Recipes

Spring Vanilla Cake

Ingredients:

Cake Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (200g) cake and pastry flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) white sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/3 cup (81g) sour cream, full fat at room temperature
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (125ml) whole milk, at room temperature

Icing ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups (375g) icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream (or whole milk)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three, six-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and butter/grease the sides. To line the cake pans, using a pencil trace the bottoms of the pan on parchment paper, cut out, and place the pencil side down in the cake pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix together and set aside.
3. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and continue to mix until well incorporated, thick and pale in colour (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix together until well incorporated.
4. Next, alternate milk and dry ingredients into your butter mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.
5. Divide batter equally into your prepared cake pans (use a scale if you have one).
6. Place all three pans in the oven (on the same rack) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake the cakes.
7. Let cakes cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes then place in the freezer (right in the pans) for 30-40 mins.
8. Make your icing. In a stand mixer with the whip attachment add icing sugar, butter and vanilla together, mix on low while adding whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time. Raise the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form. Note: add more butter for a creamier icing with less sweetness.
9. Build your cake. Take cakes out of the freezer and remove them from cake pans (and parchment paper on the bottoms). Using a large bread knife, carefully trim the tops of the cakes to make flat even layers. Dust any crumbs off the cakes.
10. Build your cake on a cake board or right on your cake stand. Place a 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 over the cake, letting lots of icing fall over the sides.
11. Add your next cake layer and repeat, 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.
12. Using a large offset spatula run the spatula along the sides with the icing that is hanging off cake. Don't worry about the icing being even, this will give you a natural, naked cake.
13. Decorate cake with organic, natural or edible flowers. To make bunny ears, use garden wire or crafting wire and wrap fresh thyme sprigs around the wire. Twist into bunny ear shapes and leave extra wire at the ends to poke into the cake.

NOTE: Cake will last 4 days, covered with a glass dome (or with plastic wrap).

PREP TIME: 1 hour
COOK TIME: 20 mins
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 20 mins
YIELD: 1 6" cake with 3 layers

Thanks to @bakingforfriends_