The Cake You'll Dream About

        I love eating food, looking at food, and taking pictures of food. I just purchased a new lens for my camera and I'm completely ecstatic. I chose the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. Here's my first impression: it takes beautiful shots. Everything is sharp and stunning, with great focus-- I know this lens will make my food photography experience even more enjoyable. I practically did a happy dance after seeing my first shots with it.
         I didn't waste any time-- the moment I returned home I opened up the package, screwed the lens onto my Canon Rebel XT, and started snapping away like mad. The first food subject I introduced to my new lens was a cake. The Whiteout Cake. 

The Whiteout Cake

        This is quite possibly the best white cake I have ever eaten. It's a denser cake, but it's balanced perfectly with a soft, light, and silky white chocolate frosting. When I say--hold on, write? type?--silky, I mean silky. The frosting is cooked like a pudding and the result is smooth and heavenly wonderfulness. A word of warning, though: don't eat a spoonful of the stuff before you frost the cake. Otherwise, you'll end up like me… it won't be your last spoonful.

        This cake is a dream. I imagined it would be very tasty, but it more than exceeded my expectations-- I adored it. It has definitely qualified for my favorites list. 

        I want another slice of heaven. I want another bowl of silk. 
        I want both of them together.

        More cake, please.

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The Whiteout Cake
(adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
Print This Recipe
Yield: 1 8 or 9-inch 3-layer cake


Ingredients
For the White Cake Layers:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar


For the White Chocolate Frosting:
6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions
For the White Cake Layers:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8 or 9-inch cake round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl, add egg, and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture alternating with the ice water in three separate additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape down bowl; mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form, being careful not to overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in centre of each cake comes out clean. Transfer cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack, remove from pans, and let cool completely. Remove parchment.

For the White Chocolate Frosting:

1. In a double boiler or microwave, melt the white chocolate and set it aside to cool.
2. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk sugar and flour together. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
3. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on high speed until cool. Reduce speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase speed to medium high; beat until frosting is light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla and white chocolate; continue mixing until combined. If frosting is too firm, set bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

To Assemble the Whiteout Cake:

1. Place one cake layer on a serving platter and trim the top if necessary to create a flat surface. Evenly spread about 1 1/4 cups of the frosting on top. Repeat with the next two layers. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. The cake will keep in a cake saver, at room temperature or refrigerated, for up to 3 days. If refrigerating, after removing from refrigerator allow cake to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.