Welcome Spring

We've been having perfectly beautiful Spring weather, and I am loving it! I cannot believe how quickly winter has left us! The weather here in SW Pennsylvania feels more like June than March, bringing yesterday to a high of 80 degrees!

The gorgeous sunlight put me in a good mood and got me motivated to mop my kitchen floor, do my dishes and tidy up! I felt like baking, which I haven't been motivated to do so in a while. It's that sunshine I tell ya! I was in the mood for something sweet, pretty and uplifting...and what could be more uplifting than a birthday cake?! . . . so I went with that! No . . .  it's no one's birthday . . .  but there's nothing like the taste of  REALLY GOOD birthday cake!

While perusing Pinterest, I came across a beautiful cake from  Sweetapolita  and fell in love with her photo and her recipe! I was definitely making this cake! I knew it would hit the spot . . . and it did!  It turned out wonderfully! I love the texture, the density and the flavor . . . it's just perfect! The frosting is killer! So sweet and light!

What a great way to welcome in Spring with this beautiful, perfect cake!

CLASSIC VANILLA BUTTER BIRTHDAY CAKE
recipe slightly adapted from Sweetapolita.

4 eggs, separated, room temperature
3 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk, room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three, 8 inch round cake pans. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In bowl of electric mixer, using paddle attachment, beat butter for 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at time. Add vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and the milk, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

In separate clean bowl, using whisk attachment, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until egg whites have soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat until egg whites form stiff peaks.

With a rubber spatula, gradually fold egg whites into cake batter being careful not to over mix.

Divide batter evenly between the 3 cake pans and level each with an offset spatula. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cakes, remove from pans and frost cakes with Buttercream frosting.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
5 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon water
pinch of salt

Using electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and powdered sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the whipping cream, vanilla, water and salt. Beat for 3 minutes. If consistency is too thick, add 1/2 tsp. of water at a time to thin.