Hi all! This week, we wanted to highlight a recipe that some of you may or may not be familiar with. We have affectionately named it Sharon’s Sturdy Cake Recipe!
This a very sturdy cake, dense but not quite a pound cake, tight crumb, and super moist. Not as soft and wet as the WASC. Good for dessert cakes, cupcakes, carving, buttercream or fondant cakes. Makes great cake balls with no binder needed. A great multi purpose recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix (Sharon uses Betty Crocker)
- 1 small box instant pudding in a coordinating flavor
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 whole large egg
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring (optional)
- 1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)
- 1 tsp. butter flavoring (optional)
- other flavorings as desired
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients in mixer at speed one or two, scraping down the sides, until just incorporated. Batter will be very thick. Fill pans just a little over half full.
2. Bake at 325 until center bounces back and toothpick is clean. Be careful not to underbake. The will take longer to bake than an undoctored mix due to the added ingredients.
Here are a few helpful notes about this recipe:
- You can create almost any flavor cake with this recipe by starting with that flavored cake mix, a coordinating pudding flavor, and changing the additional flavorings.
- White chocolate flavored pudding will keep the batter more white in color, and vanilla will make it more yellow.
- Recipe may be doubled.
If you try this recipe, or have tried it let us know in the comments how it worked out for you. Happy Baking!!!
XX Sharon
Sharon, didn’t work for me and I tried it three times. First time underbaked. The rest not, but when I took out of the pan there was a definite ridge between the top half and the bottom half — like one was too heavy to hold the other one up. I used 7 inch pans. First two times I used Hershey’s white choc pudding and the third a Godiva white choc pudding. I’ll bet they taste really good but I can’t use them. What did I do wrong? Thank you, Michelle
are you using the powder pudding?
I find that only the Jello brand instant pudding works the best! Maybe try that brand?
any brand will do but I use Jello brand
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for sharing the recipe .Will definitely make it .
How many cupcakes would this make? Thanks!
not sure, sorry!
I get 24 to 36 depending on how full I fill the cupcake wrappers.
This is my go to recipe. I have used it since I first started cake decorating 8 years ago. Always use the same brands of cake mix and pudding. Recently it has not been dense. It’s very light and airy. I can only assume that either the cake mix or pudding formula has changed.