Countdown NYE Vanilla Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups (248 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/3 cups (467 g) fine white sugar (also known as granulated sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (474 ml) full milk, at room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

• 4 1/2 cups (540 g) icing sugar, sifted
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (79 ml) whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Decorating

• Gold icing from Wilton
• Sparklers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two, 9" springform cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pans with butter. Set aside.
2. Make your cake. In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine and set aside.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and egg whites. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (make sure you are using a large bowl, this is a big cake). Slowly add the eggs in 2 to 3 additions, mixing well in between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the milk. Mix just until combined between each addition. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
6. Using a rubber spatula divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans (if you have a scale to weigh the cake pans use it as this will help with even baking).
7. Bake in the oven for 35-38 minutes or until the middle is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake the cakes.
8. Let cakes cool on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Then, carefully remove the sides of the pans and place the cakes directly into the freezer for approx. 1 hour to firm up.
9. Make your icing. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add icing sugar and butter. Using the whisk attachment, whisk until the mixture starts to come together. Slowly add the whipping cream and raise the speed to high. Whip until light, airy and fluffy, approx. 3 minutes. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
10. Build your cake. Take the cakes out of the freezer and remove the bottoms of the cake pans as well as the parchment paper. Using a large bread knife, carefully trim the tops of the cakes to make flat even layers. Dust any crumbs off the cakes. Then cut each cake in half lengthwise, you should now have 4 cakes.
11. Build your cake on a cake board or right on your cake stand. Place a small dollop of icing in the middle of the board/cake stand. This is to keep your cake in place. Add your first cake layer. Next, add a heaping amount of icing and spread out a thin layer of icing over the cake, letting lots of icing fall over the sides.
12. Add your next cake layers and repeat (do this a total of 3 times), letting the icing fall off the sides again. Add your top layer and add icing, again let the icing fall off the sides. Smooth the top so it's flat and even.
13. Using a large offset spatula run the spatula along the sides with the icing that is hanging off the cake.
14. Decorate. Use the gold icing to write numbers for a clock on the top of the cake. Start at the top and write 12, then the bottom 6, the two sides 3 and 9. Now fill in the rest and add hands that are just about to hit 12 o'clock.
15. Add a sparkler and enjoy!

NOTES

The cake is best enjoyed fresh on the same day. It will last 2 days at room temperature or for best results freeze the cake for up to a month.

For a flat even cake top, use the bottom of one of the cakes as the top layer.

If the icing is too soft and unmanageable, add more icing sugar. If it's too thick, add more whipping cream.

Make sure to add a thin layer of icing in between the cake layers. For this particular recipe, you want to go light on the icing as the cake is more of the focal point. The icing should be heavier on the sides and top for decorating.

• Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Yields: 28

Thanks to Baking For Friends