Mother Ann’s Birthday Cake
Ingredients
- Makes: 12 To 16 Servings
Cake
- Butter And Flour For Greasing The Pans
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 12 Large Egg Whites
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ Cup 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
- 2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Filling
- 1 Generous Cup Peach Jam Or Preserves For Spreading Between The Layers See Cake Note
Instructions
- For The Cake, Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
- Grease And Flour Three 9″ Round Cake Pans, And Shake Out The Excess Flour.
- Set The Pans Aside.
- Measure The Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, And Salt Into A Large Mixing Bowl, And Sift The Mixture Together Into Another Large Bowl.
- Set Aside.
- Place The Butter Into A Very Large Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Soft, 15 Seconds.
- Add The Sugar A Little At A Time, Beating Until Creamy, 1 Minute.
- Spoon A Third Of The Flour Mixture Into The Sugar And Butter Mixture And Beat On Low To Incorporate.
- Add A Third Of The Milk.
- Continue To Add The Flour Mixture And Milk Alternately Until The Batter Is Smooth.
- Stir In The Vanilla, And Set The Batter Aside.
- Place The 12 Egg Whites In A Large Clean Bowl And Beat With Clean Beaters On High Speed Until Stiff Peaks Form, About 4 Minutes.
- Turn The Beaten Whites On Top Of The Batter, And Using A Rubber Spatula, Fold The Whites Into The Batter Until They Are Well Incorporated.
- Use A Turning Motion And Rotate The Bowl As You Fold In The Whites.
- Divide The Batter Between The 3 Prepared Pans, And Smooth The Tops With A Rubber Spatula.
- Place The Pans In The Oven.
- Bake The Cakes Until They Are Lightly Golden Around The Edges And The Center Springs Back When Lightly Pressed, 23 To 27 Minutes.
- Remove The Pans From The Oven, And Place Them On A Wire Rack To Cool For 10 Minutes.
- Run A Knife Around The Edges Of The Pans, Give The Pans A Gentle Shake, And Turn The Cakes Out Onto Racks To Cool Right Side Up For 30 Minutes.
- While The Cake Layers Are Cooling, Make The Frosting.
- Place The Soft Butter, Sugar, Milk, And Vanilla In A Large Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Low Speed To Combine, 30 Seconds.
- Increase The Mixer Speed To Medium And Beat Until Smooth, 1 To 2 Minutes More.
- To Assemble The Cake, Place 1 Cake Layer On A Serving Plate.
- Spread With Half Of The Peach Jam.
- Place A Second Layer On Top.
- Spread The Remaining Jam On Top Of The Second Layer, And Top With The Third Layer.
- Spread The Top And Sides Of The Cake With Frosting.
- Store Up To 3 Days At Room Temperature, If Needed.
- Cake Note: Some Stores Have Peach Jam And Others Peach Preserves.
- The Jam Is A Little Easier To Spread Than Preserves.
- If You Want A More Pronounced Peach Flavor, Slice The Cake Layers In Half Horizontally And Spread Jam Between All The Half Layers.
- You Will Need 2 Cups Jam For This Method.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
For Beating Egg Whites: Even A Smidgen Of Egg Yolk Mixed In With The Egg Whites Will Reduce The Volume Of The Beaten Egg Whites. So To Be Careful, Separate Each Egg Over A Small Bowl. Then Pour The Egg Whites Into A Larger Bowl.
