I don't make a lot of plain white or yellow cakes, but with some birthdays on the horizon it seemed like a good time to try this one. It's Elegant White Cake from the King Arthur Flour Company, and it's the perfect white cake.
I baked this in a 13x9 inch pan so it came together very quickly. Word on the street is that freezing just-baked cakes makes them moister, so I stuck the warm cake in the freezer to see if there was any truth to that. I'm going to cut it into some sort of shape tomorrow and decorate it. Todd and I found a picture of a crayon cake we think Fuzz will like. Our picture came from an Avon creative birthday cake book, but I found someone else's rendition here.
Here's the Elegant White Cake recipe. Interestingly, the baking powder really does go into the butter/shortening/sugar mixture.
Elegant White Cake
8 tablespoons butter -- (114 grams) softened
½ cup vegetable shortening -- (96 grams)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ¾ cups superfine or granulated sugar (335 grams)
¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 large egg whites (6 to 7 oz)
2 ¾ cups cake flour -- (310 grams)
1 cup whole milk (228 grams)
-- Cream together butter through almond extract until light. 5 min. or more.
-- Add egg whites one at a time and beat well after each addition.
-- Stir in flour and milk, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour. (i.e. ⅓ flour, ½ milk, ⅓ flour, ½ milk, ⅓ flour)
-- Pour into pans (2 9-in. round or one 9x13-in) and bake at 350. 25-30 minutes or until done.
Update: King Arthur has updated the recipe a bit and it is now called Tender White Cake. For a slightly revised version that uses all butter and a different mixing technique, check out King Arthur's site.
Recipe
Elegant White Cake
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter -- 114 grams softened
- ½ cup vegetable shortening -- 96 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¾ cups superfine or granulated sugar 335 grams
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large egg whites 6 to 7 oz
- 2 ¾ cups cake flour -- 310 grams
- 1 cup whole milk 228 grams
Instructions
- ream together butter through almond extract until light. 5 min. or more.
- Add egg whites one at a time and beat well after each addition.
- Stir in flour and milk, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour. (i.e. ⅓ flour, ½ milk, ⅓ flour, ½ milk, ⅓ flour)
- Pour into pans (2 9-in. round or one 9x13-in) and bake at 350. 25-30 minutes or until done.
Karen Geil says
Have you tried this recipe using glutin free flour?? Doing a wedding cake which needs to be glutin free!!
Melanie--The Cake Flake says
This is my go-to white cake recipe. It's very easy to slice this one into layers.
Karen Reynolds says
I found this recipe in a cookbook my son had. It is the best white cake I have ever tasted in my life and makes the perfect white cake for weddings!
A Touch of Style says
I didn't know about putting a warm cake in the freezer. I'm curious to see if it works. Shirley 🙂
Anna says
"Anonymous Val", I still like the Rebecca Rather cake and would say that Rebecca's cake is more rich than this one (I took a sample -- I'll be carving it up anyway)but not necessarily better. As you said, this one holds together better and is a bit softer.Molli, reading Cook-Off was what got me started. Watch out! Definitely work on some recipes -- National Chicken, perhaps?Joe, I'll give a full report tomorrow, but based on my sample, the cake is excellent.
val says
oops, sorry. that was me. I didn't mean to hit the anonymous button!
Anonymous says
it is an excellent white cake, that's for sure. I have ended my search for the best one now that I have this and the rebecca rather one in my repertoire.and the bonus is that there is no whipping of egg whits, which many white cakes require.I hope fuzz has a great bday. wish we could be there to celebrate with you again. I know julia would have even more fun this year than she did last year.
Joe says
I've been eyeing this cake for way to long as well. Can't wait to hear how it comes out - I am sure it will be awesome!