- 2⅔ cups (327.5g) Swans Down® Cake Flour, sift before measuring
- 3 teaspoons (10g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 large egg whites (175g), room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup shortening (130g)
- 1 ¼ cup (225g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (245g) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (Use clear vanilla flavoring for an extra white cake )
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Italian Meringue or Italian Meringue Buttercream frosting
Also known as the “Front of the Box Cake” (because it's so popular we featured it on the front of the Swans Down Cake Flour box), our Vintage White Cake is a tradition for any celebration – light, snow white and fluffy with an ultra-fine crumb. We bake it here with two 8-inch round pans, but you can also do three 8-inch layers, two 9-inch layers, or a sheet cake pan for petit fours. Frost with Italian meringue frosting, Italian meringue buttercream frosting, or a poured fondant for petit fours.
Ingredients
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two (8-inch) round pans with nonstick baking spray and line with parchment. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together three times; set aside.
- In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the ½ cup sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon, and continue to whisk until a meringue forms and holds soft peaks. Transfer to a clean bowl.
- In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and the 1¼ cup sugar, until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour, alternately with the milk, in 3 additions, beating until just combined before each new addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and blend.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer; add about ¼ of the meringue and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining meringue in 2 additions.
- Divide the batter equally in the 2 pans. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the cake pans on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then flip each cake layer out of its pan onto a greased wire rack to cool completely.
- To frost the cake: Place the bottom layer on a cake stand or a plate. Add about ½ cup frosting to the top and smooth it out using an offset spatula. Wrap the cake layer in an airtight seal and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up, which ensures a nice layer of filling in the middle. Assemble the second cake layer on top of the first layer and gently smooth about ½ cup frosting out over the top and sides. It will be a thin layer. Wrap and refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, then use the remainder of the frosting to apply a finished, decorative layer.
KITCHEN TIPS:
This cake is at its best when served the same day, but can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
To freeze the cake: wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. They can be frozen for up to one year. The buttercream can be frozen separately from the cake. Defrost the buttercream in the refrigerator overnight and let come to room temperature or about 75°F. before using. It may be necessary to whip it a few times before it reconstitutes.
Bake times for different sizes:
25 minutes for two 9-inch rounds
25 minutes for three 8-inch rounds
20 to 22 minutes for a 16×10 baking sheet for petit fours
