White Birthday Cake

by Zoe Knutson

April 18, 2019

My 15th birthday cake

White cake has always been a choice for me when making a decision on my favorite dessert. Even though I don’t get to have it every time on birthdays and occasions, I got to enjoy it this time. With my friends and family around I blow out the candles, smoke and clapping fills the room with smiles dancing around for photos. I take out the half burned “happy birthday” candles out one by one, pro tim the cake is being sliced. Everyone is handed a piece, I wait for all and then take my fork to get a delicious bite of cake that I’m presented. The cake is moist with thick buttercream frosting, I look around to see the reactions. Everybody smiles back and has satisfied faces, I made the right decision. The right decision for dessert on this special day.

White Birthday Cake

Serves 19 people | 30 minutes to bake

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature 85g
• 2/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil 160ml
• 2 cup sugar 400g
• 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cup + 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour 345g
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk room temperature preferred (235ml)
• 6 large egg whites room temperature
• Double batch Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by lining the bottoms with a round of parchment paper and generously greasing and flouring the sides. Be sure to shake out excess flour.
2. In a stand mixer (or using an electric mixer), beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy.
3. Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla extract.
4. In separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Measure out your milk.
6. With mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next. Pause occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
7. In separate bowl, combine your egg whites and, with a hand-mixer on high-speed, beat until stiff peaks form.
8. Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites into your batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and take care not to over-mix.
9. Evenly divide cake batter into prepared pans.
10. Bake on 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean or with few crumbs (should not be wet). For best results, rotate your cake pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Cakes will be a light golden brown when done baking.
11. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert each onto a cooling rack.
12. Allow to cool completely before covering with buttercream frosting.