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My Baker’s Crush: BAKED (and The Whiteout Cake)

March 11, 2011 - 97 Comments

Whiteout Cake via Sweetapolita

Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but I have a huge baker’s crush. Huge. As baking enthusiasts, I imagine many of you already know, love, and adore the popular baking cookbooks by famed BAKED bakery boys, Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I am just discovering them now . . . yes, that is unthinkable, considering this little thing I call my addiction to baking and blog! I suppose I should have stepped away from the kitchen for long enough to notice that these guys are rocking the baking world.

If you aren’t familiar with them, I’m excited to introduce you to their awesomeness, and to give you the gist: Matt and Renato left their careers in advertising to open their dream bakery, BAKED, in Brooklyn, NY in 2005. What I love the most, is their ability to reinvent classic desserts; I really connect with this style of baking. They embrace decadence in a modern and gourmet-yet-casual way, and let’s just say it’s working! They now not only have one thriving bakery location, but have opened a second location in Charleston, South Carolina, and have expanded into everything from BAKED baking mixes to wedding cakes/desserts. Simply put, I love and admire everything they do.

Whiteout Cake via Sweetapolita

So here’s my first-ever BAKED cake — The Whiteout Cake, from their first book. I ordered both books and received them last Friday; I read them cover-to-cover by Friday night, and I was ready to go. I, literally, didn’t know where to start–there are so, so many incredible looking recipes in these books: Classic Diner-Style Chocolate Pie, Root Beer Bundt Cake, Red Hot Velvet Cake — I could go on and on.

I was really drawn to The Whiteout Cake because, yes, I adore vanilla, but, the truth is, I have a wee, tiny obsession with the colour white. Not just cake — anything. For example, in the last year and a half, I’ve somehow managed to turn our entire house from rustic, earthy tones to an array of shades of white and off-white (with a lot of help and paint!). All white. All bliss. Come to think of it, I drive a white vehicle, we have all white bedding, most of our furniture is white, my KitchenAid mixer is white, my coffee maker is white . . . okay, perhaps my wee, tiny obsession is not so wee. White is glorious, and in all of its white glory, this cake is no exception: triple-layer moist vanilla cake filled and frosted with a unique, satiny white chocolate frosting, then topped with white sprinkles. I might add that all of this sweet whiteness paired with a dark-roasted, intense coffee = my idea of heaven. The flavours, and the visual, are the perfect juxtaposition.

Whiteout Cake via Sweetapolita

Just when I thought that their incredible baking, style, and business savvy was enough to admire, I have to tell you how kind and sweet Matt was when he replied to my email request to share this recipe with you. It’s the weirdest thing but, dare I say, I’m starting to notice that bakers and foodies are some of the sweetest and most supportive people on earth. I’ve come to know so many bakers and food bloggers through Twitter, your blog comments, and other avenues online and off, and, honestly, what a bond we all share. Is it just me that feels that way?

This cake was very straightforward to make, but with some unique qualities: they call for ice cold water (as opposed to the more common room temperature milk or buttermilk), a combination of cake flour and all-purpose, which I personally appreciate because I think it’s a perfect blend, as well as a combination of butter and shortening, to name a few. The cake baked up beautifully, and scented the entire house with the amazing smell of warm vanilla. What I love about the white chocolate frosting, aside from being different from anything I’ve ever made, is that is whips up smooth, creamy, and satiny — the ultimate texture for frosting and decorating.

I also love that the frosting has no icing (confectioners’) sugar, but rather a warm, thickened milk, cream, sugar, and flour mixture that is then whipped along with the butter, vanilla, and melted white chocolate. I was sure to use Belgian white chocolate for the ultimate taste, and topped it all off with a single Lindt white chocolate ball.

Whiteout Cake via Sweetapolita

A big thank you to Matt & Renato for sharing their amazing recipe with us! Someday soon I hope to get back to New York so that I can visit their bakery, eat one of everything, and get properly, and officially, BAKED.

The Whiteout Cake (as printed in Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)          {click here for printable recipe}

Yield: 1 (8-inch) cake

For the white cake layers

2 1/2 cups of cake flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups ice cold water

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the white chocolate frosting

6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To assemble the cake

White sprinkles or white nonpareils

Make the white cake layers

Preheat the over the 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the egg, and beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

Make the white chocolate frosting

Using either a double boiler or a microwave oven (see page 23), melt the white chocolate and set it aside to cool.

In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream to cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and white chocolate and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill slightly, then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

Assemble the cake

Refrigerate the frosting for a few minutes (but no more) until it can hold its shape. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trim the top to create a flat surface, and evenly spread about 1 1/4 cups of the frosting on top. Add the next layer, trim and frost it, then add the third layer. Crumb coat the cake and put the cake in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to firm up the frosting. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Garnish with a few white sprinkles or white nonpareils and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up the finished cake.

This cake will keep beautifully in a cake saver at room temperature (cool and humidity free) for up to 3 days. If your room is not cool, place the in a cake saver and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

Good luck & enjoy!
// ]]>

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Filed Under: Layer Cakes, Vanilla Layer Cakes Tagged With: cake, frosting, vanilla, white, whiteout

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Comments

  1. Jenny @ Hank + Hunt says

    March 11, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    OOOH…I just got BAKED right before we left for vacation and it looks soooooo YUMMY! Can’t wait to try. Beautiful pictures, as always. :)

    Reply
  2. Gayle says

    March 11, 2011 at 7:31 pm

    Thanks for sharing (and thanks to the guys, too)! I need to make something for my Grandma’s birthday this week and this is just the thing! I know she’ll love it and I’m totally getting the books!

    Reply
  3. DIANE STANLEY says

    March 11, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    You are the princess of cakes, for sure. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I loved the bAKED series of books, but have never been to the location bakery. Can I say “road trip”, you betcha!

    Reply
  4. Laura Lee says

    March 11, 2011 at 8:09 pm

    You are killing me!!

    Reply
  5. SuzyMcQ says

    March 11, 2011 at 8:19 pm

    Slobbered all over the keyboard, truly an incredible looking cake, but your description, warm vanilla…..yummy! Put white chocolate on my grocery list for tomorrow and can not wait to make this cake. Thanks so much for all the heart and soul you put into every crumb!

    Reply
  6. Joanne says

    March 11, 2011 at 8:50 pm

    I actually JUST pulled your classic vanilla butter cake(s) out of the oven and I almost wish I had seen this before I started so that I could have given it a go! This cake looks fabulous and it will definitely be used for a future triple-tiered cake extravaganza! Love those baked boys! (The grasshopper bars from Baked Explorations are a miracle.)

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      March 12, 2011 at 12:23 pm

      Great! Can’t wait to try those Grasshopper Bars!

      Reply
  7. Sue says

    March 11, 2011 at 9:10 pm

    I have the “Baked Explorations” also, but hate to admit that I haven’t baked anything from it yet:( I’m sure Matt and Renato would be thrilled to see how they’ve inspired you to bake up such a beautiful cake:) P.S. I love Heather(Sprinkle Bakes)too~ She’s the best!

    Reply
  8. Kaitlin says

    March 11, 2011 at 9:27 pm

    I definitely agree with you! Bakers are awesome people. I keep wanting to buy one of the BAKED books, but I’m too cheap :P It really does seem like there are a lot of gems in there, though. This cake looks incredible!

    Also, I’m envious of your all-white house. I want that, too :D

    Reply
  9. Becca says

    March 11, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    Wow this seems like a really delicious cake, too bad I hate white chocolate :P But the cake itself looks fantastic and light and fluffy. YUM

    Reply
  10. SweetSugarBelle says

    March 11, 2011 at 11:40 pm

    I ♥

    Reply
  11. Christina of Form V Artisan says

    March 12, 2011 at 12:01 am

    Oh ma goodness. Gorgeous photos and lovely blog! High five!

    Reply
  12. Catharine says

    March 12, 2011 at 12:20 am

    Hi there! This cake looks wonderful. I was wondering if you could provide some more details about it pertaining to texture and moisture. Is the cake dense or light and fluffy? Does it dry out quickly? I’ve been having the upmost difficultly baking vanilla cakes that aren’t dry as the desert!

    Reply
  13. Memoria says

    March 12, 2011 at 1:46 am

    GORGEOUS CAKE!! Did you find out why they use ice cold water? I’m curious.

    Reply
  14. lyndsay says

    March 12, 2011 at 3:35 am

    rosie! love the whiteout madness! your photos have a beautiful “white” quality to them as well … perfectly blown out, great lighting… ^__^

    i adore the baked books too, i got one last year for my birthday and then the latest one this year for christmas… the design, photography, writing… everything is so pleasingly modern yet rustic!

    i totally agree with you — the baking community, both locally and on the blog scene, are the nicest people!!! pretty cool i think! your work is so totally crush-able, and this set of photos and cake is no exception!!!

    ^__^

    Reply
  15. Mary Lou (NANNY) says

    March 12, 2011 at 8:04 am

    Your photos turned out great, Rosie!!

    Reply
  16. diana keller says

    March 12, 2011 at 10:03 am

    I am going to try these as cupcakes! I bet they would be awesome! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Sweetapolia (Rosie) says

    March 12, 2011 at 10:29 am

    Thanks, guys! Maybe we need to plan a foodie group trip to NYC ;)

    Reply
  18. Jenn {Cookies Cupcakes Cardio} says

    March 12, 2011 at 11:12 am

    Your cake, as always, is beautiful! Thanks for the Baked info….I had never heard of them! *gasp* I’ve already scoured their website. YUM!

    Reply
  19. Courtney - Pizzazzerie says

    March 12, 2011 at 12:12 pm

    Oh my word! It looks gorgeous and of course I am gushing over your photography that is so amazing! love it!

    Reply
  20. Evie says

    March 12, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    OMG….I love this post. Your blog is one of my faves! So true obviously bakers are sweeties ;-) Cant wait to make this….I am a vanilla freak. Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Kathy - Panini Happy says

    March 12, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    This cake is just stunning! I’ve got to finally order this Baked cookbook, everything I’ve seen from it looks positively luscious. Yours is my favorite new blog I’ve discovered this week!

    Reply
  22. Paula says

    March 12, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    This cake is stunning in its simplicity and what a beautiful write up you did to the BAKED boys, Matt and Renato. I’ll be that they now have a crush on you! Love that you topped it all off with a white Lindt.

    Reply
  23. Charlotte says

    March 12, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    I read this post, drooled over your pics, headed over to Amzon, bought the book, came back, drooled some more. In that order!

    Blue Skies,
    Charlotte xo

    Reply
  24. Lauren @ Crave. Indulge. Satisfy. says

    March 12, 2011 at 3:59 pm

    Another gorgeous cake portrayed with beautiful photos! Sure do wish I had a piece of this right now!

    Reply
  25. Kathleen says

    March 12, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. It sounds amazing and looks soooo beautiful!

    Reply
  26. Sidiqa Sohail says

    March 12, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    WEDDING CAKE! <3

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      June 7, 2011 at 2:19 pm

      Exactly! I’m scouring baking blogs looking for inspiration for my own small wedding cake I’m baking next month. I’m going to try this one out this weekend. From appearances and description alone I think we may have a winner!

      Reply
  27. Jenn@eatcakefordinner says

    March 13, 2011 at 12:29 am

    I just got Baked Explorations, but I haven’t tried anything yet. Although, I think I am going to try their Honey Corn Muffins with dinner tomorrow. Would you say this cake was light and fluffy or more heavy and dense?

    Reply
    • Sweetapolia (Rosie) says

      March 13, 2011 at 9:26 am

      Jen, I’d say that this cake was somewhere in between, texture-wise. Definitely lighter than a full-on butter cake, but more dense than a sponge cake, because of the butter. The soft peak egg whites add a nice lightness. It’s really one of the best I’ve tried. Good luck!

      Reply
  28. Damaris @KitchenCorners says

    March 13, 2011 at 3:18 am

    That right there is my absolute dream cake.

    Reply
  29. linda says

    March 13, 2011 at 7:45 am

    awesome post!

    your photographs are amazing & your cake looks divine! since we both seem to have a crush on baked, i am going to order the coffee @ kicking horse…thanks for the link.

    i have been to baked & have eaten my way through so many of their wonderful treats & have actually baked many recipes from both books.
    i love their recipes & their ingredient “mix.” in fact, i called the bakery when i had questions about a recipe (from the first book) & a very patient & kind person gave me a phone tutorial & told me to call back to let him know how it went…that person was renato!

    i truly enjoy sweetapolita, & look forward to your posts! have a great day!!

    Reply
  30. Mary says

    March 13, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    I have made this one too and it is fabulous. Wait till you try the lemon drop cake, monkey bubble bread, and rootbeer bundt. You will be in Love :).

    Reply
  31. Desiree says

    March 13, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    Ok WOW, this cake looks unreal!!! Can you teach me how to make a cake look that perfect?! :)

    Reply
  32. kickpleat says

    March 13, 2011 at 5:04 pm

    I’ve made many Baked recipe and this is one that I didn’t really enjoy very much. I found it sweet and didn’t have the depth of flavour that I had wanted. But it does look super pretty and I too was swayed with the idea of an all-white cake. Looks gorgeous!

    Reply
  33. Steph says

    March 13, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    Oh my, that cake looks so moist and moreish! I’m always on the lookout for slightly lighter white cakes like this. I definitely have to agree, the baking/blog community is full of amazing, sweet people just like yourself!

    Reply
  34. Fresh and Foodie says

    March 16, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    Your cakes just blow me away! Only in my wildest dreams could I make a cake as beautiful. So envious!

    Reply
  35. julie d says

    March 16, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    I LOVE Baked – the cookbook and the (Charleston) store. Saw Matt on Martha Stewart years ago, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Your cake looks stunning (as always)!

    Reply
  36. Lauren says

    March 24, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    I recently made this for my boyfriend’s 18th birthday, and it turned out SO good. He’s still eating it! Thanks for posting~

    Reply
  37. Marissa says

    March 27, 2011 at 1:38 am

    I used this recipe for a 6-tier rainbow cake for a friends birthday. It turned out excellent! Moist, dense, not too sweet! We covered it with a nice white cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
  38. Lydia says

    April 1, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    I just served this cake for a birthday party tonight! Instead of white – I went for a little color and colored the three cake layers AND then added colored sprinkles on top! Fun!

    Reply
  39. Fifi says

    April 4, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    I made this cake this weekend (used a different buttercream icing) and it was great! I didn’t have a mixer with the paddle attachments, but I still got it to turn out ok :)

    Reply
  40. Audrey Ellen says

    April 16, 2011 at 12:45 pm

    That cake looks incredible. What at classic look. I made my first trip to Baked a week ago! It was breakfast time so I got a coffee cake and it was delicious, but I was sad that I couldn’t try everything else in the store!

    Reply
  41. Aaisha says

    April 20, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    Wow… this cake looks lovely. I found your site a few months ago when I was looking for vanilla cake recipes. Hah, now I’ve got FOUR bookmarked! Of the Classic Vanilla (10/10), Very Vanilla (12/10), Old Fashioned Party (12/10) and now this Whiteout, which do you think would work best with layers of raspberries and lemon curd? Or even layers of just fresh raspberries. I was thinking the berries would work better with a lighter cake, but I’m not sure which one out of all of these amazing recipes. Thanks for your help! Loving your enthusiasm, photos (especially of your little munchkins) and overall styling.

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      April 20, 2011 at 11:20 pm

      Thanks so much Aaisha! I think my choice would be the Very Vanilla, because it’s partly a sponge cake, the texture seems to be a bit lighter, but still a great, stable, vanilla cake. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Aaisha says

        April 21, 2011 at 5:34 pm

        It does! I’ll make it tomorrow and report back on the original post. Though I keep going back and forth on the filling (don’t want to compete with the berries)… I finally (sort of) decided on a mascarpone cream with fresh raspberries. Fingers crossed! If you’ve got suggestions on fillings, I’d love to hear (read?) them :)

        Reply
  42. Anthony says

    April 28, 2011 at 4:10 am

    Okay so I’ve tried making this cake twice and each time the cake comes out beautifully but the frosting comes out thin and more like a glaze if that, can you tell me what I am doing wrong? I have a feeling it might be because when I’m heating the milk/flour mixture i turn the heat off once it starts boiling and only 13 or 15 minutes have gone by, please help.

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      May 1, 2011 at 9:42 am

      Hi Anthony,
      If you wait until the milk/flour mixture has really thickened on the stove (you can lower your heat a bit so it doesn’t boil as quickly) before mixing, that should help. Once you do that and mix it, and if it’s still too thin, chill the bowl in the refrigerator for several minutes until it’s thick enough to mix again. Good luck!

      Reply
  43. Beth Hatchard says

    May 17, 2011 at 9:27 am

    Does this cake freeze well?

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      May 19, 2011 at 4:11 pm

      Beth, I’ve never frozen this cake whole, but the layers freeze very well. If you can, I find it best to freeze the layers, thaw in the fridge, then frost the day you need it with fresh frosting. Good luck!

      Reply
  44. Never Dessert You says

    May 23, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    I see your recipe calls for a vegetable shortening does it matter if I use high-ratio shortening instead?

    Reply
  45. Au pif says

    June 2, 2011 at 7:13 am

    I adore all your cakes here!
    I’m just wondering how did you make such great & balanced swirl on the top & sides?
    I saw a few of them from your cakes, but no idea how to make them :)

    Thank you for lovely blog!

    Reply
  46. Stacey says

    June 6, 2011 at 11:00 am

    Hi!

    I made this cake over the weekend, and it came out great! It was a trial run for my son’s first birthday cake, and we loved it. Question: I’d like to make this cake for his birthday, then make a second batch of batter to make cupcakes and one, 4-inch ‘smash’ cake. Do you know how long I should bake the cupcakes and the 4-inch cakes? I’ve never made such a small cake before.

    Thank you so much in advance for any advice!

    Best,
    Stacey

    Reply
    • Katie says

      December 5, 2013 at 2:36 pm

      How long did you end up baking for? I want to do a6 inch smash cake and cupcakes and didn’t know how long for each :)

      Reply
  47. betty says

    June 6, 2011 at 11:37 pm

    this cake looks AMAZING!!!

    Reply
  48. Elyce says

    June 9, 2011 at 6:26 am

    Hi Rosie,

    This cake looks so beautiful! I was wondering what you would define as ‘cake flour’?? I’m in Australia and we don’t have anything called that. Would you mean self-raising flour possibly???

    Kind Regards,
    Elyce

    Reply
  49. Emily says

    June 20, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    This cake looks absolutely gorgeous. I am thinking about using it to make a 4th of July flag cake (similar to 17 & Baking), but I wanted to jazz it up a bit with white chocolate in the cake batter itself. Any suggestions on how to do that without screwing up the consistency?

    Reply
  50. angela@spinachtiger says

    July 7, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    I have been looking for this cake for years. This might be my all time favorite cake and that makes sense since my favorite ice cream is vanilla. Great photos. I pinned this.

    Reply
  51. angela@spinachtiger says

    July 7, 2011 at 4:59 pm

    I forgot to say, I, too, have an obsession with white. My bedding, towels, tableclothes, chairs, accessories must be all white. It makes me feel good.

    Reply
  52. Traci says

    August 19, 2011 at 8:15 am

    Hello..I’m new to your blog and I have to say I’m soooo excited! In the past year, I have developed a love for baking and need help! I love the pictures, the recipes, the advice and ideas. I look forward to following you. You’re very talented. Thank you for the blog.

    Blessings,
    Traci

    Reply
  53. MICHELLE says

    September 7, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    How did you get the frosting to look so white?? Mine turned out yellowish :s and thin

    Reply
  54. Sophie says

    September 10, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    Oh, yummy! I’m heading in to the store ASAP to gather up the supplies! :) I love BAKED! Can’t wait to try this! :)

    Reply
  55. Andrea Garner says

    September 12, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    Can I just say that I think I have a bakers crush on you!!! I think you are so right about people in this industry being so supportive of each other, everyone really roots for each other! As someone who is just starting out in the industry I look to people like you to guide me a little along this path and I truly appreciate it!! Love your blog!

    Reply
  56. Rachel says

    January 15, 2012 at 12:53 am

    Wow, my cake looks nothing like this haha! I tried though! I have no clue how you got your icing to turn out so good!

    Reply
  57. Kathryn says

    February 18, 2012 at 12:29 am

    This may be a completely silly question, but I’ve noticed you mentioned to keep the cake in a “cake saver”. Is this just a cake carrier or a stand with dome? Or is it something “special”?

    Reply
  58. linda says

    February 24, 2012 at 10:35 am

    What a cake, so gorgeous.But please tell me what is cake flour?
    I would love to bake this cake!
    Kind regards, Linda

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      February 25, 2012 at 5:47 pm

      Thanks, Linda! Here’s a link to a recent post I did (Bring Me Flours) explaining the difference between flour types, including cake flour and how to make it quickly at home: https://sweetapolita.com/2012/01/bring-me-flours/

      Reply
  59. Odessa says

    March 1, 2012 at 1:45 am

    This cake looks delicious!!!! I love to bake but I am not very good at making cakes from scratch. They taste good but are ALWAYS dry. When it says cake flour or all purpose flour does it mean to sift then measure or measure then sift? This recipe says to measure the flours and sift with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This is always confusing to me. I have found several recipes that use weight measurement and was wondering if I would have better luck with this. Please HELP…I really want to make this cake. Thanks

    Reply
  60. leng says

    March 6, 2012 at 4:47 am

    hi there! what a lovely cake! i was planning to make a rainbow cake for a birthday. do you think i could use this cake for that? is it ok to do the white chocolate frosting a day before? and lastly how long could i keep this cake and where to keep it? thanks so much!!

    so so happy of bumping to your wonderful site. i told my sister that you are one of my guru haha!

    Reply
  61. Athena says

    March 17, 2012 at 1:17 pm

    I’m looking for a cake to make for my son’s birthday tomorrow and of course, yours is one of the first sites I go to for ideas and inspiration :)

    Just want to say I’m in love with Matt and Renato… I have the first Baked book and have borrowed the second from the library twice (I should buy it already). I heard there is a third book coming out late this year, too!

    Reply
  62. Stephanie says

    April 8, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    I just tried this cake without the icing (I know it’s a shame…) and it is delicious. I like the texture and the taste. For once, it did not sink, it tastes good and it is MOIST. I will “test” it to see how it does tomorrow. Thank you, it is a keeper! In the process, just before pouring in the pan, I got a little scared because it looked bubbly, but it turned out great. I baked it in two 9-inch pan because I only have two 8-inch pans and it was in the oven for 45 minutes.

    Reply
  63. rachelle says

    April 24, 2012 at 7:43 pm

    wondering, will this cake hold up under fondant? i’m searching for a vanilla/white cake recipe that will work with fondant.

    Reply
  64. Emily says

    July 2, 2012 at 10:53 am

    I enjoy reading your blog and would love to try baking them but I always measure my ingredients in grams. Can’t decipher them in cup. I realised that different sites converts them into different values. Any advice?

    Reply
  65. maria says

    September 7, 2012 at 7:58 am

    I’ll try today your recipe! It looks really YUMMY…
    I would like to know if I could pipe the frosting? Thanks.

    Reply
  66. Doyin says

    October 3, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    Hi!
    I can’t even begin to describe how excited this cake has got me! Beautiful is an understatement!
    I’m a relatively new baker and just wondered if you had any tips for frosting the cake into that pattern? or maybe a video? Your pastel swirl cake tutorial was SO helpful!
    Thanks!

    Reply
  67. Toothsome says

    October 23, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    I made this recipe into cupcakes about a week ago for my grandmother’s birthday. THEY WERE SO FRIGGIN PERFECT. The cake was delicious on its own, but the icing was MAGIC. I was a little dubious about the flour at first, but A+, turned out awesome. I ended up with way more icing than I needed, but no complaints on that! (though it is much harder to pretend you are not pretty much eating three sticks of butter with a spoon after it’s been refrigerated…) Can’t help but think it would be great on chocolate cake for cookies n’ cream.

    Reply
  68. Lauren says

    May 1, 2013 at 8:24 am

    Has anyone attempted to refrigerate this frosting overnight? I want to take this cake to work (for my Birthday) and figured that I could make the frosting the night before and just assemble the cake on the day. Maybe let the frosting sit at room temp for a bit and re-whip? Thoughts?

    Reply
  69. Kristiina says

    May 3, 2013 at 3:29 am

    Looks amazing!! Do you by any chance know if the baked boys use the spoon-and-sweep or the scoop-and-sweep method to measure the dry ingredients?

    Thanks…can’t wait to try this!!

    Reply
  70. Tammie says

    May 5, 2013 at 8:06 pm

    Hi Rosie,

    Do you mind explaining to me the use of shortening here? I hope you reply, I know this post was long ago but I’m comparing your recipes (such as for funfetti cake), but I can’t figure why shortening’s used! :/

    Reply
  71. Margie says

    May 15, 2013 at 11:56 am

    Hi Rosie:
    I had fallen in love with the look of this cake so I made it for Mothers Day…sorry I really did not like it..First, the batter of cake looked wonderful, baked up great, but the taste and crumb were not. Even my husband who loves cake said this one was a no.
    The frosting did not thicken properly, I did as you said, lowered the heat and cooked longer, even put it in the fridge, but it kept “melting”..it tatsed great but all in all, not one to repeat..sorry, all that work or nothing.

    Reply
    • al says

      June 3, 2018 at 7:43 am

      I agree. Cake was crumbly and the frosting, although tasted great never firmed up. I followed directions to a tee. A disaster.

      Reply
  72. Gaynor says

    June 12, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Hi, Love your cakes and please can you tell me what the weights are in grams or ozs …. only I live in the uk and we don`t measure in cups…. I would really like to make this cake I have been looking for a lovely white cake all the ones that I have tried before really did not look that white or taste that great.

    Reply
  73. Mockie says

    July 2, 2013 at 12:02 pm

    I made this cake this evening, and its absolutely amazing! But, the frosting was a complete disaster! It hasnt firmed up even after sitting in the fridge and its a tad too sweet for me. I wonder if its coz i didnt use very good white chocolate (silly me) and i didnt cook the flour mixture enough? How thick is thick supposed to be?? Ima give it a shot again tomorrow! Wish me luck!

    Reply
  74. FrannieFlowers says

    July 3, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    I loved this version of a Ice Water White Cake! Even my picky chef dad raved about it and he can find “suggestions” for everything. This was the cake my brother requested when he got back from Afghanistan. It’s just perfect, I love the how subtle the white chocolate is.

    But its also the perfect base recipe for coconut cake; I used coconut oil in place of shortening, 1/2 c ice cold coconut milk for a half cup of the ice water, and 1 teaspoon each of vanilla, coconut and almond extract for the 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. I’m still excited….. lol

    Reply
  75. Alissa says

    August 30, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    How do you make your beautiful swirls on your cakes? They’re iced just perfectly!

    Reply
  76. ramona says

    September 14, 2013 at 4:59 am

    hello there. this cake its perfect for my daughter. i recently descovered your blog and first of all i am so happy you put also the measerement in grams and mls. its so important for me (im from bucharest, romania so its difficult with cups and so on). i know this its an old cake but can you change also in grams and ml?

    thank you very much and you make a great job
    im looking forward for more of your beautiful cakes
    have a nice weekend
    ramona

    Reply
  77. Dana says

    November 18, 2013 at 3:28 am

    Hi Rosie,
    I love all the cakes you have in your blog. I have always wanted to try and make them but my problem is when your recipe calls for example 3 8″pans like your Whiteout Cake. I have an oven that can take only a pan at a time. Can I bake this one at a time without affecting the quality of the cake.

    thanks:)

    Reply
  78. Christine says

    November 18, 2013 at 6:40 pm

    Hi Rosie,
    The wonderful frosting recipe that goes with this whiteout cake is also the traditional frosting for Red Velvet Cake! Except for the white chocolate and cream in the flour mixture, only milk. Traditional, old-South, down-home red velvet cake is NEVER frosted with cream cheese frosting.

    I think the old-fashioned frosting tastes the best anyway.

    One MAJOR difference between this and the traditional recipes is that the cooked milk/flour mixture is covered with plastic wrap, with entire surface touching the plastic wrap, and chilled until firm.

    Then after the butter and sugar are beaten until smooth (some recipes use powdered sugar, which helps with the granular texture that results if the butter and sugar aren’t creamed long enough), the chilled flour mixture is added by tablespoonsful, and the frosting is whipped and whipped until it is so creamy smooth … just like whipped cream. Yum!

    I recently adjusted this recipe to make a chocolate creamy filling for a chocolate cake. I usually make this vanilla recipe to frost my DH’s 2-layer 8″ birthday cake: 7 tablespoons flour to thicken 1 cup milk, and after that’s chilled, I cream 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and 1 cup sugar, then add the chilled flour mixture and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

    To make this recipe chocolate, I substituted 3 tablespoons of the flour with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa. Then continued with the regular recipe, using 4 tablespoons flour and 3 tablespoons cocoa to thicken 1 cup milk, etc. It was delish! Remember that to make something chocolate out of something’s that’s vanilla, replace a 1-to-1 portion of flour with cocoa.

    I love your recipes and especially since you appreciate hummingbird cake! How do you find all of the unusual cookbooks and recipes that you share? My cookbook library numbers a little over 100 books but I haven’t found any truly unusual books like you have. What’s your secret?

    Reply
  79. Katie says

    December 6, 2013 at 9:55 am

    Hi Rosie,
    Doing a test run for my sons first birthday. I would like to use 6 inch rounds and discard the rest of the batter. How long would you cook for? Also, if I wanted to use this batter for cupcakes, would you increase the baking powder? How long would you bake?
    Thank you…you’re an inspiration!

    Reply
  80. Petra says

    April 18, 2014 at 12:22 am

    Why don’t you answer the questions???

    Reply
  81. Debbie says

    April 23, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    Rosie, how do you make the frosting design/swirls on the sides and top of the cake?? :)

    Reply
  82. Belle says

    May 6, 2014 at 9:34 am

    Could I sub the water for coconut milk? I want to make a white coconut cake. Would using the coconut milk dry it out? It has the same consistency of water.

    Reply
  83. Donna H. says

    May 10, 2014 at 3:01 pm

    Hi,
    I made cupcakes last night and, though I’m an experienced baker,I hope you can help me figure out what went wrong. They came out tasting very good (like a sugar cookie – yum!) and fluffy, but they were so soft that they wouldn’t hold together – they just fell apart. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

    Reply
  84. Mareike says

    October 1, 2014 at 3:11 pm

    Do you think it would be possible to substitute the shortening for all butter in this recipe? THank you! This looks beautiful!

    Reply
  85. Charlotte says

    July 13, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    Would this frosting hold up for a wedding cake that will be outside in probably high 80’s?

    Reply
  86. Rita says

    October 9, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Hi Rosie just discovered your blog. The whiteout cake is lovely and I’m pretty partial to a vanilla cake too.

    I would really like to make this but unfortunately we don’t have cake flour here in Australia, so can you recommend how I can make this cake using ordinary flours?

    Thank you

    Reply
  87. NanaDoris says

    February 23, 2016 at 9:35 am

    Your blog is amazing,
    i have my own cake shop in Hornsea, East Yorkshire and I have just set up my own cake website please check it out and let me know what you think, I would love to have your opinion.

    Thank you so much.

    http://www.nanadoriscakehouse.co.uk

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Rosie! Welcome to the new (and even sweeter) version of the Sweetapolita blog! You will now find frequent new recipes + so, so much more: lifestyle posts themed around my life as a baker, mom-preneur, sprinkle-tosser, lover of travel, photography, fashion and all things happy!
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