27 Worst Rated Cake Recipes

This traditional recipe is adapted from www.visitportugal.com, a promotional website set up by the Portuguese Tourist Board. Expand

One can instantly recognize this traditional Scottish, sultanas-studded fruitcake by a top pattern of concentric circles made with blanched almonds. The batter made with flour, butter, eggs and sugar is first flavored with Sevilla orange peels and optionally, sherry. Sultanas are added as soon as the batter reaches a consistency that is firm enough to hold the dried fruit, which would then ideally, be evenly distributed in the cake. Traditionally, this is a round cake in which case the almonds are placed on top in concentric rings, or in the case that it's shaped like a slab cake, the almonds placed on top are arranged into neat rows. However, in some recipes almonds may not only serve merely as decoration but are also be added to the batter. The length of baking depends on the size of the cake which should be golden brown and firm to touch when finished. For the best results, the cake should be left to age for up to three days to get it to ripen and develop flavor. Dundee cake is typically served with afternoon tea and is regularly prepared for Christmas.Expand

The quintessential British teatime confection, the Battenberg cake, although simple when it comes to ingredients, is quite a technical challenge for any baker. It consists of two differently colored Genoise or pound cake strips glued together with apricot jam which are stacked to make a checkerboard pattern and enveloped in marzipan. The ingredients for the sponge are butter, sugar, flour, raising agent, eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring, which is added only to one half of the batter to get two different colored sponges which are assembled so to make a checkerboard pattern. Expand

Parrozzo is a traditional Christmas dessert that hails from Abruzzo. It is a dome-shaped, chocolate-covered sponge cake made with almonds and semolina. Traditionally, this cake is flavored with bitter almonds, but many contemporary versions add amaretto liqueurs or bitter almond extracts. This dessert was first created in 1920 by Luigi D'Amico, a pastry chef from Pescara who was inspired by the rustic corn bread called pane rozzo. D'Amico went on to protect his creation and started to produce the dessert on an industrial scale. The original recipe has never been disclosed, and it has probably changed since it was invented, but many locals prepare homemade versions that closely resemble the original creation. The dessert is made by combining almond flour, semolina, eggs, sugar, and flavorings. The batter is poured into a special, dome-shaped aluminum mold. When baked and chilled, it is covered in melted dark chocolate.Expand

The first step in preparing this velvety dessert is to simply whisk egg whites and sugar until they form a glossy meringue. Sifted cake flour is then carefully folded in, taking care that the meringue does not fall, and the resulting mass is spooned into a tube pan and baked anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour, depending on the recipe. The cream of tartar, lemon juice, and salt are added to stabilize the foam, while various extracts are used to add additional flavor to the cake, such as lemon, almond, vanilla, and orange. Once baked, the cake will have a lovely golden crust, while the inside will remain incredibly light and fluffy. While it is perfect as is, angel food cake is typically served topped with different flavored creams and glazes or with various fresh fruits and fruit sauces.Expand

Bolo de mel is the oldest Madeiran cake dating from the 15th century. It is traditionally made on December 8 in large quantities and meant to be eaten for Christmas and then enjoyed throughout the coming year. The key ingredient and the one cake was named after is mel de cana, a local sugarcane molasses responsible for its long shelf life. The cake is made with yeasted dough that is rich in butter, lard, nuts, and mel de cana, bursting with flavors of spices, Madeira wine, and candied citrus peel. The preparation is simple yet time-consuming, mainly because the cake needs a lot of proving time — up to 3 days, depending on the recipe. The top of the cake is typically decorated with a flower motif made with nuts. The interesting thing about bolo de mel is that it’s not cut, but pieces of the cake are torn off by hand.Expand

Belonging to a group of cannabis-infused edibles and originating from Amsterdam, space cake is typically a simple sponge cake, which can be enriched with additional ingredients, such cocoa or chocolate, vanilla extract, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, various spices, and such. The batter is usually made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and baking powder, although recipes can vary. The key ingredient, though, is butter infused with cannabis, also known as cannabutter — typically, the crushed or ground cannabis is simmered with melted butter and water. Still, other preparation methods are possible, but the butter will not be infused with as much THC. The baked cake can be dusted with confectioner's sugar, glazed, or frosted. A vegan-friendly space cake is also an option, in which case cocoa butter is usually used instead of regular butter. Expand

A pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs — that, in short, is the pound cake. Because there are no leavening agents in a true pound cake, it is essential to cream the butter with sugar very well and to whip the eggs properly — this is crucial since it incorporates air into the batter which helps the cake rise. Although simple, this cake is incredibly versatile and can hold any flavor imaginable, from spices like mace, cinnamon, and cloves, to dried fruits. Modern iterations of the recipe will include raising agents which will produce a lighter cake. Commonly a part of butter or all of it is replaced with oil which results in a more moist cake. Proportions of the ingredients can also vary depending on the recipe, and the use of sour cream in place of butter is quite common. Pound cake is usually baked in either a round, a loaf or a bundt pan and is commonly served dusted with sugar, glazed or iced.Expand

With quite an extensive list of ingredients, German chocolate cake is rather easy to make for someone familiar with basic cooking techniques. The first step is to melt the chocolate with some water in a microwave oven or over a double boiler. Egg whites are mixed in one bowl; dry ingredients such as flour, baking soda and salt in another; and butter, sugar and egg yolks in the third. The melted chocolate is blended with the egg yolk mixture, followed by flour mixture and buttermilk. In the end, the mixed egg whites are gently combined, so the batter gets plenty of air, which will result in a spongy texture. The batter is then divided into three baking pans and baked for 30 minutes. When cooled, each layer is covered with a pecan-coconut frosting, which is also applied on top. The sides can be left unglazed, or covered with chocolate frosting, and some maraschino cherries may be used to garnish the top.Expand

Marketed under an intriguing slogan "the first really new cake in a hundred years", chiffon cake is somewhere between a butter cake and a sponge cake. Like the butter cake, it contains fat, but its airlight texture is achieved by gently adding whipped egg whites, the procedure was borrowed from the sponge cake recipe. The secret? Instead of butter, margarine or lard, commonly used in butter cakes, chiffon cake uses vegetable oil. The procedure is simple: dry ingredients — flour, sugar, baking powder and salt — are sifted and combined, which is followed by adding the wet ingredients — water, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, egg yolks and, optionally, grated lemon zest. All the ingredients are then mixed until the batter is completely smooth. Egg whites and cream of tartar are whipped or mixed in another bowl until stiff peaks are formed, and then the two mixtures are gently combined, so they retain an airy texture. Depending on the recipe, additional ingredients such as spices, fruit, fruit juice and chocolate can be added to the batter. Chiffon cake is most commonly baked in a tube pan or an oblong bread pan, and it is usually sprinkled with powdered sugar or covered with glaze before serving.Expand