Cake:
This was a thin sponge cake. Easy to make in just one bowl when you’re pressed for time, but don’t over bake it as it’s quite a thin layer cake. I used two 8” round pans to make two layers to the cake, or you could just use one 8” round pan.
Have all ingredients at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 375
Grease the bottom of your pan and line with wax or parchment paper (I skipped the parchment paper and it was difficult to get the cakes out of the pan)
Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Add and mix for 2 minutes at medium speed:
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat in:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Beat for 1 minute at low speed. Scrape the bowl. Beat for 1 ½ minutes at medium-high speed. Scrape the bowl again and beat for 30 seconds on low speed.
Scrape the batter into the pan(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 16 – 18 minutes. Cool before you loosen cake and remove it from the pan.
Cream cheese frosting:
Makes about 2 cups. You might want to double the recipe if you plan on putting frosting in the middle of the cake to make layers.
The Joy of Cooking cook book shares two secrets to making perfectly smooth cream cheese frosting: do not overbeat, and use cold, not softened, cream cheese.
Beat in a medium bowl at low speed just until blended:
8 ounces cold cream cheese
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (this is optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla
Add one-third at a time and beat until just smooth and the desired consistency:
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
If the frosting is too stiff, beat for a few seconds longer; do not overbeat. Feel free to vary the amount of sugar to suit your taste. If desired, stir in additional flavoring to taste, such as grated lemon or orange zest, ground cinnamon, liqueur.
Enjoy!
