Recipe: Classic 1-2-3-4 Vanilla Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting and Variations

CLASSIC 1-2-3-4 VANILLA CAKE

"This nineteenth-century classic is the mother of so many American cakes that once you start analyzing recipes, you find more often than not that they fit this basic, easy-to-remember formula: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs. If you could have only one cake recipe in your repertoire, this should be it.

Creative variations are infinite; see my suggestions or make up your own. The cake can be filled and frosted with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, or your favorite buttercream, or you can spread preserves between the layers and sift sugar or cocoa powder on top.
for good measure."

FOR THE CAKE:
Solid shortening for preparing pan(s)
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus extra to prepare pan(s)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut up
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

FOR THE ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
8 ounces (1 large package) cream cheese (not low-fat), at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but not melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of 1 orange (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons frozen concentrated orange juice, thawed but not diluted, or 4 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange extract or pure orange oil, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

FOR THE FILLING:
3/4 cup orange marmalade

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Coat the pan(s) with shortening, then dust evenly with flour; tap out excess flour. (Two 8 or 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pans; or one sheet pan 9 x 13 x 1 3/4; or two small (6-cup capacity) Bundt pans.)

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Scrape down the bowl and beater.

With the mixer on lowest speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk. Scrape down the bowl and beater again and beat until thoroughly incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared pan(s) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes for layers or sheet pan or 30 minutes for small Bundt, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is a light golden color and springy to the touch. Cool the cake(s) on a wire rack about 10 minutes, then top with another rack and invert. Lift off the pans. Cool the cake(s) completely on wire racks. You can leave a sheet cake in its pan to cool, and frost and serve it from the pan.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
To make the frosting most quickly, use a food processor fitted with the steel blade; alternatively, you can use an electric mixer. Blend together the cream cheese, butter, and salt until smooth and creamy, then blend in the grated zest, orange juice concentrate, extract, and vanilla. With the machine on the lowest speed, gradually add the sifted sugar, pulsing or beating until the frosting is smooth and soft enough to spread.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Place one layer on a flat plate. Slide strips of wax paper under the bottom of the cake to protect the plate during frosting. Spread the first layer with marmalade, top with the second layer, and adjust the cake sides to align neatly. Spread frosting over the cake sides, then the top. In hot weather, refrigerate the cake.

*To give the cake a lighter texture, you can separate the eggs. To do this, add the yolks after creaming together the butter and sugar in step 3. In a separate, grease-free bowl beat the whites until stiff but not dry. At the end of step 4, stir about 1/2 cup of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then told in the rest.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
- Cake can be made in advance, wrapped, and kept at room temperature for several days, or double-wrapped and frozen up to 3 months.
- Frosting can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and beat smooth before using.

Makes about 6 cups batter; 2-layer 8- or 9-inch cake, or 9 x 13-inch cake, or 2 small Bundt cakes and about 3 cups frosting.

Servings: Layer cake, 8 or 9 servings; sheet cake, 12 servings; each small Bundt cake, 4 to 6 servings

VARIATIONS:

LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Prepare the basic cake. In addition to vanilla extract, add 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest and 1 teaspoon lemon extract. Fill with any lemon or lime curd filling or any citrus-flavored marmalade. Frost with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting: Follow recipe but omit orange concentrate and orange zest; add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract and the grated zest of one lemon.

SPICE CAKE:
Prepare the basic cake. Add to dry ingredients 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa. Top with a sifting of confectioners' sugar or cocoa mixed with a pinch of cinnamon.

WALNUT CAKE:
Prepare the basic cake. Stir into the completed batter 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) finely chopped walnuts and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

CUPCAKES:
Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes

Prepare the basic recipe or any variation. Coat 24 (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with no-stick vegetable spray and dust with flour, or line them with paper or foil cups. Fill the cups a little more than three-quarters full. Pour a little water into any unused cups in the pan. Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until risen and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan about 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.

CLOWN CUPCAKES:
Prepare the basic recipe or any variation.

When cooled, frost the tops with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting or change the flavor:
- To make vanilla, omit all orange and replace orange juice with milk.
- To make chocolate, omit vanilla and add 2 tablespoons sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and a few drops more liquid.
- To make lemon, see Lemon Cake variation above.

To make clown hats, top each cupcake with an upside down sugar ice cream cone. Make faces with small nut pieces or candies (half a red Life Saver is a good upturned mouth; coconut or shredded wheat cereal makes hair). Or, you can melt chocolate chips in a plastic bag or tint frosting different colors, put it in small plastic bags with a tiny hole in one corner, and squeeze out the features. Don't forget to put a ruffle on the bottom of the cone hat.

ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKES
"You can eat the cake and its container; great for children's parties."

Prepare the basic recipe or any variation. Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each flat bottomed cake-type ice cream cone, filling three quarters full. Set the filled cones upright on a sturdy baking pan and bake 22 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. When cold, frost cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (see Clowns, above). Decorate the tops with chopped nuts or crushed peppermint or toffee candies (hammer candy in a seal able plastic bag).

Source: The Family Baker by Susan Gold Purdy