Black & White Cake
Submitted by sassyred888
Black and white cake: tender white egg-white layer cake with vanilla and almond extracts, finished with a split cream cheese frosting half vanilla and half chocolate-amaretto.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsA three-layer white cake with the bakery-style trick of splitting the frosting down the middle. Half the cream cheese buttercream stays snowy white, flavored with vanilla and almond. The other half gets three squares of melted chocolate and a spoonful of amaretto stirred in for a dark, slightly boozy counterpart.
The cake itself is pure old-school white layer: five egg whites (no yolks) whipped stiff and folded into a creamed butter-sugar-flour batter alternated with milk. Egg whites alone keep the crumb pearl-white and lean slightly drier than yellow cake, which is exactly what you want under a rich cream cheese frosting. Almond extract alongside vanilla is the move that separates this from plain white cake; it adds a marzipan whisper that plays up the contrast against the dark chocolate frosting.
Fold the whipped whites in last and gently. Deflating them collapses the rise. Divide evenly across three 8-inch pans so each layer bakes thin and quick (about 20 minutes). Stack with alternating frosting for dramatic slice reveal, or go bold with one color on the outside and the other between layers.
Pro Tips
- Whip egg whites to stiff but not dry. Dry whites turn grainy and won’t fold in smoothly.
- Bring all dairy ingredients to room temperature. Cold butter and milk fight each other in the batter and lead to curdling.
- Use cream cheese at soft but not melted stage for the frosting. Over-soft cream cheese makes the frosting runny and won’t hold stacked layers.
- Chill the cake 20 minutes after a crumb coat before finishing. Cold cake holds its shape under the second frosting pass.
Variations
- Swap amaretto for Kahlua, Frangelico, or dark rum in the chocolate frosting.
- Split layers for a six-layer version with alternating frosting and berries between.
- Garnish the finished cake with chocolate shavings, toasted almonds, or fresh flowers.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) F and arrange rack to the center position.
Grease and flour three, 8-inch round cake pans.
Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry and set aside briefly.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla and almond extracts.
Blend smooth.
Whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt and add alternately to the batter with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture.
Fold egg whites into the batter and divide mixture evenly between the two prepared pans.
Bake about 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool layers in their pans 10 minutes, then loosen and turn out onto a rack to complete cooling.
Frost.
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