Don Herman High Altitude Yellow Cake Recipe
Ah the joys of baking at high-altitude! Never being able to trust a recipe, always having to adjust the flour, sugar, moisture and leavening, using arcane charts that always leave you guessing. That’s why I always appreciate a kitchen-tested recipe, like this one for High-Altitude Yellow Cake.
This recipe is adapted from the old Swan’s Down High-Altitude baking booklet. It produces a moist, flavorful cake that’s so easy to make, you can try it with the kids. I’ve included regular, 5000 ft. and 7000 ft. versions.
For 5,000 ft:
High Altitude Yellow Loaf Cake
This is a very old recipe for a simple, yellow loaf cake, adjusted for 5000 ft (1500 meters).
Servings: 9 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cake Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Butter or Lard
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 5 lg Egg Yolks
Instructions
- Grease and flour a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- In a mixing bowl beat butter just until softened. Add dry ingredients, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and mix just until moistened. Then beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining milk and beat on medium for 1 more minute.
- Pour batter into pan and tap on counter to smooth it out. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.
- Frost the top with your choice of icing – I often use a lemon butter cream.
For 3,000 ft altitude:
Yellow Loaf Cake
This is a very old recipe for a simple, yellow loaf cake, adjusted for 3000 ft (900 meters).
Servings: 9 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cake Flour
- 1 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Butter or Lard
- 2/3 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 5 lg Egg Yolks
Instructions
- Grease and flour a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- In a mixing bowl beat butter just until softened. Add dry ingredients, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and mix just until moistened. Then beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining milk and beat on medium for 1 more minute.
- Pour batter into pan and tap on counter to smooth it out. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.
- Frost the top with your choice of icing – I often use a lemon butter cream.
And for 7,000 feet:
High Altitude Yellow Cake Recipe
This is a very old recipe for a simple, yellow loaf cake, adjusted for 7000 ft (2150 meters).
Servings: 9 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cake Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup -LESS 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 cup Butter or Lard
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 5 lg Egg Yolks
Instructions
- Grease and flour a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- In a mixing bowl beat butter just until softened. Add dry ingredients, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and mix just until moistened. Then beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining milk and beat on medium for 1 more minute.
- Pour batter into pan and tap on counter to smooth it out. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.
- Frost the top with your choice of icing – I often use a lemon butter cream.
Here are some good choices for loaf pans that will last a lifetime:
Baking Silicone Glazed Aluminized steel Loaf Pan, 9″ x 4-1/2″ x 2-3/4″ Deep
Fox Run 4481 Non-Stick Loaf PanFat Daddio’s Anodized Aluminum Bread Pan, 9″ x 5″ x 2-1/2″ H
Will this work for layer cake and also baked in a 10X10 pan?
Yes, but you’ll need to double the recipe.