America's Test Kitchen: Birthday Cake recipe review.

I already mentioned my opionion of the cookbook in general, but I thought I would give more indepth of the cake recipie itself

 

The "birthday cupcake" which they brag about on the cover, was a disappointment. They had better structure then the chocolate, but felt dry. After a bite or two you felt like you needed a glass of milk. And all the crumbs make you feel like you need to vacuum. The top crust was nice, and took the frosting well, but trying to remove the cupcake wrapper revealed that the rest of the cake was extremely fragile.

And the flavor was ... odd. It calls for melted white chocolate and sour cream.
The first time I attempted the recipe, I followed it to a T.

 

The second time I made it I changes a few things. I used regular chocolate chips, because I was out of white chocolate, and since the recipe was a disappointment I did not want to make a trip to the store to get more. (White chocolate is in effect: oil, butter and milk.) And I thought the actual chocolate might improve the flavor. It was not notable for the flavor, but it did change the color.
The recipe has no butter, it calls for oil. The book explained that because they used the sour cream you would not "miss the buttery flavor". I disagree. I thought the exchange was not an improvement in flavor. And since the first time I felt the cake was dry, I increased the sour cream by a spoonful the second time, but it did not help. I have had decent sour cream coffee cakes, but this should have been a birthday cake. So I felt like it was not a good match. And this was not even a decent coffee cake.

I felt that, after a few more attempts, I might be able to to adjust the recipe into something I like, but I am not going to bother. For me; the store bought Betty Crocker cake mix is a better choice.