1-2-3-4 Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe can be found on the back of the Swans Down Cake Flour box. In fact, as I look at the box I realize this cake and frosting recipe is probably the one featured on the box front. Our cake does not look as pretty, but it tastes just as good; because butter and sugar have never failed to make a cake rock.*

Before you begin, you might want some kitchen items we did not have: flour sifter, icing spatula, cake stand and cover, hand or stand mixer, blah blah blah. Don't worry about it. Your cake might look nicer and it might take less effort, but without these tools you will build arm strength and learn patience. That's priceless. Did I mention the cake still tastes great?

I think buttering and flouring your pans works more effectively when baking cakes than using the spray and I'm not a spray hater in general. The bonus is getting flour all over the counters. Yay! If you have a mixer use it now! A nice alternative for butter creaming is a fork and a potato masher. Creamed butter and sugar is hard to resist sampling. I dare you to try and resist.

Mix thoroughly after each egg. (Don't eat after adding eggs but before cooking!)

A flour sifter is appropriate, but a metal colander works in a pinch. I've learned that baking is not at all like cooking, it's very strict and science-y. If you don't pay close attention you will be punished (don't pay attention to me, do read and follow the recipe though).

Always add dry to wet when baking. Or add wet to wet. Here we do both. Alternate adding the flour mix and the milk mix to the delicious butter mix.

We split the mix into three pans like the box recommended, but The Art of Baking web site has time suggestions if you want to try cupcakes or two larger pans.

Overall, the cake is buttery, moist and yummy. There was not enough frosting to cover the whole cake, but that's probably because we were not successful with the milk/flour roux the Swans box had in their cream cheese frosting recipe. Meh, what can you do?

Recipe Time: 1-2-3-4 Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting
(adapted from the Swans Down Cake Flour box and The Art of Baking web site)
serves 12

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
3 tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 and ½ tsp vanilla

1. Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
   
3. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. 
4. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, beating after each addition until smooth. 
5. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch layer pans, using about 2-1/3 cups batter in each pan. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. 
7. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.

Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients at room temperature.
2. Blend well.
3. Spread on cooled cake.

*The red stuff in the first photo is pureed frozen strawberries with a wee bit of confectioners' sugar. A good frosting alternative or addition.