Easy White Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 8 Tablespoons butter + 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoon almond extract
• 5 large egg whites
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk

Vanilla Cream Filling

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Butter Frosting

• 3 tablespoons soft butter
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• A few grains of salt
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons warm cream or milk
• Optional * Fresh strawberries

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Butter and line with parchment paper, two 8" cake pans.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, baking powder, sugar, salt and extracts until light and fluffy. Beat for 6 minutes.
4. Add the egg whites to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Stir 1/3 of the flour into the creamed mixture, then half the milk.
6. Repeat process, ending with flour.
7. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down after each addition.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
9. Bake for about 23 minutes, or until cake tests done. Test by poking a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean the cakes are baked.
10. Cool completely in pans on wire racks.

Vanilla Cream Filling

1. Scald the milk in a saucepan.
2. In a separate saucepan combine the flour sugar and salt.
3. Gradually add the scaled milk. Cover over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened.
4. Cover and cook for 2 minutes longer stirring occasionally.
5. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into 1 egg that is lightly beaten in its own bowl.
6. Then blend this egg mixture back into the hot mixture.
7. Cook one minute longer, stirring constantly.
8. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.
9. Cool. This makes 1 cup or a sufficient amount to fill an 8 or 9 inch layer cake.

Butter Frosting

1. Cream the butter.
2. Beat in the vanilla and salt.
3. Blend in the confectioners' sugar alternately with the warm milk or cream.
4. Beat until smooth and a good spreading consistency. Add more confectioners' sugar or milk if necessary.
5. Makes a sufficient amount for top and sides of the cake.
6. *Note if you want more than a 2 layer cake, when cakes are cooled using a very sharp knife you can slice the cakes into halves and create more layers.

Assembly

1. Place one layer of cake onto the serving plate.
2. Put a layer of vanilla cream filling.
3. Place the second layer of cake.
4. Frost the top and outsides of the cake, use a piping tool if desired.
5. Serve with or without fresh strawberries.
6. Serve with fresh strawberries if desired.