WHITE LAYER CAKES

WHITE CAKES ARE THE CLASSIC choice for birthdays. A white cake is simply a yellow butter cake made with egg whites instead of whole eggs. The whites produce the characteristic color and also make the cake soft and fine-grained. Some white cakes can be a bit dry (the missing yolks provide richness to yellow cakes) and cottony. Many white cakes also are riddled with small holes.

These problems often result when white cakes are mixed by the same method as yellow cakes, that is, the butter and sugar are creamed, and the dry ingredients are added alternately with milk. (Most white cake recipes call for stiffly beaten egg whites, which are folded in at the end.) This method exposes the flour directly to the liquid and leads to gluten formation. Although a little gluten formation is fine in a sturdier yellow cake, in a white cake (made without tenderizing yolks) the texture becomes tough. In addition, the gluten forms a stretchy net of ropelike fibers that press the air cells in the beaten whites into holes and tunnels.

To prevent overglutenization in white cake batter, we prefer to cream the flour with the butter and sugar. Because the flour is mixed with the butter at the start, it is partially waterproofed and thus less prone to gluten development. This mixing method helps keep the crumb soft and delicate.

Our kitchen tests demonstrated that beaten egg whites are responsible for the formation of air pockets. Contrary to popular wisdom, beating the whites does not produce an ethereal texture. In fact, beating causes protein strands in the whites to uncoil and link up. These clumps of egg whites cannot be incorporated into the batter and cause unsightly holes when the cake is baked.

We found that unbeaten whites mix easily into the batter when added along with the milk. They set and stiffen in the oven to provide the structure necessary to hold the fine air bubbles beaten into the butter when it is creamed. The result is a velvety cake with a delicate texture, high rise, and delicious flavor.