White Cake {Coconut Frosting}
I love white cake and love it when it is soft and light and airy (but not spongy). However, the thing I like best about white cake is that it lends itself so easily to other flavors. You can pair it with a fantastic chocolate frosting or a super sweet strawberry sauce. (say that 3 times fast)
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs separated
- 1/2 c milk
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 c sugar
- 1/2 c room temperature butter
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 3/4 c sifted cake flour
- 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
Instructions
- Separate the eggs, placing the whites into one container and the yolks into another. Let come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8in (I used 9in) pans.
- Normally I use PAM, but this recipe really calls for the butter and flour method. Just trust me on this one.
- Put sifted flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer ( I love that this recipe calls for an electric mixer as I do not even own a KitchenAid Mixer), beat the butter until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of sugar (reserving the rest) and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Now add egg yolks, one at a time, until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and almond extract until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Now you are going to add your flour mixture and milk. Starting with the flour, add 1/3 of the mixture and mix until incorporated. Now add 1/2 milk mixture, mix until combined. Add half the remaining flour, combine. Now add the rest of your milk and combine. Add remaining 1/3 of your flour mixture, and go ahead and mix until combined. This whole process should take less then 2 minutes, as you do not want to over beat the batter.
- In a separate clean bowl with clean whisk attachment, whip eggs whites until foamy then add the cream of tartar. (I did this on medium speed) Beat until soft peaks occur, and then gradually add in your remaining sugar. You will want stiff peaks, which took me about 3 minutes. Now, take your rubber spatula and fold your eggs whites into your cake batter. Make sure they are fully incorporated, but do not over stir the batter, as you do not want to eggs to deflate.
- Put batter into prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Cakes are done when an inserted tooth pick comes out clean or with very few crumbs. At this point I place the cakes directly into the freezer and leave them there for at least an hour. This locks in moisture and also makes it easier to frost.