Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 large egg whites
- Old fashioned vanilla frosting
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 3 cups icing sugar
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or a standard cupcake pan.
Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and ¼ cup of the milk for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is well mixed and holds together. Slowly add the remaining milk and the oil and vanilla. Beat another minute until smooth.
In a separate stainless steel bowl, whip the egg whites until medium peaks form.
Fold the whipped whites into the batter. (You should not be able to see any whites).
Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans or cupcake tins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (12 to 14 minutes for cupcakes), until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Let the cakes or cupcakes cool and unmold.
Make the frosting: in a large bowl, cream the butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, milk, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth and creamy. Add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and ½ cup melted semisweet chocolate.
Assemble the cake: slice each cake in half with a long serrated knife to create 4 thin layers. Place 1 bottom layer, bottom side down, on a cake plate. Ice the top with 3 to 4 tablespoons frosting and repeat with remaining layers, leaving last layer bottom side up (so that the top of cake is flat and even). You will have a 4-layer unfrosted cake. Then use a cake spatula to mask the top and sides until the cake is evenly frosted.