Vanilla Birthday Cake
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups (330g) King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour
1 2/3 cups (333g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (227g) milk, whole preferred, at room temperature
1 tablespoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8″ or 9″ round pans. For extra protection against sticking, dust the pans with flour or line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment. Note: Make sure your 8″ pans are at least 2″ deep; if they’re not, use 9″ round pans or another of the pan options listed in “tips,” below.
- Using a stand mixer set on low speed, mix all the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Add the soft butter and mix until evenly crumbly, like fine, damp sand.
- Beat in the egg whites one at a time then the whole eggs, beating for about 30 seconds and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. This process helps build the cake’s structure.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the milk with the vanilla and almond extracts. Add this milk mixture, one-third at a time, to the batter. Beat for 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. The batter may look a little curdled; that’s OK.