White Layer Cake
Photography Courtesy Ben Lochard
in the kitchen with… May/June 2022
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2¼ cups cake flour, plus more for dusting pans
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites (¾ cup), at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened but still cool
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Set oven rack in middle position. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and invert pans and rap sharply to remove excess flour.
- Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into a 2-cup glass measure; mix with a fork until blended. Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in an electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs with no powdery streaks remaining.
- Add all but ½ cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1½ minutes. Add remaining ½ cup of milk mixture and beat 20 seconds longer.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; using a rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart. (If oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.)
- Bake until a thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife if necessary; invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1½ hours. Frost as desired. Makes 12 servings.
Recipe adapted from Epicurious, courtesy Deanne Edwards
