Cake World’s Best

By mhyde

Ingredients

• 10 1/2 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 vanilla bean

Preparation

Step 1

reheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle position. Line an 8-x-12-inch baking pan with parchment paper. I recommend not using glass pans, use metal.

Beat the butter and ⅔ cup of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix well on low speed.

Mix in the egg yolks and milk.

Scrape the batter into the baking pan.

In a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining 1 cup sugar to soft peaks. Spread on top of the cake layer. Sprinkle with the almond slices.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown and puffed. Cool on a wire rack in the pan. Transfer to a cutting board.

When the cake is cool, put the cream in a medium bowl and scrape in the vanilla seeds. Discard the vanilla pod. Beat to soft peaks with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes.

Cut the cake in half crosswise with a serrated knife. Place one half of the cake on a serving tray and cover with the cream. Place the other half, meringue side up, on top.

Let the cake sit for 1 hour in the fridge before serving.