My Life in Three Cakes

White Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Makes one nine-inch two-layer cake; serves eight to ten.

This white layer cake is the little black dress of cakes. As my mother would have said, “It’s perfect for all occasions, and you can dress it up or down.” I like to serve it with nothing more than a simple buttercream frosting, but you can decorate it to the nines with colorful sprinkles, or top it with fresh fruit. You can also add grated orange or lemon zest to the batter to make a white citrus cake. You really can’t go wrong with this one.

For the cake:

3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

½ pound (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

For the frosting:

5 cups confectioners’ sugar

¾ pound (3 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter two round, nine-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

2. To make the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on high speed, beat the sugar and butter for about three minutes or until light and fluffy.

3. With the mixer on low, beat in the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture, and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

4. In another large bowl, using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites and the cream of tartar on high speed until they form stiff, but not dry, peaks. Stir one-third of the beaten whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth out the tops.

5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a sharp, thin knife around the insides of the pans, invert the cakes onto racks, and peel the parchment paper off the bottoms. Turn the cakes right side up and let cool completely.

6. To make the frosting: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed, mix in the butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and gradually mix in enough of the cream to make a spreadable frosting.

7. Transfer one cake layer to a serving plate and spread the top with a small amount of frosting. Top with the other cake layer; frost the sides and the top, swirling the frosting. Let the cake stand for at least 30 minutes before slicing.