White Chocolate Cake

This White Chocolate Cake is my new favorite white cake! The cake is soft, with a tender crumb and a buttery, white chocolate flavor.

The Story

So Good, They Hid It in the Furniture

Years ago, during one of the Law family reunions at our house, I decided to flex my baking muscles. I whipped up a white chocolate cake that made my brother-in-law Dennis and my sister-in-law Patty fall head over heels. But that was just the opening act. On the dessert table sat a strawberry cake, a pound cake, a chocolate chip pound cake, a key lime pie, and a few other sweet temptations that could make a saint backslide.

Food may have been the star attraction, but it still had to share the stage with the laughter, dancing, and non-stop chatter of the whole clan. My husband’s siblings and their families were all there, and of course, the legendary Matrey Momma and Poppa. It was three straight days of joyful chaos.

My girlfriends were my kitchen crew, tackling vegetables and sides like pros, while the men took over the grills, frying pans, and seafood pots. Everyone pitched in, everyone had fun, and everyone left with full bellies and happy hearts.

But the real punchline came after the crowd cleared out. As I started the post-party cleanup, I went on my usual “lost and found” hunt for forgotten sunglasses, jackets… maybe a stray earring. Instead, when I opened a drawer, I found—wait for it—a hidden slice of white chocolate cake and a slice of strawberry cake.

I froze, blinked twice, then hollered, “Lord help me! Folks were hiding cake!” That was, without a doubt, the greatest compliment my baking ever received. Forget Yelp reviews—if people are smuggling your cake like contraband, you’ve made it.

White Chocolate Cake

Annette Law

The buttery goodness of white chocolate flavors this cake.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 2 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 12 people

Equipment

• 1 Stand or hand-held mixer
• 3 9 inch round cake pans (may also use 2 8-inch round cake pans)
• 1 cookie sheet

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x1/2x

Cake

• ▢ 6 ounces white chocolate ,chopped
• ▢ ½ cup boiling water
• ▢ 1 cup butter softened
• ▢ 1 ½ cups sugar
• ▢ 4 large eggs, separated
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 3 cups cake flour

Butter-Pecan Frosting

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• ▢ ½ cup butter, softened softened
• ▢ 1 16-ounce package powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups coarsely chopped pecans
• ▢ Garnish: toasted pecan halves

Instructions

 

• Prepare Butter-Pecan Frosting
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pecans, and cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until pecans are toasted. Remove from heat. Cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese and ½ cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Stir in buttered pecans and vanilla. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Yield 4 cups.
• Prepare the cake
• Place white chocolate in a bowl. Pour boiling water over white chocolate; stir until smooth. Set aside, and let cool.
• Grease 3 (9”) round cake pans, line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Set aside.
• Separate egg yorks from egg whites and retain both
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until creamy.
• Gradually add sugar, beating for another 5 minutes.
• Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until blended. Stir in white chocolate and vanilla.
• Combine buttermilk and soda. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
• Spread Butter-Pecan Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake. Garnish, if desired, with toasted pecan halves. Store cake in the refrigerator. Yields a 3-layer cake.

Notes

This cake is even better the next day.  Be sure to store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary depending on the brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and other factors.

Keyword buttermilk, cakes, cream cheese, pecans, white chocolate

Tried this recipe?Click here to rate and comment on it. We love to hear your story!