Yellow Butter Cake with Vanilla Meringue Frosting

Yellow Butter Cake with Vanilla Meringue Frosting

You'll find potato starch on the baking aisle at most of your local supermarkets and health-food stores. Also known as potato flour, it helps ensure the cake will have a fine crumb and moist texture.

Cake:
Cooking spray
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 ounces potato starch (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
10 tablespoon butter, softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
5 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, line bottoms of 2 (9-inch) cake pans with parchment paper; coat pans lightly with cooking spray. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Weigh or lightly spoon potato starch into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, potato starch, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.

3. Place 1 3/4 cups sugar and 10 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine milk and half-and-half. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in bourbon and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans 25 minutes on wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

4. To prepare frosting, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/4 water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, without stirring, or until candy thermometer registers 250°. Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and dash of salt in a large bowl. Using clean, dry beaters, beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg white mixture, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; continue beating until egg white mixture cools (about 12 minutes). Beat 1/4 cup butter until light and fluffy; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Fold in 1 cup egg white mixture. Fold butter mixture into remaining egg white mixture, stirring until smooth.

5. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Buttery Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Meringue Frosting: Lightly coat 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffins cups; bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Cut frosting recipe in half, using 3 egg whites and omitting butter and vanilla. Fold 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa into cooled meringue mixture, and top each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons frosting. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa evenly over cupcakes, if desired. Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 cupcake).

CALORIES 177 (31% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 3.6g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.6g; CARB 27.8g; FIBER 0.5g; CHOL 41mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 148mg; CALC 40mg


Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
From Cooking Light, November 2008.

Easy-Mix Yellow Cupcake Batter

This recipe is REALLY easy, and makes a moist, completely yummy cake. I use it all the time to make cupcakes and will also make a great two-layer 9" round cake.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Pair with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

1 1/4 unbleached all-purpose flour.
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg and yolk and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth. The batter is ready to bake, or for additions such as nuts, or other flavorings.

From Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans, also available at Crate & Barrel.

Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I don't know how "light" this cake is, but it's really, really good. I highly recommend it.

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 T all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (8 ounce) carton fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

Frosting:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 - 2 T evaporated fat-free milk
1/8 tsp salt
3 cups powdered sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 350.

To prepare cake coat bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray (do not coat sides); line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with one T of flour. Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup melted butter and sour cream in large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Add granulated sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until well-blended. Add egg substitute, beat 2 minutes or until well-blended.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan. Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 tsp vanilla in large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add cocoa, milk, and 1/8 tsp salt; beat at low speed until well blended. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, beat at low speed until creamy. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Place cake on serving platter. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.

"The Best of Cooking Light 7" - special edition
Yield: 18 servings. (Serving size: 1 piece.)
calories 291, fat 8.1 g, protein 4.3 g, carb 51.6 g, fiber 0.9 g, iron 1 mg, sodium 285 mg, calc 54 mg.