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White Layer Cake
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White Layer Cake

Servings 12 servings
Author Recipe adapted from Epicurious, courtesy of Deanne Edwards.

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 of Deanne Edwards.