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CAKE
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, seperated while cold, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk
SNOWFLAKES
1 1/2 (3-ounce) white chocolate candy bars
Silver dragees for decorating (optional)
FROSTING
1 cup unsalted butter, preferably a high-fat European style, at room temperature
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
Pinch of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line
the bottom of each pan with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour
the top side of the paper, and set aside.
2. TO MAKE THE CAKE: Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda,
and salt, then lightly whisk and set aside.
3. In a stand mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy,
about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until light and nearly white, about
5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated,
scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat
in the vanilla until blended. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk,
in several additions, and beat until smooth and just blended.
Scrape the sides and bottom.
4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks just form. Gently
stir one third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining
egg whites until just incorporated and no large white streaks of egg
white remain.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, using a spatula to evenly
spread the batter. Gently rotate the pans to settle and level the batter. Bake
until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in
the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the layers cool in their
pans. Gently loosen the edges with a thin knife before inverting the layers
onto wire racks. Let the cakes cool thoroughly before carefully peeling off
the paper. Cool completely before frosting, about 3 hours.
6. TO MAKE THE SNOWFLAKES: Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the chocolate into
a resealable plastic bag and immerse the bag in hot water until the chocolate
melts. Dry the bag, then snip off a small piece from one corner. Pipe
as many 2-inch snowflakes onto the foil as possible, and decorate the
points with silver dragées, if desired. Place the sheet of snowflakes in the
freezer until the cake is ready to decorate.
7. TO MAKE THE FROSTING: In a stand mixer set on low speed, beat the butter,
powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt until the sugar is moist. Slowly
increase the speed to medium-high, scraping down the sides and bottom of
the bowl as necessary. Beat until light and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes.
8. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Place a dollop of frosting in the middle of the serving
platter. Place the bottom layer of the cake on the platter, top side
down. Using a narrow metal spatula, spread a third of the frosting over the
bottom layer. Place the remaining layer on top. Spread the rest of the
frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Remove the snowflakes from
the freezer and gently peel off the foil. Be careful—these flakes are fragile.
(Don’t worry if some of the tips break or chip; in a snow flurry, they’ll
still look good.) Cover the top and sides of the cake with snowflakes.
9. Chill the cake for an hour to set the frosting and snowflakes. If you are
serving the cake on the day it is made, keep it at a cool room temperature
after chilling. To cut, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife. Dip the knife into hot
water before cutting to prevent the frosting from sticking. Insert the point
of the knife into the cake’s center. Cut, using an up-and-down motion,
pulling the knife toward you.
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VARIATION
Cupcakes are easy to eat, easy to make, and easy to serve to a crowd.
Make these Candy Cane Cupcakes for your next
party or potluck and watch them disappear faster than a snowflake. Follow
the main recipe, lining standard muffin cups (about 30 cups, or bake the
cupcakes in batches) with foil or paper liners. Bake until the cupcake tops
are pale gold and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to
24 minutes. Makes about 30 cupcakes.
For the cupcake frosting, follow the main frosting recipe, substituting 1/2
teaspoon pure peppermint extract and 21/2 teaspoons vanilla for the 1
tablespoon pure vanilla extract. Immediately after frosting the cupcakes,
sprinkle the frosting with coarsely crushed candy canes (you’ll need about
6 large candy canes).
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