Vanilla Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
This is another Matrey Law's classic layer cake and a Law family favorite. Frost and decorate it to taste as it's the cake for any occasion. Depending on how you wish customize this recipe, it can be baked in 3 (9-inch) round pans or 1 (9x13-inch) cake pan. The chocolate frosting recipe was contributed by Annette Law.
Equipment
- 3 cake pans (9-inch)
- 1 Stand or hand-held mixer
- 2 Cooling racks
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 2 small bowls
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups Swans Down® Cake Flour sifted before measuring
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature, separate yolk from whites
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter and lightly flour 3 (9-inch) layer pans.
- Sift flour and then lightly spoon 3 cups of the flour into a large measuring cup. Then sift the already-sifted cake flour with the baking powder and salt into a bowl; set aside.
- Cream butter in a large bowl (beat approximately 5 minutes). Gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
- Use small bowls to separate egg yoks from whitles. Set aside whites.
- Add egg yolks one at a time to creamed mixture, beating until each egg yolk disappears into the batter.
- Measure 1 cup of whole milk and add the extracts.
- Add flour mixture alternately with milk and extracts to the batter, blending after each addition until smooth. (Do not over beat as this will yield a dry cake.)
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until a stiff peak forms. Fold egg whites into cake batter gently.
- Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tester inserted into cake comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.
- Frost and decorate as desired.
Notes
Use this recipe for the frosting: Chocolate Frosting
This cake can be baked in 3 (9-inch) round layer pans or 1 (9x13-inch) rectangular pan.
To make the chocolate cake: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the dry ingredients OR 3 ounces melted baking chocolate, cooled and added when the eggs are added.
To make the cake strawberry: Add a 3-ounce box of strawberry Jell-O to the dry ingredients, and add 1 cup mashed strawberries with the eggs.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 232mgPotassium: 84mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 117IUCalcium: 97mgIron: 1mg
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.
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