A PERFECTLY WHITE CAKE

Undeniably Indulgent......birthday cake!

I feel the presence of my mother with every crumb-the toasted buttery smell of the cakes coming out of their pans. She made this cake so often she could have probably done it with her eyes closed. We probably all have our favorite cake recipe that we turn to for birthday celebrations! This year, I have chosen an old family favorite...a perfectly white cake...perhaps with strawberry buttercream......

 

 

A PERFECTLY WHITE CAKE

1 cup whole milk at cool room temperature
6 large egg whites at cool room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups cake flour
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still firm 

 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust a rack to the center position. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or cooking spray and cover the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. In a medium bowl stir together the milk, egg whites, and vanilla with a fork.

 Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and ¼ of the milk mixture and mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the batter comes together, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium high and mix for 2 minutes stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the remaining milk/egg white mixture to the batter in three batches mixing for about 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium high until batter is homogeneous and light, about 30 seconds longer.

 Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake until the cake is lightly colored, feels set, and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted to the center, about 26 minutes, rotating the cakes 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. (Baking time will vary depending on your oven.)  Remove pans to cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides of the pans and invert the cakes one at a time onto cooling rack. Reinvert cakes so the top is facing up and let cool completely. Makes 2 nine-inch cakes.

Estelle's Sweet Tip: the recipe said not to cream the butter with the sugar, as most recipes require, but to beat the softened butter with the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients. It said this results in a soft, moist and delicate cake!