White Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven at 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3

Grease and line 3 x 7-inch round cake pans, or 2 x 8-inch square cake pans

Dry ingredients – in a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, - set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the oil and continue to whip until light and airy. Then, add the vanilla, almond, and rose extract. Pro tip - adding the oil gradually will help the oil whip up some air into the batter similar to making mayonnaise.

Next, add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three batches alternating each other - set aside.

Clean the bowl of the stand mixer and whisk attachment, then add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pro tip - any grease in the bowl or whisk will not whip the egg whites so clean it properly. Also, add the sugar gradually into the egg whites to get the most volume.

After two minutes, gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is in, whip the egg whites to almost stiff peaks.

Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter with a spatula making sure not to overmix. Pro tip - start by adding a big dollop of egg whites to the batter and give it a rigorous mix. This will lighten the batter. Then gently fold the rest of the batter carefully.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pans - tap a few times to remove any air pockets. square cake pans

Bake on the center rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.Pro tip - if you use a single pan or tube pan the cooking time will be longer about 60 to 65 minutes

Watch a video on how to make this Ermine frosting.

Make the roux - In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt, and milk. Place over medium-low heat stirring constantly.Pro tip - before you place on heat use a whisk to ensure you have no lump in the milk. Otherwise, the roux will be lumpy.

Cook until you have a thick smooth paste about 5 to 7 mins. Remove from heat and transfer to a cool bowl. Pro tip - transferring to a clean bowl will ensure the mixture stops cooking and prevent lumps.

Cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic touches the top surface of the roux. Set aside to cool completely.Pro tip - roux like this can crust and form a skin very quickly similar to custard which can be very lumpy later in the frosting so cover immediately.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter for a minute until light and fluffy. Pro tip - when whipped the butter will lighter in color as air will be incorporated into it.

Gradually add the cooled roux - one tablespoon at a time. Making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl for any butter stuck to the bowl.

Once all the milk paste/roux has been added, whip the buttercream for 2 full minutes until light and fluffy. Pro tip- it is important to whip the buttercream so you have a consistency similar to whipped cream. Otherwise it mixture will be very soft and won't be easy to frost.

Finally, add the vanilla extract and any other flavoring if desired.

Prepare simple syrup - cool completely before using.Pro tip- Simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist.

Using a bread knife or cake leveler cut the domes off the cake layers. Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup

Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand.

Stack layers - Top with a big dollop of buttercream - spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula. Then top the second cake layer on top followed by more buttercream and the last layer.

Crumb coat - Spread a thin layer of frosting on top and around the cake. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.Pro tip - Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don't move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need.

Spread remaining buttercream around and on top of the cake. Smooth as best you can and chill the cake again for 30 minutes. Pro tip - A straight-edge spatula for the top, an offset spatula, and a bench scraper for the sides work better.

Final smoothing - dip an off-set spatula and bench scraper in warm water and smooth the sides and top of the cake.Pro tip - this will help create a nice smooth finish on your cake. Alternatively, you can create a piped pattern around the cake with frosting.

Add the remaining frosting in a piping bag with the star tip. Pipe a border on top of the cake and at the bottom of the cake (see video).

Decorate the top as desired - I added silver-coated chocolate ovals.