White Velvet Butter Cake

By norsegal8

This is the softest and most delicate of all butter cakes. The butter and vanilla give the cake an off-white color but also contribute delicious flavor. This versatile cake blends well with just about any buttercream except chocolate - which tends to overwhelm the delicate flavor.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces of egg white
• 1 cup milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter, softened

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans, place parchment paper in the bottom of the pans, grease again and flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites, 1/4 cup milk and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pans will be about 1/2 full. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.

Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto greased wire racks. To prevent splitting, reinvert so that the tops are up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.