White Almond Sour Cream Cake Aka Traditional New Orleans Wedding Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of 2 9-inch round baking pans with butter. Depending on what kind of bakeware you use, you many want to use buttered parchment paper to line the pans so the cakes release easily from them. If you're using professional-grade non-stick cake pans, plain butter will work fine-no need for parchment paper. Either using a stand mixer or a medium bowl with a handheld mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 1/2 tsp almond extract, whisking to incorporate. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside. In the large bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl if you're using a handheld mixer), add the cornstarch, cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and mix on low until combined. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cups of sour cream, continuing to mix on low until combined. Once well combined, increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes, or until mixture is slightly aerated, making sure to scrape down the sides as you go. Return the mixer to low speed and incorporate 1/3 of the egg white mixture, then the second third, and then the final third, continuing to beat after each addition until combined and making sure to scape the side of the bowl as you go. Divide the batter between the two pans, smoothing out the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cakes are slightly golden on the tops and spring back easily to the touch. Remove them from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes. Flip the cakes out onto a clean work surface, or if you're preparing to use the day before, wrap them in saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to frost. For frosting: While cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter on low speed using a standing mixer or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract and return the mixer to low speed until combined. Finally, add the half and half/cream and increase the speed on the mixer to medium and beat 3 additional minutes, or until frosting is light and fluffy. Assembly: Once the cake has cooled, place the first cake layer on a cake stand or sheet. If you notice either of your cakes have jagged edges or are puffed up in the middle, use a serrated knife to even them out. Take just under 1/3 of the frosting and spread it evenly on top of the first layer. Stack the second layer on top of it and do the same for the top of the cake. Take the final 1/3 of the frosting and spread it evenly on the sides of the cake. Once cake is frosted, serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour an 11x13 inch cake pan.
• Stir together the white cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour in the water, sour cream, vegetable oil, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg whites, and beat with an electric mix on low until all the ingredients are mixed and moistened but some lumps still remain, 4 minutes.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake in the preheated oven until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Steps:

• Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.
• Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour into greased and floured cake pans, filling each pan a little over half full.
• Lightly tap cake pans on counter to bring air bubbles to top.
• Bake in preheated 325° F oven until cake tests done.
• Baking time varies according to the size and depth of pans being used.
• I used Wilton's Bake Even Strips on my cake pans to ensure a level-topped cake which required absolutely no trimming-- I highly recommend these, or good quality professional baking pans.
• In 2" deep pans, this recipe makes:.
• One 14" round and one 6" round.
• or One 16" round.
• or One 12" round and one 10" round.
• or One 12 X 18" sheet cake.
• or One 12" round and one 8" round and one 6" round.
• or Two 9" squares.
• or 5 dozen cupcakes.
• Half the recipe makes:.
• Two 7" rounds.
• or Two 6" rounds and 6 cupcakes.
• For chocolate cake: use chocolate mixes and substitute 6 whole eggs for the egg whites.
• For liqueur flavors: substitute alcohol (such as champagne or Kahlua) for about 1 cup of the water in the recipe.
• For berry flavors: use frozen berries, thaw reserving the juice. Substitute the berry juice for part of the water in the recipe, and stir the berries in at the end.
• For lemon cake: substitute lemon juice for about 1 cup of the water in the recipe, use 6 whole eggs instead of the whites, stir in 1 Tblsp lemon zest, and use 1 tsp of a good lemon extract in place of the almond.
• For white chocolate: melt 8oz white baking chocolate & cool slightly. use 6 whole eggs in the recipe instead of the whites, temper the chocolate by stirring in a small amount of the batter, then add the white chocolate to the entire batter and stir well. Doesn't bake up quite as high as the original, so add a pinch more batter to the pans.