Elegant White Cake

Serves: Makes two or three 8-inch rounds, two 9-inch rounds, or one 9 x 13-inch cake
Baking Temp (degrees F): 350
Views: 15571

Variation: Elegant Coconut Cake

Cake and photos by bakershands, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips

If you are looking for a white cake recipe, this one is tender grained, slightly dense and somewhat moist. I have adapted it from King Arthur Flour.
CAKE RECIPE HELP

bakershands, Premium Member, made this charming cake: "The cake is filled with Fresh (or Frozen) Berry Filling, and was used to make a charming violin cake. It was iced with Swiss Meringue Buttercream or SMBC and finished with Gumpaste or Tylose Gum Paste details":

Cake and photos by bakershands, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips

Cake and photos by bakershands, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips

INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, softened
1/2 cup (3-1/4 oz.) vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon (1/2 oz.) baking powder
1 3/4 cups (12-1/4 ounces) superfine or granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

5 large egg whites (6 to 7 oz.)

2 3/4 cups (11 oz.) bleached cake flour; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
1 cup (8 oz.) milk

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position an oven shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the cake pans, or line with parchment paper and grease again. Set aside.

2. Cream together the butter, shortening, baking powder, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extracts until fluffy and light in color, taking about 5 minutes or more.

3. Add the egg whites to the creamed butter mixture, one at a time. Make sure you beat well after each addition.

4. Add the flour in 3 equal portions, alternating with the milk in 2 equal portions, beginning and ending with the flour in a steady stream at the side of the bowl.
Be sure to stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when necessary.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

6. Bake the cakes until done:
23 to 26 minutes in the 8-inch pans
25 to 30 minutes in the 9-inch pans
about 35 minutes in the 9 x 13-inch pan

Remove the pans to a wire cake rack, let cool for 10 minutes and unmold. Turn the layers upright to cool completely. Be careful, this cake is delicate when warm.

VARIATION
Coconut cake: Substitute 2 or 3 drops coconut flavor or 1 teaspoon coconut extract for the almond extract and fold 1 cup toasted, flaked sweetened or unsweetened coconut into the batter.

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