Recipe Do Over-- Perfect Party Cake

Perfect. Party. Cake. This definitely sums up this cake. 

I have always wanted to have a white cake recipe in my folder of things that could always be made. I thought that I had found an okay recipe and had used it a couple of times even though I wasn't 100% about it. 

This was my birthday cake.

My birthday cake for as long as I can remember has always been white on white. White cake with white frosting. And this cake reminds of me of my birthday cake. But WAY better!

Light and airy. Great flavor. Not crumbly and a texture almost like angel food cake. 

This recipe is my recipe do-over for my 30 by 30 list. I changed the recipe and actually followed the directions! (sometimes I'm not 100% at doing this!) The first cake was too dry and didn't have much flavor and now I have  a cake with flavor and a wonderful texture as well!

With help from Frigidaire, you can help with your own do-over. To prevent dishwasher do-overs, Frigidaire® is stepping in with its new Gallery® Dishwasher featuring the OrbitClean^TM Wash Arm, ensuring dishes are cleaned right the first time. Frigidaire® invites you to visitFacebook.com/Frigidaire and submit a moment you'd like to do over. Whether it's a bad first date or a vacation gone wrong, Frigidaire® will help cover the costs for one lucky visitor to win the ultimate do-over. And, for each do-over submitted, Frigidaire® will donate $1 to Save the Children. 

(I know of a date do-over I would LOVE to submit!! Do you!?!?!?)

***This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you share your own do-over moment at Facebook.com/Frigidaire, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children's U.S. programs. Plus, Frigidaire will help cover the costs for one lucky visitor to win the ultimate do-over.***

Perfect Party Cake

Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake who adapted From Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours”

Makes 12 to 14 servings

Cake: 
• 2 1/4 CUP CAKE FLOUR
• 1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 TEASPOON SALT
• 1 1/4 CUPS BUTTERMILK
• 4 LARGE EGG WHITES
• 1 1/2 CUPS SUGAR
• 2 TEASPOONS GRATED LEMON ZEST
• 1 STICK UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
• 1/2 TEASPOON PURE LEMON EXTRACT

Buttercream: 
• 1 CUP SUGAR
• 4 LARGE EGG WHITES
• 3 STICKS UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
• 1/4 CUP FRESH LEMON JUICE (FROM 2 LARGE LEMONS)
• 1 TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
2. For the Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. (I thought that steps one and two were almost easy enough to skip and then went back to re-do them because it did really help when getting the cake batter together.)
4. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
5. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one-third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
6. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
7. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)
9. For the Buttercream: Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.
10. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
11. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.
12. To Assemble the Cake: Using a sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with one third of the buttercream. Repeat again with next cake layers and buttercream. I added fresh strawberries into the layers as well.