The Basic Betty Crocker White Cake is a fun, super-easy, and fast recipe to make. It’s different than most recipes for cake. Instead of the classic mixing method, this is a recipe that uses a boxed cake method of mixing. (The Boston Cream Pie shown here is using this white cake recipe.)
That makes this not only fast but easy to whip up. It’s a great first cake recipe for a teen and a great save when you need a cake on the spot and want it without any fuss or bother. It’s also a perfect recipe when you want to spend time on the other components, like the frostings and filling, and are looking for a good sturdy “blank slate” without resorting to a mix.
About Basic Betty Crocker White Cake:
This is a workhorse recipe, sturdy and rather lean. It’s like a comfy pair of jeans, ready to serve as is or with enhancements. It’s not the most “exquisite” cake; rather it’s a get it on the table basic. It’s also dirt cheap to make and travels well.
- It’s super easy; a one bowl mix up. It’s great for busy days or beginners.
- It’s quick to make, and it often doubles at my house as an emergency “save” when I need something fast or unexpectedly.
- It’s a great foil for any number of rich variations of fillings and frostings – it’s perfect for trifles.
- It’s suitable for anyone who likes to make up their own mixes and have them on hand. Toss all dry ingredients in a Ziploc, label with instructions.
Making Basic Betty Crocker White Cake:
So simple to make, just dump all the ingredients in a bowl and mix on low for 30 seconds, scrape down, turn the mixer to high and beat for three minutes. That’s it!
Make Ahead:
- On the counter, keep at room temperature for up to three days. Wrap tightly.
- In the refrigerator, cake layers will last three to five days. In this case, a double wrap is recommended to prevent odors from transferring to the cake.
- Freeze up to three months: completely cool, double wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator in the original wrapping. Thin layers or cupcakes will take 2 to 3 hours, standard 2-inch layers 4 to 6 hours, and thick layers 8 to 12 hours or overnight. There are faster options but the quality might suffer.
The Flavorings for Basic Betty Crocker White Cake:
A Betty Crocker White Cake is classic white cake, flavored with vanilla, but it is extremely versatile and can be tweaked with a little almond extract for a classic “wedding cake” flavor.
White cake is a blank slate. They’re often enhanced extracts, and sometimes with colorings to “match” the flavorings used, as is the frosting choice.:
- Try coconut extract paired with coconut flakes or pineapple in the frosting for a tropical feel.
- Mint flavors can be added: think peppermint for a birthday or added to a St. Patrick’s Day cake with a green frosting
- Any citrus flavor (zest, too) works well in a white cake.
- Don’t forget coffee, espresso, or cappuccino flavors.
- And white cake is easily tweaked with fruit flavors
- Now available almost anywhere, “birthday cake” extract is a fun addition.
Add-Ins:
Some common add-ins are small berries, and don’t forget the ubiquitous funfetti. Small chocolate chips are often seen. And now and then, a small package of pudding mix is added for a richer flavor.
Appropriate Frostings for Basic Betty Crocker White Cake:
The sky’s the limit, but for a basic white cake, think cream cheese, milk chocolate or white chocolate, vanilla or other buttercream.
Other Fast and Easy Cake Recipes You Might Like:
- Cafe Latte’s Turtle Cake – often a birthday cake at our house; it can be made by hand or with a mixer, it’s that easy.
- Inner Sanctum Flourless Chocolate Cake – named so because this is often whipped up when friends and family are at my place.
- The Original Blackberry Torte – think of this as a fancy “snack” cake, perfect for any occasion.
Inner Sanctum Chocolate Cake – so ridiculously homely, so delicious!
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.
General Baking Items:
- Never buy baking items when needed and never pay full price. Instead, stock up during your grocery holiday sales, especially before Easter and the Winter Holidays. Many items are up to half off.
- Discount stores have good pricing on baking items year-round, as does your buyer’s club, although quantities are larger.
- Immediately upon arriving home, freeze items containing cornstarch or flour for three days.
Eggs:
- Both Aldi & Lidl, as well as buyer’s clubs (you will need to buy larger amounts at the buyer’s club), have great everyday prices, but usually do not approach a great pre-holiday grocery store sales price.
- If you have room, stock up at a low. Eggs, according to the National Egg Board, keep well for 4 to 5 weeks after the pack date, or about 3 weeks after buying. Hard-boiled eggs, can be safely used up to a week in the shell but only a day if peeled.
- Don’t store in the door; keep in original package on a bottom shelf in the fridge.
Butter:
If you have a deep freeze (and you should if you can swing it), there’s no reason to buy butter at full price. It goes on sale often and keeps well.
- While on sale before any holiday, rock-bottom pricing is before the Winter Holidays, and often matched by sales before Easter. Count out the weeks between holidays and buy appropriately.
- Discount stores have great pricing on butter year-round (and sale prices before holidays).
I hope you enjoy this easy Basic Betty Crocker White Cake recipe as much as we have over the years. It’s truly a workhorse in our home, and sometimes a make it just to eat it on any old day cake!
Mollie
Boston Cream Pie
Basic Betty Crocker White Cake
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: about 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 round layers 1x
- Category: Desserts Cakes
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or oil the bottom only of two 8″ or one 9″ cake pan. Dust with flour and knock out excess.
In a large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with an electric mixer on low-speed for 30 seconds, until all ingredients are mixed together, stopping to scrape down. Turn mixer to high and beat an additional three minutes, scraping now and then.
Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake about 20 minutes if using an 8″ pan or 35 minutes if using a 9″ pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on rack 20 minutes, then remove cake and continue cooling.
To split cake horizontally in half, mark middle points around side of cake with toothpicks. Using toothpicks as a guide, cut through the cake with a long, sharp knife, using a back-and-forth motion
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I’m posting Basic Betty Crocker White Cake to Fiesta Friday Number 104 cohosted this week by Mila @ milkandbun and Hilda @ Along The Grapevine.
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