White Cake

Recipe by Janet Gill, Canton, Ohio
First place, Cakes (White Cake), 2017

Baking temperature: 350 degrees
Baking time: 25-30 minutes
Yield: 1

Ingredients

• 1 c milk, room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 ½ t vanilla
• 1 ½ t almond extract
• 2 ¼ c cake flour
• 1 ¾ c sugar
• 4 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 12 T unsalted butter, softened

Frosting:

• ½ c butter, softened
• 1 t vanilla
• ¼ t almond extract
• 4-5 T milk
• 5 c powdered sugar

Filling:

• ¼ c slivered almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 c seedless raspberry jam

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 or 9” round cake pans
• To make cake: Add milk, egg whites and extracts to a 2 c liquid measuring cup and mix with fork until blended
• Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to large bowl and mix on low. Add the butter and beat on low until mixture resembles moist crumbs
• Add all but ½ c of milk mixture to the crumbs, beat at medium for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the remaining milk mixture and beat another minute, scraping the bowl as needed
• Pour batter into pans, divided evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in cake centers comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pans to finish cooling on wire racks
• Make frosting: beat butter, extracts and 4 T milk together. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add a bit more milk or sugar if needed for spreading consistency
• To assemble cake: combine ¾ c of frosting with the almonds for the center layher of frosting. Place first cake layer, bottom side up on cake plate. Spread on almond frosting, and then carefully spread jam over this. Top with second cake layer, bottom down, frost top and sides of cake.