Classic White Frosting Food

CLASSIC WHITE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), mix the butter until it is creamy and smooth.
• Mix in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, adding in the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk a little at a time too. If the frosting is too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk until you achieve the thickness and texture you're looking for.

CLASSIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until combined.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through if they seem to be browning unevenly. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny).
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

CLASSIC WHITE CAKE

Steps:

• The fine moist crumb of this cake complements any type of filling and frosting -- the perfect celebratory cake.
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape bowl and beater often. Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and smooth top with a metal spatula. Bake cake(s) about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, remove paper and let cool completely.
• Variation:
• CLASSIC YELLOW CAKE Substitute 3 large eggs and 1 egg yolk for all of the egg whites above.
• 2 (9-inch) diameter by 1 1/2-inch deep layer pans or 1 (13 by 9 by 2-inch) pan, buttered and bottoms lined with parchment or waxed paper.

CLASSIC SEVEN-MINUTE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat 1 1/2 cups sugar, the water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Raise heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cook, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until syrup reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Once syrup reaches 230 degrees, remove from heat immediately.
• Meanwhile, with a mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Reduce speed to medium-low, and pour syrup into egg whites in a slow, steady stream down the side of the bowl. Raise speed to medium-high, and whisk for 6 minutes. Add vanilla; whisk until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Use immediately.

CLASSIC WHITE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter two 9-inch diameter by 1 1/2-inch deep layer pans or 1 (13 by 9 by 2-inch) pan.
• Lined bottoms with parchment or waxed paper.
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Set aside.
• Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract.
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture then add half the milk mixture.
• Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Scrape bowl and beater often.
• Pour batter into prepared pan (s) and smooth top with a metal spatula.
• Bake cake (s) about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
• Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, remove paper and let cool completely.

FLUFFY WHITE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar, water and cream of tartar until blended. Place over simmering water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until a thermometer reads 160°, 3-5 minutes., Remove from heat; add vanilla. With the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately. Store frosted cake, uncovered, in refrigerator.

CLASSIC WHITE CAKE LAYERS

Steps:

• 1 Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• 2 Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, mixing well.
• 3 Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla.
• 4 Whisk together the egg whites and milk by hand in a medium mixing bowl until just combined.
• 5 Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the milk mixture, stopping and scraping down the bowl and beater after each addition. Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the milk mixture. Scrape again. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining milk mixture; scrape. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture.
• 6 Scrape the bowl well with a large rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
• 7 Bake the layers for about 30 to 35 minutes, until they are well risen and firm and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool the layers in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, then unmold onto racks to finish cooling right side up.

BEST CLASSIC WHITE LAYER CAKE WITH RASPBERRY-ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• For the Cake: Set oven rack in middle position. (If oven is too small to cook both layers on a single rack, set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions.) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and invert pans and rap sharply to remove excess flour.
• Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.
• Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.
• Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.
• Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart. (If oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.) Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.
• Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• For the Frosting: Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed until sugar is moistened. Increase speed to medium-high (high if using handheld mixer); beat, stopping twice to scrape down bowl, until creamy and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Avoid overbeating, or frosting will be too soft to pipe.
• For the Filling: Before assembling cake, set aside 3/4 cup of the frosting for decoration. Spread small dab of frosting in center of cake plate to anchor cake, and set down one cake layer. Combine 1/2 cup of remaining frosting with almonds in small bowl and spread over first layer. Carefully spread jam on top, then cover with second cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of assembled cake. Pipe reserved frosting around perimeter of cake at the base and the top. Cut the cake into slices and serve.