The details

Nearly white layer cake is my answer to a classic white wedding-style cake which blends seamlessly with any filling and buttercream. It’s delicate in flavor and fluffy in crumb. I especially like this white cake recipe due to the use of one egg yolk, which stabilizes the cake without compromising any light fluffiness. It’s the ultimate white layer cake, and I think you will love it!

What makes this Nearly White Cake great

One egg yolk: Rather than relying solely on egg whites as many white cakes do, this one is grounded by a single egg yolk which provides subtle richness and increased stability.
Buttermilk: Makes the cake slightly tangy, very moist, and provides some height. Go full fat or go home.
BOTH oil and butter: Neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or grapeseed will work) provides a more uniform, delicate crumb and butter provides flavor and richness. A combo of the two works wonders here!
Its light, fluffy, AND easy to work with (AKA not falling apart when it’s manipulated–a win!)
Light, buttery flavor
This recipe makes 3 8-inch cake layers or 4 6-inch layers, so it’s ideal for event cakes which need to be tall and more impressive in scale! Half it for a smaller, more intimate cake.

Keep those layers light and fluffy–here’s how:

Cream room temp butter & sugars to start! Meaning on medium-high speed, 5+ minutes. The butter and sugar will visibly lighten in color and appear whipped. This is an important foundation for any butter-based cake.
Beat batter once eggs are added until FULLY emusified. What do I mean? Until the fats from the oil and butter are fully integrated with the protein from the egg–your batter will suddenly thicken and become deliciously shiny. This leads to a consistent crumb and height.
Check that baking powder! Any baking powder older than 6 months can begin to expire and not rise as much as it should. When in doubt, toss and replace.
Cake Flour is your answer to a fluffy cake. AP flour will not rise as much and it is not a good replacement for a light, delicate cake like this. My favorite cake flour is King Arthur.

How to pair it

Whether you go classic and pair this white cake with a vanilla bean swiss meringue buttercream or something spicy like a raspberry buttercream, you can’t go wrong. I love this cake with vanilla SMBC and a tart filling, like a lime or passion fruit curd. Recently, I’ve enjoyed it with a mixed berry compote. YUM!

Leftover Egg yolks galore! What to do?

Speaking of passionfruit curd….use your leftover egg yolks to make some! It pairs wonderfully with this cake and tastes good on just about all things. Some other ideas for using up your leftover yolks, because we don’t like food waste here:

Use egg yolks in the base for a homemade ice cream! See my recipes for Birthday Cake Ice Cream & Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.
Make creme brulee.
Carbonara!
Add single yolks into your morning scramble for a nutritional boost

Bake to this music

Nearly White Layer Cake

Print Recipe

Nearly white cake is your answer to a light, fluffy, but also moist AND sturdy layer cake! Think of it as a delicious vessel for your favorite filling and buttercream.

Yield: 15 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup neutral oil
1 egg + 5 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream, room temp
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
3 3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups whole fat buttermilk, room temp

Instructions

Prepare 3 8-inch cake pans or 4 6-inch cake pans with non stick spray and parchment rounds. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Make your cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, cream together room temp butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium-high for at least 5 minutes, until the texture becomes light and fluffy. Add oil and continue to beat on medium-high until it becomes smooth and shiny.
Add egg and egg yolks, continuing to beat on medium. Add vanilla extract. Beat this mixture together for at least 5 minutes, until the whole thing becomes even shinier and begins to thicken. Add sour cream and beat on medium until just combined. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix together. Alternate adding portions of this dry ingredient mix and the buttermilk to the cake batter, with the beater mixing on low. You could also opt to do this by hand with a spatula. The order of additions will be 1/3 dry ingredients, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 cup dry, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 dry. Stop mixing once streaks of flour disappear.
Distribute evenly into 3 8-inch (or 4 6-inch) pans, using a kitchen scale to ensure equal volume if desired.
Bake cake layers at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes for 8-inch & 6-inch pans. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick. As soon as the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done and remove it to cool on a wire rack.
Allow cakes to cool completely to room temperature before assembling cake. If assembling at a later day, wrap each cooled layer tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 week. Allow to defrost for 1 hour on the counter before assembling your cake.

Notes

Pair with vanilla bean swiss meringue for wedding cake vibes!

Author: Caroline Crockett
Category: cake, dessert