Recipe(tried): White Velvet Butter Cake for Stepanie-Ohio

Hi Stephanie:-) I made this cake for my daughter for her birthday. It is from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Though the author says that the vanilla and butter give the cake an off-white color, it looked very white to me. There is a recipe in this book for White Spice Pound Cake but it does have spices and a small amount (1 1/2 tsp) of cocoa in it so technically, it isn't "white." Let me know if you would like me to post the recipe for it and I will as I get a chance to do so in the next couple of days.

White Velvet Butter Cake

"This is the softest and most delicate of all butter cakes. The butter and vanilla give the cake an off-white color but also contribute delicious flavor. This versatile cake blends well with just about any buttercream except for chocolate - which tends to overwhelm the delicate flavor."

Two 9-inch by 1 1/2 inch cake pans greased, bottoms lined with parchment or wax paper, and then greased again and floured.

4 1/2 large egg whites (4 full liquid ounces, 4.75 ounces, 135 grams)
1 (liquid) c. milk (8.5 ounces, 242 grams)
2 1/4 tsp. vanilla (9 grams)
3 c. sifted cake flour (10.5 ounces, 300 grams)
1 1/2 c. sugar (10.5 ounces, 300 grams)
1 tablespoon + 1 tsp. baking powder (19.5 grams)
3/4 tsp. salt (5 grams)
12 tablespoons softened unsalted butter* (6 ounces, 170 grams) * Must be softened

In a medium bowl lightly combine the egg whites, 1/4 c. milk and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and remaining 3/4 c. milk. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pans will be about 1/2 full. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cakes should start to shrink from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven.

Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula amd onvert onto greased wire racks. To prevent splitting, reinvert so that the tops are up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.

Finished height: Each layer is 1 1/8 inches.

Store: Airtight: 2 days room temperature, 5 days refrigerated, 2 months frozen. Texture is most perfectly moist the same day as baking.