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This recipe for Classic White Cake is a great base for flavored frosting, icing, and fruit. Customize it with your favorite toppings and filling.
This recipe is for just a basic white cake. The great thing about it is that it is a blank canvas just waiting for your creativity. Let’s take a quick look at how to make a Classic White Cake.
How To Make Classic White Cake From Scratch
For this homemade cake recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- unsalted butter
- vegetable shortening
- sugar
- egg whites
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- milk
Since the cake will need to be baked in an oven, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
Go ahead and prepare your baking pans – line them with parchment paper, spray them with nonstick spray, or grease the pans with shortening and sprinkle them with flour to create a non-sticking surface.
While it is warming up, cream butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl. This is a great time to pull out your stand mixer and use it. If not, you can use a hand mixer or a good old fashioned whisk will do.
Add egg whites and vanilla and mix until it is smooth-ish.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamy sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Mix it until it becomes smooth.
Next, divide the batter evenly between prepared baking pans. Lightly tap the pans on the countertop to help even out the batter.
Bake them for 30 – 35 minutes. You want to be able to stick a toothpick in the middle of the cake and for it to come out clean. If it comes out with batter on it, the cake is not ready to come out. If that’s the case, bake it a little bit longer. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t over bake.
Classic White Cake
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon real vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Place top oven rack in center position and pre-heat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by spraying with non-stick cooking sprayand lining the bottom with a parchment paper round. Set aside.
- Cream butter, shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add in the egg whites and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine. Add in the milk and continue mixing until smooth.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared baking pans and place in the pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- To frost the cake, first level the top of each cake layer by carefully slicing the rounded portion of the cake off. (A cake leveler works great for this). Put the leveled side down on a cake plate. Add a thin layer of the Buttercream Frosting to the exposed top side.
- Add the second cake layer, again with the leveled top side down. Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake, slowly working it around from the middle of the cake top to the edges. Scrape some of the frosting over the edges and apply a thin layer of frosting to the sides of the cake.
- Slice and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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Like chocolate? Be sure to check out the recipe for homemade chocolate cake at Southern Kissed!
