Everyone is looking for the perfect recipe, the truth is we all have different tastes, and we look for different things in a cake, some people like moist cakes and other slightly less moist. What I like about this recipe, is that it is fluffy and moist, and if you use a high quality Vanilla Bean extract you get a really unique flavor. As much as chocolate cake needs the Best cocoa to taste extra delicious, Vanilla cake needs high quality Vanilla Bean extract. My favorite is Madagascar Vanilla Bean paste, the way it´s made, you can actually see the tiny seeds of the vanilla beans and the flavor is truly superb.
This Recipe is from one of my top inspirations, Elisa Strauss from Confetti cakes, I highly recommend all of her books, she gives delicious recipes as well as high quality tutorials.
YIELD> 24 cupcakes / Three 9 inch round cake pans
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CAKE INGREDIENTS>
2 C. cake flour
1 3/4C. plus 1 1/2teaspoons All purpose flour
2 1/4t. Baking Powder
1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted Butter
3 C. granulated sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 Tablespoon. pure vanilla extract
1 C (8 oz; 7 about 7 eggs) Egg whites or Pasturized liquid egg whites
1 1/2 C. milk
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CAKE DIRECTIONS>
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-pupose flour, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4.Add the salt and vanilla.
5. Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the egg whites, scraping often.
6. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in two batches, starting with the flour. Scrape down the bowl between each addition and beat until thouroughly combined. set the mixer to medium-high speed for about 20 seconds then stop and scrape sides of the bowl.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the 9-in cake pans or the muffin tins. For 9-in cake pans, bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean; for half-sheet pans, bake 45 min, for cupcakes bake 20 to 25 min.
8. Allow the cake to cool for 20min. once the cake is cool, release it from its pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan.
