Instant Yellow Cake Mix Equivalent (From Scratch)

If you're not making your own homemade yellow cake mix, you should be. There are so many scrumptious dessert recipes that calls for "yellow cake mix" in the world. Cake mix makes dessert making so much more simple. But the list of ingredients in cake mix isn't all that great, so I've avoided cake mix and recipes calling for cake mix for years. No more store bought cake mixes for you. Use this in any recipe calling for yellow cake mix.

Dry Mix:
2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
4 Tbsp. (¼ cup or ½ stick) unsalted butter, softened

Assembly:
1 cup water
⅔ cup grapeseed oil
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs

For the Dry Mix:
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the butter and use a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the dry ingredients.

Store in a container with a tight fitting lid in the fridge for a couple weeks or in the freezer for 2-4 months.

When Ready To Bake:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/155°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Generously grease 2 (9") cake pans with butter and dust with flour, tapping out any excess flour.

Assembly:
In the bowl of your stand mixer add the homemade cake mix. Withe the mixer on low, pour in the water and oil, mixing until incorporated. Add one egg at a time, mixing after each egg. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding in the vanilla, mix on low until combined.

Divide the batter (2½ cups per cake pan), tap to release any air bubbles and slide into your preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each cake.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a knife along the edge of the cakes. Place your hand on the tops of the cakes before slowly flipping the pans upside down to remove them. Carefully flip the cakes right side up, placing them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 1 layer cake.