White Cake with Strawberry Jam Frosting

A slice of cake is a satisfying thing. Moist, sweet, satisfying, and oh so versatile! It would be too hard to pick a favorite when there are so many choices. Chocolate fudge cake with the marshmallow-like frosting of seven-minute icing; gooey coconut-y, nutty German chocolate; or sweet tart lemon cakes that make your mouth pucker for more. There is so much that can be done with one good basic cake recipe. It has been hard to settle on a favorite basic cake recipe, but today I am sharing one that we enjoy here that makes a delicious white cake.

One thing I love about this recipe is its moistness. Dry cakes are a pet peeve of mine. I feel cheated when biting into a slice of cake that is dry. My favorite cake recipes include ones using cake flour which produces a fluffier cake and a rich dairy such as buttermilk or sour cream. Rich dairy fats do make the cake a bit denser, but so much more moist and flavorful! My basic white cake is a good one that uses sour cream. I made one this week and slathered the middle and top with strawberry icing. On top was strewn petals from an Eustacia Vye rose, a rustic effort for a delicious treat. No fancy fussing over it. I hope you enjoy!

White Cake

Approximately 12 servings.

1 2/3 cup sugar

12 tbsps. of butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup of whole milk

6 egg whites (room temperature)

2 tsps. almond extract (or vanilla)

2 cups cake flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Start by heating oven to 350 degrees. Next, mix egg whites in mixer until stiff peaks form. Put egg whites in another bowl and set this aside for now. In same mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until well-combined. Add extract, milk, and sour cream and mix until combined. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this dry mixture to wet cake mixture and beat until combined. Remover bowl from mixer and carefully stir in egg whites by hand. Don’t overmix. Just stir until combined. Grease 2 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment or wax paper. Pour cake batter into prepared pans dividing equally. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done and lightly brown on top.

Strawberry Jam Frosting

24 oz of powdered sugar (1.5 lbs)

3/4 cup of butter (room temperature)

5 tbsps. strawberry jam

Light cream

Whip butter in mixer for a few minutes and then add powdered sugar and strawberry jam and whip some more. If necessary, add a couple tbsps. of light cream and whip until smooth ready to frost. Use icing to frost cake.