White Cake
with Vanilla Buttercream and Raspberry Filling

White cake was a challenge! Every recipe I had tried in the past turned out very poor. They often tasted like eggs and cooked milk. The top was usually crisp, and the consistency quite dense. I kept searching for recipes and decided to give another one a try. The consistency was great, but the taste was poor. I exhausted every variation I could think of before searching for a new recipe. I found one that used water instead of milk, and about half the eggs that most recipes called for. I applied what I had learned along the way to adapt it into this moist, delicious, light, perfectly white cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set the oven rack to the lower middle position.

Prepare two 9 inch round cake pans in the following way. Place one of the pans on top of a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Trace around the bottom with a pen, or slide a scissors around the bottom to score the paper. Cut out and repeat.

Spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray and place the prepared paper inside. Smooth out any air-pockets and seal around the edges.

Spray and flour the paper and edges. Shake out any excess. Set aside.

Combine cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer add shortening and sugar. Beat on high 3-4 minutes.

While this is mixing prepare the egg whites. In a medium bowl add the egg whites and powdered sugar.

Beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

When the shortening and sugar are beaten, add vanilla and beat until incorporated. With the mixer running on low (1)Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 the water, 1/3 more mixture, 1/2 the water, then the last 1/3 of the flour. Beat on high 30-60 seconds.

Gently but thouroughly fold the egg whites into the mixture.

(folding)

(folded)

Immediately divide into the prepared pans (each cake 1 lb 9.75 oz before baking) . Bake 25-30 minutes until it (2)springs back gently.

Remove to a cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes.

Loosen the edges with a knife.

Place a cooling rack on top of the pan and invert the cake.

(with parchment paper)

Remove the parchment paper and gently (3)flip again so the bottom is back on the bottom.

Cool completely.

To de-seed the jam place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl.

Add the jam to the sieve and stir vigorously, pressing the jam through.

Scrape seedless jam off the bottom of the sieve. Discard the seeds.

Set aside.

Level the cake with a serrated knife.

Cut each round in half horizontally.

Place one the bottom halves on the serving tray.

Spread 1/3 of the raspberry filling on top leaving 1/4-1/2 inch around the edge because it will get pressed down and spread out the sides. This makes it very difficult to frost and not mix the raspberry with the buttercream.

Prepare the bottom of the next layer with a thin layer of buttercream.

Place this buttercream side down on the first layer.

Repeat three times. Top with the last cake half.

Frost with the remaining buttercream.

Slice and serve!

Problems

Cake flour vs all purpose flour: Cake flour creates a very fine, soft crumb. If you substitute with all-purpose flour do so by weight not volume. So still use 15 oz which is only 3 cups rather than 3 3/4 cups. In a chocolate cake all-purpose flour works great, but for a white cake I definately recommend using cake flour.

Sliding Cake: Putting a layer of buttercream and raspberry filling together will make it slide a bit. If you have to transport it use only the raspberry filling between the layers. If it is staying where you made it, it probably won't slide much and I think it's worth it to have the double layered filling.

Seeded Jam: This is a smooth soft cake and having seeds in the jam would be distracting.

Delayed Baking: The egg whites will deflate over time. It is best start preheat the oven before you start mixing the cake and bake it as soon as the egg whites are folded in.

Testing Flour: A cake that sinks down in the middle generally doesn't have enough flour. A cake with a stiff dome or that doesn't rise much has too much flour. A proper cake should dome slightly and later be leveled.

Butter vs. Shortening: Generally I prefer butter to shortening, but for a white cake, I like the pure white color shortening gives. Also shortening makes it soft and moist. If you do substitute butter add .5 oz (2 T) cake flour

See Vanilla Buttercream for problems with this.

White Cake
makes two 9" round cake pans

3 1/4 c (11 oz) cake flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt

1 c - 2 T (7.5 oz) shortening
1 2/3 c (13 oz) sugar
1 T vanilla
1/3 c minus 2 t (3 oz)water
1/4 c (2 oz) sour cream

8 egg whites beaten
1/4 c (1.25 oz) powdered sugar

Raspberry Filling

1 1/3 c seedless raspberry jam
or
1 1/2 c seeded raspberry jam pressed through a sieve

Vanilla Buttercream

1 c (8 oz) unsalted butter
1 c (8 oz) (7)crisco shortening (not butter flavored)

4 large egg whites
1 c sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
¾ t salt

1 c (4 oz) powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

Cakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set the oven rack to the lower middle position.

Prepare two 9 inch round cake pans in the following way. Place one of the pans on top of a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Trace around the bottom with a pen, or slide a scissors around the bottom to score the paper. Cut out and repeat. Spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray and place the prepared paper inside. Smooth out any air-pockets and seal around the edges. Spray and flour the paper and edges. Shake out any excess. Set aside.

Combine (8)cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a bowl of an electric mixer add shortening and sugar. Beat on high 3-4 minutes.

While this is mixing prepare the egg whites. In a medium bowl add the egg whites and powdered sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

When the shortening and sugar are beaten, add vanilla and beat until incorporated. With the mixer running on low (1)Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 the water, 1/3 more mixture, 1/2 the water, then the last 1/3 of the flour. Beat on high 30-60 seconds.

Gently but thouroughly fold the egg whites into the mixture. Immediately divide into the prepared pans (each cake 1 lb 9.75 oz before baking) . Bake 25-30 minutes until it (2)springs back gently. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife. Place a cooling rack on top of the pan and invert the cake. Remove the parchment paper and gently (3)flip again so the bottom is back on the bottom. Cool completely.

Raspberry Filling
To de-seed the jam place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Add the jam to the sieve and stir vigorously, pressing the jam through. Scrape seedless jam off the bottom of the sieve. Discard the seeds. Set aside.

Vanilla Buttercream
Cut the butter into 2-3 tablespoon pieces. Bring to (4)room temperature. Measure the shortening and set aside

Put an inch or two of water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. In a large bowl add the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk well. Place over the simmering water and whisk constantly. Heat to (5)160 degrees (about five minutes) The mixture should be doubled in volume and frothy. Remove from heat. Beat on high speed for five minutes until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and add the butter one piece at a time until each is incorporated. Add (7)shortening in 2-3 T increments as well. Add the vanilla and beat on high an additional minute.

Cover and store at (6)room temperature until ready to use.

Assembly
Level the cake with a serrated knife. Cut each round in half horizontally. Place one the bottom halves on the serving tray. Spread 1/3 of the raspberry filling on top leaving 1/4-1/2 inch around the edge because it will get pressed down and spread out the sides. This makes it very difficult to frost. This makes it very difficult to frost and not mix the raspberry with the buttercream. Prepare the bottom of the next layer with a thin layer of buttercream. Place this buttercream side down on the first layer. Repeat three times. Top with the last cake half. Frost with the remaining buttercream. Slice and serve!

Notes
1. It is a little tedious to mix it this way, but it will mix in more evenly.
2. Traditionally to tell if a cake is done a toothpick or knife is inserted into the center. I don't like to do this, it deflates cakes that aren't done. Gently touch the middle of the cake. If it feels jiggly inside it isn't done. If it just barely springs back or gives a little resistence it is done and should be removed from the oven. It may seem a bit undone, but will continue to bake while it sits. If it is very firm, it is overdone.
3. It's good to flip it after inverting it so that the domed top is on the top. If it is on the bottom it puts pressure on the middle of the cake and squishes it.
4. The butter needs to be at room temperature or slightly cooler. Cold butter won't incorporate and melted butter will curdle and ruin the buttercream.
5.160 degrees is the point where the eggs are pasteurized and safe to eat.
6. It’s best to keep this at room temperature because of the high butter content. Refrigerating it will make it hard. If you do refrigerate it soften it carefully in the microwave 5-8 seconds at a time stirring between each interval to make sure it doesn’t melt. Once it melts it’s ruined.
7. I tried a store brand shortening once and the consistency was awful. It may be fine to bake with, but it won't work very well for a frosting.
8. Cake flour creates a very fine, soft crumb. If you substitute with all-purpose flour do so by weight not volume. So still use 15 oz which is only 3 cups rather than 3 3/4 cups.