A question for our bakers

[Addie]

My grandmother always used the cap of the bottle to measure vanilla extract. That is how I measure it, too.

I have done that. Why dirty another spoon.

 

[bakechef]

My grandmother always used the cap of the bottle to measure vanilla extract. That is how I measure it, too.

That's how my mom does it too! I have mine in a different type bottle, so no cap, or I'd do the same!

 

[Barbara L]

Me too. When vanilla is the only flavoring, I don't even bother to measure it. A quick 'glug' does the job and very nicely. I haven't bought a box cake in eons or many moons ago, but when I did, I always added vanilla to it. It really gave a flavor boost to it.

How many times would you see Julia add vanilla with her measuring spoon and over fill it. "One teaspoon (or more)". Short of using an eye dropper to fill a teaspoon, it is almost impossible to not overfill it.

Vanilla, cinnamon, and nuts are three things I usually add more of to recipes.

 

[medtran49]

The one I make is a lemon jello cake that uses a white cake mix, eggs, oil, lemon extract and then a glaze with 10x sugar and lemon juice. No vanilla. I love it but am the only one that does so I don't get it often unless I want to eat the whole thing.

 

[Barbara L]

The one I make is a lemon jello cake that uses a white cake mix, eggs, oil, lemon extract and then a glaze with 10x sugar and lemon juice. No vanilla. I love it but am the only one that does so I don't get it often unless I want to eat the whole thing.

I make that as well, with a yellow cake mix. My whole family loves it, so I don't get to eat the whole thing, darn it!

I'll bet there is vanilla in the cake mixes.

 

[medtran49]

Oops, also it obviously uses a box of lemon jello, hence the lemon "jello" cake name.

Barbara, since you brought it up, I have to agree with you, there is some sort of powdered vanilla or artificial vanilla flavoring in the mix since I've never seen a scratch cake mix without some sort of extract flavoring in it.

 

[Addie]

I have the dehydrated vanilla and I use it all the time in place of the liquid. I don't remember what I paid for it, but it is way cheaper than the liquid. What made me buy it was I remembered when I worked in a bank's employees cafeteria doing their invoices, I saw the vanilla on one. I went and asked the baker about it and he showed me what it was. He said that he loved it and he would never order the liquid again. So one Christmas when I had a lot of baking to do, I remembered it and found it at one of the spice companies on line.

One of the things I love about it is that when I use it in white frosting, it is white and doesn't discolor the frosting.

 

[AngelaZBJ]

When I bake a lemon flavoured cake, I always add fresh lemon juice and lemon extract, because I find that this is where the true lemon flavour came from, and this is what makes the lemon cake taste like lemon, I don't add the lemon extract or anything, but I do add a little bit of vanilla extract for the flavour as well.
Here is the lemon cake recipe that I love using, you can really taste the lemon in there.

1 ½ cups of All Purpose Flour
1 tsp of Baking Powder
¼ tsp of Salt
1 cup of Granulated Sugar
½ cup of Unsalted Butter at room temperature
2 Eggs
¼ cup of Whole Milk
¼ cup of Sour Cream
2 tsp of Freshly Grated Lemon Zest
2 Tbsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
½ tsp of Vanilla Extract

I hope this helps. happy baking!

 

[Andy M.]

I disagree with using vanilla with lemon. You can't get a nice sharp/tart lemon taste with vanilla in the mix. I use Alix's lemon cake recipe that calls for lemon juice and zest. No lemon extract, no vanilla. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f41/lemon-cake-68495.html#post941193

Being a lemon dessert freak, I doubled the amount of zest in the cake and increased the sugar and lemon juice by 50% for the glaze.

As the old TV ad used to say, "Try it, you'll like it!"

 

[Oldvine]

In my kitchen, you're the boss, you can add or leave out what ever you like.
A little vanilla might be included in some recipes to enhance the other flavors.

 

[CharlieD]

I thought it is salt that is used to enhance the other flavors.

 

[vitauta]

i don't put any vanilla in my salt cakes.

interesting thread, addie!

 

[jkath]

I disagree with using vanilla with lemon. You can't get a nice sharp/tart lemon taste with vanilla in the mix. I use Alix's lemon cake recipe that calls for lemon juice and zest. No lemon extract, no vanilla. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f41/lemon-cake-68495.html#post941193

Being a lemon dessert freak, I doubled the amount of zest in the cake and increased the sugar and lemon juice by 50% for the glaze.

As the old TV ad used to say, "Try it, you'll like it!"

I'm the same way, Andy - I'm a lemon dessert freak too, and have a tendency to be very heavy handed when it comes to adding lemon zest to things

 

[Addie]

i don't put any vanilla in my salt cakes.

interesting thread, addie!

.

Thank you. I am one of those people that always wants to know the "why" of everything. When I am teaching someone something I always tell them the why of it. They are more likely to remember it. There is a reason for everything we do. Even if we don't know the "why" of it.

 

[jkath]

.

Thank you. I am one of those people that always wants to know the "why" of everything. When I am teaching someone something I always tell them the why of it. They are more likely to remember it. There is a reason for everything we do. Even if we don't know the "why" of it.

I like that. I'm a why too. Fortunately, BF is an avid google searcher

 

[msmofet]

I am rarely happy with only knowing the A to C. I NEED to know the B!! And it is usually a B.... to get someone to tell you!!

 

[Addie]

I am rarely happy with only knowing the A to C. I NEED to know the B!! And it is usually a B.... to get someone to tell you!!

There is a little bit of snob in all of us. Some have more than others. They just have to show off their knowledge. So to get them to give you the info you want you have to play Dumb Dora. They are very quick to show how much smarter they are than you. Specially if you are a woman. My youngest daughter could take a car apart and put it back together better than any man. She came home a date many times covered in grease. Most of those guys never asked her out again. I kept telling her you have to act dumb.

 

[Andy M.]

A student can never master a tehnique/process etc. until they understand why things work the way they do.

 

[GotGarlic]

There is a little bit of snob in all of us. Some have more than others. They just have to show off their knowledge. So to get them to give you the info you want you have to play Dumb Dora. They are very quick to show how much smarter they are than you. Specially if you are a woman. My youngest daughter could take a car apart and put it back together better than any man. She came home a date many times covered in grease. Most of those guys never asked her out again. I kept telling her you have to act dumb.

Why would she want to be with someone who a) didn't appreciate her interests and capabilities and b) thought she was dumb?

 

[Addie]

Why would she want to be with someone who a) didn't appreciate her interests and capabilities and b) thought she was dumb?

My daughter definitely marched to a different drummer. In fact she was in a completely different parade. When she had the measles the doctors think they did more damage to other parts of her body besides her kidneys. Including her brain. She wasn't stupid, just lived in her own happy world.