Yellow whipped cream cake being dusted with powdered sugar.

Photo by Ben Fink

This unusual old-time recipe was sent to me by chef Anthony Stella, a restaurateur in Delaware, who asked if I could perform a makeover on it. What intrigued both of us about the recipe was that at first glance it seemed to contain no butter or oil. But on closer analysis, I discovered that the butterfat contained in the cream was more than equal to the usual amount of butter added. My makeover involved a nip and tuck, decreasing the sugar and baking powder and increasing the salt to compensate for the saltiness previously provided by a higher amount of baking powder. I also increased the overall yield by one and a half times and baked the cake in a fluted tube pan to give it an attractive appearance and more center support. The result is a perfectly even and exceptionally moist and tender cake.

Ingredients

2¼ cups cake flour or 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted (measured by sifting into the cup and leveling it off)

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1½ cups heavy cream, cold

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

Special Equipment: 1 (10-cup) fluted metal tube pan, coated with baking spray with flour

Preparation

Preheat the Oven:
Step 1
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F if using a dark pan).
Mix the Dry Ingredients:
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and then sift them together to make the mixture easier to incorporate.
Mix the Liquid Ingredients:
Step 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, whip the cream, starting on low speed, gradually raising the speed to medium-high as it thickens, until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.
Step 4
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla just until lightly combined.
Step 5
On medium-high speed, gradually beat the egg mixture into the whipped cream. The mixture will thicken into mayonnaise consistency (unless high-butterfat cream is used). Gradually beat in the sugar. It should take about 30 seconds to incorporate it.
Make the Batter:
Step 6
Detach the bowl and whisk beater from the stand. Add half the flour mixture to the cream mixture and, with the whisk attachment stir and fold in the flour until most of it disappears. Add the rest of the flour mixture and continue folding and mixing until all traces of flour have disappeared. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Run a small metal spatula or dull knife blade through the batter to prevent large air bubbles, avoiding the bottom of the pan. Smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.
Bake the Cake:
Step 7
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted between the tube and the side comes out completely clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
Cool and Unmold the Cake:
Step 8
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With a small metal spatula, loosen the top edges of the cake and invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely. The cake requires no adornment, but I love to serve it with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a large dollop of lightly sweetened Whipped Cream.

Notes

Do not chill the bowl and beaters for the heavy cream because the eggs will not emulsify as readily if the whipped cream is too cold.

High-butterfat (40 percent) heavy cream produces a finer, more tender crumb. This cream is generally available only to bakeries and restaurants, but it is certainly worth asking your local baker to sell you a container.

Rose's Heavenly Cakes cookbook cover with photo of single layer chocolate cake.

Leave a Review

Reviews (11)

Costco sells high fat cream. I always have it on hand.
- Julie D
- Olympia WA
- 10/18/2021
Light and wonderful cake to eat with berries. The sugar incorporation is under the heading: Mix the Liquid Ingredients, last paragraph. The amount of salt to add is in the ingredients list: 3/4 teaspoon.
- jrian17
- Washington
- 5/26/2021
Has anyone tried this recipe with a gluten free flour blend? Just wondering.
- wildyam
- New England
- 5/26/2021
But when is the sugar to be added?
- howcool
- 5/23/2021
I just want to say "I love your app and get much joy from all your recipes and articles. Thank you
- Deb Stubblefield
- Springfield, MO.
- 7/12/2020
Delicious and so light. I used a sash of almond extract in place of vanilla. One problem, however, is that the recipe does not specify when to add the sugar. (I’ve reread it about 8 times to make sure!) I realized that I hadn’t put in sugar after I placed the batter in the pan, so I scooped it out, stirred in the sugar and then baked it. In spite of that it still turned out wonderful, so it gets 4 forks.
- BranwenGoeckner
- Ann Arbor, MI
- 6/17/2020
i really wanted to love this recipe, but I can't use the word love. I like it. It's nice. But it needs 'more' to hold my interest. It's really plain and has no defining flavor, only tastes like slightly sweetened milk. I need it to be more than just plain, 'awaiting some topping to add flavor and sweetness' that you would expect from a dessert. I would much prefer a pound cake, which scream of rich milk butter and eggs and can stand on its own without frosting. Meh.
- pb_likes_gourmet
- PA
- 5/27/2020
Can you make this at high altitude? Instructions?
- newmexjags
- Albuquerque, NM
- 5/18/2020
Really tender, with good crumb. My child loved it!
- Anonymous
- Vancouver CAN
- 5/14/2020
It was a delicious and easy bake. I have made it twice, once with cake flour one with all purpose and the cake flour version was much nicer crumb. I will try using different extracts as well because the cake lends itself to many flavor opportunities
- Anonymous
- Thailand
- 5/13/2020
Great cake. However the recipe omitted the amount of salt needed. I added a heaping teaspoon of kosher salt. Everyone loved the cake. Easy to make, easy to eat!
- lbouffard
- San Diego, CA
- 5/7/2020