Was making a cake and it called for cocoa powder but I didn't add it would it make the cake a white cake instead of a chocolate cake? Here is the recipe I am wondering about:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup dairy free cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs distilled white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla

Ashworth - are you trying to make a WHITE white cake? Or a white/yellow/ivory (however you see it) cake? Egg whites and whole eggs will make a difference in the color of your cake.

If you want a WHITE white cake:

White Layer Cake

2 cups cake flour
3 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
k 1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt three times. Combine the milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat egg whites until foamy then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time only until soft peaks are formed. Mix shortening with sugar until light and fluffy. Alternately beat in dry and liquid mixtures in fourths just until smooth. Next, thoroughly beat in the egg white mixture. Divide into two, greased and floured, 8 inch layer pans. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 mins. or until done. Let cool in pans 10 mins. before turning out onto cooling racks. Cool completely before Icing.


A basic yellow cake:

Yellow Layer Cake


3 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tsps. vanilla

Sift together; flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk with the vanilla. Thoroughly mix shortening with the sugar, then eggs. Alternately (by fourths) beat in the dry and liquid mixtures at low speed, just until smooth. Grease and flour two 9 inch layer pans and divide the batter into them. Bake at 350 for 32 to 38 mins. or until done. Let cool in pan for 10 mins. before turning out onto cooling racks. Cool completely before Icing.



A basic butter cake:

Buttery Yellow Butter Cake

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups butter
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract * or 1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt.
Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture.
To the remaining crumb mixture, stir in the baking
powder.
Add the eggs, milk, vanilla and almond extracts.
Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined.
Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the reserved curmb mixture.
Bake for about 45minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes
out clean. Serve warm or cool.



If you do not have cake flour - you can make your own.

Place 2 tablespoons corn starch in measuring cup and add 3/4 cup SIFTED all-purpose flour for every 1 c. cake flour the recipe calls for.

Remember when measuring flour to scoop the flour into your measuring cup, not to dip it into your flour bin.

Thanks for posting so much!! I feel bad now though forgot to add and extremely important issue I have. This cake is for my daughters first birthday and she is allergic to EEGS, MILK, and NUTS..... Very difficult to cook for.

I looked your recipe over again and I noticed no eggs and oil is used. I should have looked closer the first time - sorry. ere is a version - eggless and with oil.

Eggless White Cake

2 3/4 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup corn oil
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Mix well& ensure there are no lumps.
4. Add the wet ingredients in order listed.
5. Stir until well mixed.
6. The mixture should be thick& heavy.
7. Spoon mixture into 2 well oiled& floured 9" baking pans.
8. Smooth the tops with a spatula as much as possible.
9. Bake for up to 30 minutes.
10. Check for doneness after 20 minutes& if not done, cook for another 5 minutes& check again.
11. Remove from oven& cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.
12. Carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
13. Layer with jam& a lemon icing.
14. NOTE: It is essential to oil& flour the pans well as the corn syrup does make the batter very sticky.
15. Unlike most sponge cakes, this one does not sag in the middle& while quite light, is still good & hearty.

Short answer...Yes.

I have quite a few recipes that are white/vanilla or chocolate depending on whether the cocoa powder is added; that is the only difference.