberry sauce between the layers and then topped it with the #2 frosting recipe (sweetened whipped cream). It was very similar to strawberry shortcake. Thank you for the recipe! I will absolutely make this again.
If I use frosting recipe 1can the cupcakes be left out on the counter after they are frosted or do they need to be put in the fridge? If they can be left out will it be ok to leave them out for a few days? Just trying to figure out what to do with any leftovers. Thanks!
Hi Sarah. I personally don’t leave frosted cupcakes out. I typically freeze left overs without frosting them and pull them out and frost as needed. They stay very fresh tasting that way. ~Amy
Any suggestions for chocolate frosting or maybe blue frosting (maybe using blue berries)? My sons bday is coming up and pink frosting just won’t fly with him. Thanks!!!
Hi there Holly. You might find some guidance here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/21/natural-food-dyes-for-holiday-cookies/ and this is a fun frosting idea, too: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/. ~Amy
This was my first not-from-a-box homemade yellow cake and it was a big hit. I made it as a round cake with the tie-die frosting posted on this site with a chocolate cake recipe. The cake is very dense as others mentioned so I served it with strawberries, the extra whip cream icing and extra berry sauce for people to scoop/ pour on top. I agree that it was a lot like shortcake. So delicious! By the end of the evening the cake was pretty droopy so I would recommend not icing it too far in advance. Thanks for the recipe Lisa- and for all your help leaving those chemical laden cake mixes behind!
Made these yesterday. Cake was maybe a little denser than a box mix but that may have been from using all whole wheat pastry flour rather than part white. Nonetheless, they were delicious and everyone loved them! Kids asked to have cupcakes this morning for breakfast. Used frosting #1 which was very sweet (even a little too sweet for our taste buds at this point?) but we still had no trouble gobbling them up and kids kept saying they needed another taste of the frosting. I substituted 6 oz cream cheese for 1 stick of butter and didn’t need any milk for the frosting. Next time I will just add the sugar more slowly, tasting as I go. Really needed only a little bit of beet juice – maybe like 2 tsp? It turned out bubblegum pink and there was no beet flavor at all. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hi,
I wanted to make cupcakes for children at my son’s school. I was wondering if I put the icing on the cupcakes in the morning (7:30am), will they melt or they will be fine till 12pm?
Hi Aditi. If the cupcakes are cool when you put on the frosting and are kept relatively cool, they will be fine. ~Amy
Thanks for publishing these details on your website.
I was wondering if you have ever tried making a whipped cream with pure coconut milk? I’ve heard it works but have yet to try it.
Hi Danielle. We have not but I have also heard it works well. ~Amy
Just stopping in to say that I made these cupcakes for my daughter’s first birthday party. I made these cupcakes twice. The first time that I made these cupcakes, I substituted all-purpose flour and corn starch for the cake flour. The cupcakes came out tasting kind of like corn bread which I discovered was from using the all-purpose flour. The next time I made them I used cake flour and it was very good! So in my experience using cake flour and sifting the flour a few times will result in less dense and more fluffy cake. Hope that helps anyone making these!
http://familygonehealthy.com/recipes/recipe-review-annas-birthday-cupcakes/
This is a great frosting recipe. The amount of butter scared me at first but once you realize you’re only eating one cupcake, it’s not so bad. I also want to mention I follow a lot of blogs and this one has the best lay-out. I love that each recipe has it’s own box around it. I leave a blog immediately if the recipe isn’t condensed into one nice area and easy to find. Who has time to search? Thanks for the great recipes and ideas!
Wow, what a great recipe! I have been searching all day for a cupcake recipe and (stupidly) didn’t think to come here. What do you think I could do to make it a chocolate cupcake? Chocolate cupcakes are a favorite treat around my house. Thanks a bunch. Love the blog! Keep up the amazing work. ;)
Hi there. You can use this recipe for chocolate cupcakes: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/. ~Amy
I made a carrot cake fore my daughters birthday and am looking for a substitute for powdered sugar. Any suggestions? I don’t want to use stevia or agave and am not sure how maple syrup or hone will do consistency wise? Thanks for the suggestions
Hi there. I found this one: http://shecookshecleans.net/2011/08/12/carrot-cake-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/. ~Amy
I was looking for a strewberry cake mix that is whole food. I’m thinken about adding a homemade strewberry sauce to the yellow cake mix and then cooking but not for sure if it will just be flat. Do you have any suggestions
Hi there, Jenapher. Lisa hasn’t tried her hand at a strawberry cake. If you experiment, let us know how it goes. :) ~Amy
Yum! So I tried to use this recipe to make a two layer birthday cake. First layer came out perfect and the second one crumbled into pieces. Maybe something to do with not folding in the egg whites enough? I sifted all of my flour and put my milk and eggs on the counter a bit before. My cake came out perfectly fluffy. Next time I’ll just put it in a square pan and call it a day or make cupcakes. I was able to use the first layer and ended up with a cute yet flat cake:) I used the first recipe for frosting. My husband excitedly told me it tasted like costco frosting!! Which is great because we don’t buy cakes from there anymore because a. They are mega processed and b. We now have a child with a severe nut allergy. I made the frosting without the color and then tried to color a little bit of it with blueberries. But I think it was too much liquid and the texture got weird and the color didn’t take. So I ended up mixing some with some blue colored sugar I found at whole foods and a very small drop of the “junk” purple frosting which colored all the frosting I needed for decorating. So all in all it was a good compromise. My daughter insisted on purple frosting but I feel like I dramatically cut out the processed ingredients and artificial colors that would have been in a bakery cake. Just a word of warning the whole process took quite a long time! Thanks for the great recipe! Have you ever experimented with coconut sugar instead of white sugar?
Hi Franki. Lisa hasn’t used coconut sugar in her recipes. I use it often, especially in my coffee, but I do bake with it, too. It is certainly not as sweet as refined sugar…which I like. ~Amy
Love your info! We used beet juice to frost cookies! Can these stay out of fridge until the teacher serves them at school?? Thanks!!
Hi Margo. The whipped cream frosting can get pretty soft. I would wait to frost them until pretty close to serving unless they are kept cold. ~Amy
Where does one find beet juice?
Can you use pom juice instead to dye pink?
Any other suggestions for natural dyes/sprinkles?
Thanks!!
Hi. Beet juice can be found in almost any grocery store. You’ll find it with tomato juice and such. I don’t see why Pom juice wouldn’t work but beet juice is a lot of concentrated color. :) If you go to the India Tree website, they have lots of options for natural dyes and accessories. ~Amy
Sorry one more question — I have been making cupcakes with all white whole wheat flour and feel they are a little dense.
Your recipe calls for:
1â…” cup white cake flour
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
Is White Cake Flour the same as White All Purpose Flour? Does this make it a lighter/fluffier cupcake mixing them?
Thanks!!
:)
Hi Kathryn. Cake flour is more fine with higher starch content than APF and does lighten the texture. ~Amy
Hi. I made these yesterday for my daughters 3rd birthday party. They turned out fairly fluffy however they were not moist at all. Semi-dry if anything. The flavor was good, what could I possibly do different to get a more moist cupcake? Thanks a bunch!!!
for moister cake i would add some applesauce…1/4 cup
Can you bake these the day before and leave on the countertop? I’m guessing it would be best to frost them the same day…?
Thanks!
Hi Michelle. They will be fine if you let them cool completely and then put them in an airtight container. If you plan on keeping them more than a day or two, I usually freeze in order to keep them fresh. ~Amy
Any tips on how to get other colors naturally, like blue or green? Btw you’re an inspiration – I make your recipes regularly and your example has changed our lives (me + 3 boys and one hubby)
Hi there. This might help: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/30/guest-post-natural-easter-egg-dyes/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/21/natural-food-dyes-for-holiday-cookies/. ~Amy
Hi…wondering why you don’t use whole wheat pastry flour? I get much better results than with the white whole wheat. More tender product.
Hi Susan. Whole wheat pastry flour is fine to use. :)
Have used pomegranate juice too for a pretty blush pink icing- and you get a little fruity tang in the sweetness-
Whole foods sells some natural colors..there are just 4. They are expensive !
For frosting I make a butter cream and then I make some reduce of fruit like blueberries, straberries, etc..and at room tempeture added to the frosting and you get a nice color and flavor frosting! also I use the fruit for the cupcakes. Blueberries cupcakes with blueberries frosting.
Can I use just regular flour if I don’t have white cake flour? Or would the results be just a very dense cupcake.
Hi. You can but it would be more dense. :)
If using this recipe for a pan rather than cupcakes, do you know what size pan it will make? Thank you so much!
I was wondering the same thing. I’ll be using 10″ pans and wonder if I need to double it for 2 cake pans.
Hi. It should fill 2- 10″ rounds. :)
I am thinking about how to make an “almost” unprocessed party for my daughter who is turning 5 this summer. Can someone tell me if they have made icing with cream cheese sweetened with honey? and then try to dye that icing? I was thinking just doing different flavored muffins/cupcakes in cute muffin holders with icing. And the snacks would consist of popcorn(fresh with olive oil/salt) and pretzels (processed hard to find good tasting non-processed ones)veges with dip already in plastic cup (saw on pintrest) and fruit leathers from traders J. Any other suggestions and icing info are appreciated!
Hi Linda. Wanted to be sure you saw this post, too: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/06/07/naturally-colored-rainbow-party/. It is full of good ideas. ~Amy
I absolutely LOVE this chocolate cake recipe. I made cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party and everyone loved them! I will never use a boxed mix again. The frosting is fantastic, too. Best ever! I was interested in how to make the frosting chocolate? How much cocoa powder would you have to add to balance it out? Thanks!
Hi Christie. We’ve not tried. If you do, let us know how it turns out. ;)
I plan on making these for an end of year party at church. Do I need to make the whipped cream frosting right before the party, or will it keep for a couple of hours in the fridge?
Hi Rachel. It should hold up fine for a couple hours in the fridge. ~Amy
too get color in them can’t you make the frosting and then put a little bit in a bag like one that frozen raspberries come in and mix in bag to pick up any colored juices from the berries then mix with the rest and whisk it though the rest of the frosting… should taste better than beet juice too,lol
I commented earlier with a question about how to make the buttercream frosting into chocolate. I added 3/4 c cocoa powder and it was perfect! Love having 100 Days as my “go-to” for real food recipes. Keep up the great work!
How do you turn a raw bet into bet juice?
*Beet
Hi Gina. Lisa buys beet juice. But here is how to do it without a juicer: http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2013/06/beet-carrot-apple-and-ginger-juice-no-juicer-required/. ~Amy
Hi Gina. Probably pretty close. :)
Is one recipe equal to one boxed cake mix? I can’t wait to make this for our youngest FIRST Birthday Celebration this weekend!! Thanks
I used this recipe along with the frosting #1 to make a 5 layered rainbow cake for my daughter’s birthday. I used beets, carrots, swiss chard, lemon, and blueberries for the colors and it was amazing! Not only was it beautiful to look at, the kids LOVED it! Thank you for doing what you do and providing us with recipes and knowledge to help our families!
Hi! I was wondering if all your recipes can be substituted with gluten free all purpose flour or a combo of almond and coconut flour. I love all your recipes on your website, but sometimes I would like to make them gluten free. Thanks!
How would you use this recipe to make a dry cake mix without making a cake out of it? I want to use it in a recipe that calls for just yellow cake mix. How could I adjust it for that?
Hi Lauren. Well, that is not something we’ve done. I suppose you could replace the milk and vanilla with powdered forms? ~Amy
Where do you get beet juice
Hi Erin. You can just use the juice from a can of beets found in any grocery store. :)
I’d love to hear more about how the rainbow cake was made! :)
Hi Lorie. Have you seen this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/06/07/naturally-colored-rainbow-party/? ~Amy
Beet juice! Great idea. The pink is a pretty shade.
Sarah
Thank you!! :)
I have made this recipe twice now. It was a tasty cake for my son’s birthday, but it was just too dry. Has anyone else had this problem?
Hi!
What can I use if I don’t have white cake flour? all purpose flour? I have spelt, almond flour, brown rice flour…Thanks!
Hi Laura. All purpose flour would be the closest substitute to use. ~Amy
What is white cake flour? I’m in Denmark..is there any flour I can use as a substitute?
Thanks
Heather
Hi Heather. Cake flour is a finely ground flour used in many cake recipes. It has a lower protein content (about 8) compared to all-purpose flour (10-11%). The extra protein helps to add structure to cakes. It may have a different name in Denmark? ~Amy
what do you suggest for green frosting??
Hi Marcia. Shawn used spinach juice in this post: http://www.thesimplehomemaker.com/how-to-make-green-food-coloring to color her cake. I imagine it would work for frosting as well. ~Amy
I know this is old but this cake flour is giving me a hard time! I found unbleached but it’s made in a places that processes nuts! Can’t use! Can I sub pastry flour for the cake?? Thx! We made the cupcakes and they are great but just saw on the cake flour box that it’s not but free so I can’t send to school!!
Hi there. We’ve not tried using pastry flour so we can’t predict the outcome but I think I’d give it a whirl. If you do, let us know how it works. ~Amy
I am trying to make this cake right now, lol, and I have no idea what to do with the egg whites… how many go in the milk mixture and how many in the sugar
I figured it out :) thanks
My birthday is coming up in December and I am facing a dilemma. My absolute favorite birthday cake is Red Velvet Cupcakes. I love them, a lot, but my recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of red food coloring. I am assuming the kind I have been using is petroleum based. I don’t want to put that in my body, but I still want Red Velvet for my birthday cake. Could I substitute beet juice for the food dye? Any other suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Lauren. We’ve not tried but I’ve seen many recipes that use beet juice for red velvet cake. This Google search brought up several :https://www.google.com/search?q=red+velvet+cake+with+beet+juice&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb. ~AMy
What is cake flour? Is that just regular flour? Sorry, I’m new to cooking so I have no idea, explain it like you would to a child ;)
Hi there. Cake flour is a very fine flour with a lower protein content than all purpose flour. It gives cakes a fine texture. :)
This recipie calls for sugar, I assume white granulated sugar? Also could you sub with maple syrup or applesauce?
Hi Sherri. Yes, this is one of the rare exceptions to Lisa’s recipes where she uses white sugar. We’ve not subbed with maple or applesauce. ~Amy
I want to make these for my daughters’ preschool Valentine’s parties but one student has a milk allergy (just milk not butter) is there something I can substitute? Btw I use pomegranate juice to dye my frosting instead of beet juice – much easier!
Hi Erin. You can sub with almond or coconut milk.
My daughter’s birthday is coming up and she has a friend that can’t have dairy. I was planning on subbing the milk with almond milk. What about the butter? Will coconut oil work? Also, any suggestions on a tried dairy free, whole food frosting? Can find some but with things I usually don’t bake with like soy margarine and I’m sure they aren’t whole food.
Btw, have made this as written in cupcake and cake form and it is a great recipe!
Thanks for any help!
Brittany
Hi Brittany. I think all your subs will work. I use this coconut whipped cream as frosting and it might be just the ticket: http://tasty-yummies.com/2014/03/04/make-whipped-coconut-cream/. You can always do a test run if you are worried about the outcome.:)
Thanks for replying. That sounds like a perfect solution. Sounds safe to make the night before, throw in fridge and take out 30 minutes before serving so not too hard? What’s your experience with it overnight? Thanks again!
Hey again. I’ve not made it the day before so I can’t say how well it will hold up.
Could this be made into a cake and if so how would the temp/time be affected?
Thanks!
Hi there. This will help if you just reverse it: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/bake/convert-a-cake-recipe-into-cupcakes/. :)
I have always wanted to try coloring my homemade buttercream with beet juice, but was afraid the frosting would be too runny to pipe. Thanks for the recipe! My girl will be so excited to have PINK frosting on their birthday.
Hi! I made these the other day and they were dry and had the texture of corn muffins and 22 minutes was way too long. I live in SC and am glad I no longer need to make altitude adjustments like I did in UT at over 6000 ft. I also normally mill my own grain to the finest grind, but I didn’t do that this time, so I will try that next time. Do you have a video that shows how to fold in the egg white fluff? I’ve always been great with baking moist muffins and sweet breads, cookies, and brownies, but I tend to shy away from yellow cake because they never turn out for me. I would greatly appreciate any help. I did try a naturally sweetened version from another source using peach puree and although I liked that it was all-natural, the texture was like a dry sponge. Thank you!
Hi Rosa. This might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yie5V37E1w.
I would like to adapt this recipe to fit a standard sheet cake pan. I tried once and remember that the cake turned out very dry. I may have overcooked since the middle was not set after the recommended baking time. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi there. This should help: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html and http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/bakingdish.htm. :)
Thank you ,I will try to do it.
I have never tried cake , These cake looks awesome!
Has anyone tried this recipe in a dairy free version using almond milk? I need a good recipe to make my dairy allergic son a 1st birthday cake ! :)
Do you have to use cake flour or would just all white whole wheat flour work?
Hi Ann. No, Lisa did not have luck using all whole wheat flour.
Please create a red velvet cake/cupcake recipe!! I can’t find a recipe that is doable. I want to use real food ingredients as much as possible and I don’t know about the whole beet juice or food coloring thing…my husband wants a red velvet cake for his birthday. :):)