Hej! I found and adapted the following recipe to use as a base for some of my special occasion cakes. As a rule, when I adapt recipes I start with 1/2 amount of sugar that is suggested in the original recepie. I feel that cake is a vehicle for frosting, so there is no need to have it over-sweetened. Also, since most of the time I'm baking for others, I try to use the freshest organic ingrediants I can find. Cheers!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 100 grams unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (We love vanilla!)
- 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare two 8-inch. I like to use softened butter to grease pans and baking paper on the bottom of the pans.
- Combine the dry ingrediants in one bowl and set aside
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar and oil, beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Mix in vanilla.
- On medium speed, add milk and dry ingediants alternately (I do 1/3 each at a time) until almost combined - do not overmix.
- In a separate bowl, beat room temperature egg whites until just stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold in egg whites to the batter mixture, scrape sides and bottom until combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans.
- Bake for around 30 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. I would suggest to rotate your cakes half-way for even baking, if necessary.
- After you remove the cakes from the oven, let them rest 15 minutes before you remove them from the pan. Set on a wire cooling rack to thoroughly cool before frosting.
Tips and Ideas
* Having fun is my main mission in the kitchen. I like to test and try and try again. I don't like to be pressured so if I need to bake for a special occasion my family is often subject to several trials ahead of time. We critique the outcome and I try to reproduce the final version. HA, I usually know more or less how it will end up, but you never know until it's eaten. If someone asks for the recipe, then I know it was a good job.
* For fun we like to bake "tiger" cake (marble cake). Very easily done: in a separate bowl, take about 1/3 of the batter and add 75-100grams of melted chocolate (70%), about 1/4 cup of milk depending on the amount of chocolate, and blend by hand. After you pour the 2/3 batter into the cake forms, spoon evenly dollops over each white batter and swirl with a knife.
* Cupcakes anyone? My granddaughters LOVE muffins! (Swedish for cupcakes) Fun to make and fun to decorate with kids (all kids, all ages!). You can use just about any cake batter with any filling to make them extra special.
* Frosting - the only reason to bake a cake! I have a couple of favorites:
- The first is a buttercream frosting that you can find a version of in just about every baking website. I tend to add more butter than powder surgar (ok, fat for sugar), add a generous amount of vanilla, use real cream or whipping cream and a spoonful of honey so the frosting doesn't harden.
- The second is an Italian Butter Cream that can be found at Preppy Kitchen website. I have only had GREAT reviews. Other than reducing the sugar 33%, I follow the recipie to the letter. The meringue is perfect to use on it's own and the full recipie is fabulous for decorating.
* And what to do with leftover egg yolks? Make ice cream! I have found a go-to recipe at New York Times, Cooking. I believe you will find many inspiring ice cream and gelato recipes there. Cheers!