White Cake

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 4 medium egg whites (at room temperature)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl at medium speed, mix butter with 3/4 cup sugar until very light and fluffy. In a separate container, add the vanilla to the milk. Sift flour and baking powder together. At low speed, beat in alternately just until smooth, the flour mixture in fourths and the combined milk and vanilla in thirds. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup of sugar to the egg whites and keep beating until the egg whites hold a soft peak. Gently fold egg whites into other mixture. Pour into greased pans lined with wax paper or parchment paper at the bottom. This recipe usually makes a single sheet cake or 2 x 8 inch circles. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

Ingredients

Optional lemon filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. butter

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil while stirring. Turn down heat and boil for another minute while stirring. Let cool to room temperature and beat by hand before using.

Note

This is a family recipe of Tori’s. The lemon filling works well with either vanilla or lemon frosting as a layer cake.

Section author: Tori