Perfect Light White Cake

A beautiful light and airy white cake that is the perfect complement to a lemon filling. This makes two 9 inch layers. The coconut milk really makes this cake special, and substituting coconut oil for the butter makes it dairy free, as well.

4.80 from 5 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 342kcal

Author: Michelle

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
3/4 cup plus 1 T coconut milk
6 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9 inch round cake pans. Grease the bottom and sides. Cut out two circles the size of the bottom of your cake pans and place into the bottom of each cake pan, then grease the top of this lightly. Flour both cake pans.
In your mixing bowl, add the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix gently to combine. Add your butter or coconut oil in chunks into the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until small pebbles have formed throughout.
2 1/2 cups cake flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 12 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
In another bowl, add the 6 egg whites and whisk. When they are somewhat aerated, add the coconut milk while still whisking. Once incorporated, add the vanilla bean paste and whisk.
3/4 cup plus 1 T coconut milk, 6 egg whites, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Add about half the coconut milk mixture to the dry ingredients while mixing at low speed. Turn the mixer up to medium and beat for a minute until lightened in color. Return to low speed and add the remaining coconut milk. Once incorporated, scrape down the sides of your bowl then turn up to medium for another minute.
Split batter between two cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for ten minutes. Then carefully run a thin knife around the edges of your cake pan to loosen the cakes, then turn out onto cake racks. Let cool thoroughly.
Once your cakes are completely cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully cut them in half horizontally to make four round layers. Prepare your cake plate by placing pieces of parchment paper along the edges so that your cake will rest on the parchment but only by an inch or so.
Place one cake bottom on the parchment paper, right side up. Pull our your lemon filling and stir it. Scoop out a third of the filling with a thin spatula and spread it to within a half inch of the edges all around. Place the top to that cake over the filling, and spread another layer of filling. Add the bottom of your next cake and add the last of the filling. Place your last cake layer on the top.
Frost your cake with your choice of frostings. Remove the parchment once the frosting has hardened enough to stay in place.

Equipment

Amish Broom Cake Tester

Cake Stand

Round Parchment Paper

Notes

You can now buy parchment paper already cut into rounds. This is one of the coolest inventions, and I use this all the time when I bake instead of drawing circles and cutting them out. It's a huge time saver!
Use coconut milk from a can, and using the full fat version is key to making this cake so don't substitute the reduced fat version. If you don't have vanilla bean paste, you can use vanilla extract in a one to one swap.
Use this lemon filling recipe and fluffy frosting for a perfect complement.
For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

Nutrition

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.