Silvery White Cake

Yes, it's the cake I've been promising you: the companion to the Gold Cake from last week. This came from the same McCalls cookbook, and everyone except my youngest loved it. I guess he just doesn't like almond extract. (I was so excited to find real organic almond extract at amazon.com; I've never been able to find anything except imitation almond extract at the grocery store!)

Anyway, without further ado, I present for your culinary delight,

SILVERY WHITE CAKE

2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 egg whites
1 cup milk
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Let the egg whites you've saved from your delectable gold cake come to room temperature, about an hour. Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease and lightly flour 2 layer pans or a 13x9 sheet pan.

Sift together the flour, sugar, powder and salt. Add the butter, 3/4 cup milk and extracts. Beat just until ingredients are combined at low speed, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping side of bowl often. Add the unbeaten egg whites and the rest of the milk, and beat for 2 minutes longer. Pour the batter into prepared pans, bake layers 30 to 35 minutes, or oblong 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and frost with buttercream frosting flavored with almond extract instead of vanilla.

And, Paula, I don't find it necessary to store cakes with buttercream frosting in the refrigerator, although they rarely last more than 2 days anyway. However, I admit that when I make the kids' birthday cakes, they always store the remains in the fridge; they love the frosting cold!

As you can see from the color in this picture, the cake really does have a silver cast to it!

I ate sort of a lot of this cake over the 2 days it lasted, but my dearly beloved and 12 year old just tore through it! My youngest did prefer the gold cake. Well, at least I know I can make them both back to back again, and have them all consumed!