Many occasions call for cake as a centerpiece dessert. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or holiday celebration, having a go-to cake recipe on hand can ensure that guests get a slice of dessert that truly treats their palates. The good news is that homemade cake is easier than you would think to whip up.
“Classic White Cake with Tuxedo Frosting” from “Butter, Flour, Sugar, Joy” (Sourcebooks) by Jane Kartes is a traditional cake recipe with plenty of wow factor. The tuxedo frosting is a blend of vanilla and chocolate and affords home bakers the opportunity to customize their flavors.
Classic White Cake with Tuxedo Frosting
Yield: 1 cake
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
5 egg whites
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup melted butter
½ cup neutral oil, like light olive oil
½ cup milk or buttermilk
Tuxedo frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
½ cup salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar (Start with three, see how you like it, and add more if you like it sweeter)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon heavy cream, if needed
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour, or spray, a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix or whisk to combine.
Add the egg whites, sour cream, melted butter, oil, milk or buttermilk, and vanilla, then mix until combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake 28 to 32 minutes.
For the tuxedo frosting, cream the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Mix to combine.
Remove half the frosting to a separate bowl and add the cocoa powder to it. Mix to combine, then add the cream if your chocolate frosting feels too thick. Now you have two different frostings, one vanilla and one chocolate.
Frost the cake in the pan or turn the cake out onto a large serving board or platter. Make large dollops of frosting, alternating between chocolate and vanilla. Gently swirl the frostings together using a butter knife. Once you’ve reached the marble pattern of your dreams, serve and enjoy!
