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White Cake
1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk 1 3/4 cups flour 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder 3 egg whites, beaten stiff 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Cream the shortening and sugar. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with the milk to creamed mixture. Add vanilla and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in three layers, in a moderate oven (375 degrees F.) for 25 minutes. Fill with Praline Filling.
A standard white butter cake of the 1930s-40s, leavened by baking powder with stiff egg whites folded in for lift and pale crumb. The batter is small; read the pan note before you start.
- Three layers from this batterSplit three ways, this batter gives very thin layers. Use three 8-inch pans and expect low layers, or bake two 8-inch layers and add a few minutes to the time (28-30 minutes).
- Oven375F as given is accurate and needs no adjusting. Thin layers bake fast; check at 20 minutes, when the centre should spring back and a tester come out clean.
- Shortening"Shortening" here probably means hydrogenated vegetable shortening, widely used by this period, which gives a paler crumb than butter. Butter works and tastes better, though it tints the cake ivory; use it at cool room temperature.
- FlourHousehold flour of the period may have been softer than modern all-purpose. Cake flour gives a closer match; if using all-purpose, remove about 3 tablespoons from the 1 3/4 cups.
- Folding the whitesThe whites carry much of the lift here, alongside the baking powder, so fold in thirds with a spatula until just combined and stop while a few streaks remain. Beating them in knocks the air out.
- Egg whites, beaten stiffStiff but not dry: they should hold a peak that bends slightly at the tip. Overbeaten whites break into curds and will not fold in evenly.
- Praline fillingThe reference is to a Praline Filling given elsewhere in the book; its ingredients are not stated here. Any caramel or brown-sugar filling suits it; you will need roughly 1 1/2 cups to fill two joins between three layers.
- YieldOne 8-inch layer cake serving 10 to 12. The three yolks left over will keep two days refrigerated and are enough for a small custard.