Pretty Party Basics: Our Favorite Party Perfect White Cake Recipe

Simple White Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 5 large egg whites

Yields:  2 or 3 (9 inch) layers, 24 cupcakes, or 3 (6 inch) layers and 12 cupcakes

Directions:

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350˚F. Coat your cake pans with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper or cupcake liners.

Step 2: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Combine the milk and vanilla extract – you can simply measure the extract into the measure milk

Step 3: Cream together the butter and sugar with a heavy-duty mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg whites to the butter one at a time. Beat well after each addition.

Step 4: Add one third of the flour, followed by half of the milk, an additional third of flour, the remaining milk, and the last third of flour; Stop to scrape the bowl between additions.

Step 5: Divide the batter between the prepared pans as follows:

• For 9-inch cake pans: Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until the golden brown and the center springs back when touched. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire cooling rack.

• For 6-inch cake pans: Bake the cakes for 23 to 26 minutes or until the golden brown and the center springs back when touched. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire cooling rack.

• For cupcakes: Bake 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan half way through, until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when touched. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire cooling  rack.

Step 6: Cool the cakes completely before frosting.

Cake Variations

Funfetti Variation:

• 1 teaspoon almond extract*
• 1 cup rainbow sprinkles (classic jimmy style are best)

*This is the secret ingredient for making the cake taste like store-bought funfetti cake mix. If you don’t have it on hand, the cakes will still be delicious and festive. The almond extract can go in with the milk and vanilla. Add the sprinkles with the last addition of flour.

Strawberry Variation:

Pulse 2 ounces of freeze-dried strawberries to a powder in a food processor. Decrease the flour by ¼ cup (to 2 1/2 cups) and whisk the strawberry powder in with the flour mixture.

Now that we have covered baking tips & gave you the perfect simple white cake recipe, stop by next week to get tips & tricks for  frosting a  party prefect cake! Trust me, you don’t want to miss this!

Meghan Splawn is a professional recipe developer, food stylist, and candy eater. Her personal blog, Stir & Scribble, is full of clever cooking, classic cocktails, and useful kitchen tips.

Recipe, styling, and photos: Meghan Splawn of  Stir & Scribble

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