White Velvet Cake

It’s an easy, from-scratch layer cake that’s fluffy and moist with a velvety, tender vanilla crumb. Also called Vintage Buttermilk Cake. Source: Marye Audet-White, restlesschipotle.com.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla (I used clear vanilla)
  • 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
  • 6 egg whites, unbeaten, room temperature

Equipment

  • 3 8-inch round cake pans
  • stand mixer
  • rubber spatula

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease 3 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of wax paper or parchment. Set aside. (My pans are Wilton with high sides. If you have pans with lower sides you may get 4 layers instead of 3.)
  3. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Set flour mixture aside.
  4. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  5. Beat in vanilla.
  6. Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
  7. Add egg whites and beat at medium speed for two minutes.
  8. Divide equally between prepared pans.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325 and bake for 25 minutes more, or until the cake tests done (a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean).
  10. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack.
  11. Fill and frost as desired.

Notes

  • Storage: wrap the unfrosted cake layers in plastic wrap and store for 2 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to three months. Once frosted, room temperature for up to 5 days depending on the frosting.
  • Tip: make sure everything is at room temperature for best results.
  • Large eggs were used for the egg whites in this recipe.
  • Start creaming butter and sugar with the paddle attachment, then switch to the whisk attachment to finish it off. It takes about 7 minutes to cream the butter properly.
  • Using parchment or wax paper rounds on the bottom of the cake pan allows you to remove the cake easily.
  • Use any frosting you like. Cream cheese frosting is good here.
  • If you accidentally over-bake the cake and it seems dry, brush with sugar syrup. Bring 1⁄2 cup sugar and 1⁄2 cup water to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves — about 2 minutes. Cool completely and brush on 2 tablespoons per layer.

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