HIGH-ALTITUDE WHITE CAKE
Two 8- or 9-inch round layers
The batter rises higher in 8-inch pans than in 9-inch pans, but the latter is fine if you don’t mind a cake with 1-inch-high layers. Please read About High-Altitude Cake Baking and About Butter Cakes. This recipe is designed for baking at 5,000 feet.
If baking at 7,000 feet, preheat the oven to 350°F. Reduce the baking powder by ¼ teaspoon and the sugar creamed with the butter by 2 tablespoons (30g). Add ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and replace the milk with buttermilk and increase by 1 ½ tablespoons (25g). Bake about 25 minutes.
If baking at 10,000 feet, bake at 375°F. Use a blend of 1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon sifted (130g) cake flour and 1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon sifted (160g) all-purpose flour. Reduce the baking powder by ¼ teaspoon, the butter by 1 tablespoon (15g), and the sugar creamed with butter by ¼ cup (50g). Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, and ½ teaspoon each vanilla and almond extract. Replace the milk with buttermilk and increase by ¼ cup (60g). Bake about 27 minutes.
Have all ingredients at room temperature, about 70°F. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Thoroughly grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans and line with rounds of parchment paper.
Whisk together thoroughly in a medium bowl:
- 2 ½ cups sifted (250g) cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Beat in a large bowl, or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, until foamy:
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Gradually add and beat on high speed until soft, slightly droopy peaks form:
- ⅓ cup (65g) sugar
Beat in another large bowl (or transfer the egg whites to another bowl and reuse the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment) until well blended:
- 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- (1 teaspoon almond or other extract)
On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with:
- 1 ¼ cups (295g) milk
in 2 parts, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat on high about 30 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Gently fold the whites into the batter in 3 additions with a silicone spatula. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes.
Let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cakes out of the pans, remove the paper liners, and set right side up on the rack to cool completely.