White Layer Cake

Notes

Egg whites in a carton work fine for this recipe.
Using cake flour is important for a lighter crumb.

Yields

Two 8” cake rounds, with 0.8x recipe, ~35 minutes.
Two 6” cake rounds, with 0.45x recipe, ~30 minutes.
Three 8” cake rounds, with 1.33x recipe, ~35 minutes.
Two 9” cake rounds, with 1x recipe, ~25 minutes.
One 9” x 13” cake, with 1x recipe, ~35 minutes.

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups (250g) sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
290 mL vegetable oil
1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
5 large (175 g) egg whites, at room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature

Steps

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans.
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a whisk, a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the oil and sugar on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites. Beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Variation: Raspberry

Use 120 mL of milk instead of 240 mL. After preparing the batter, fold in 120 g fresh raspberries, sliced in half (or in quarters if large). Transfer batter to pan(s), then drop in a few teaspoons of raspberry jam and swirl into the batter.

Variation: Lemon Elderflower

Add zest of one lemon to the sugar before adding the oil. Reduce milk to 200 mL and add 40 mL elderflower liqueur, to get to 240 mL liquid total.

Source

Adapted from http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2017/01/02/new-favorite-white-layer-cake/.