Snowflake Cake

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Sara Perry | Holiday Baking | Chronicle, 2005 | Makes one 9-inch layer cake, serving 14 to 16

To my way of thinking, behind every memorable holiday meal, there’s a great cake — the kind that looks so grand and tastes so great that it becomes an instant tradition. Look no further, because you’ve found it.

Since this is a made-from-scratch cake, you’ll need to plan ahead. I like to make the cake the night before. For decorating, I’ve suggested a drift of white chocolate snowflakes to cover the snowy frosting, but there are easier ways to top this charmer. Why not let the kids decorate it with toy skiers, skaters, or snowboarders? How about a few green gumdrop trees and a family of marshmallow snowmen?

You’ll notice that this simple frosting is made primarily from butter, and for this recipe I highly recommend using a European-style, high-fat butter such as Plugra (82% fat), Land 0′Lakes Ultra Creamy (83% fat), or another artisan-style organic butter with a fat content above the normal 80 percent. European butters are cultured like yogurt or cheese, giving them a richer flavor. The added fat carries more of the vanilla flavoring to the mouth and contributes to a silkier texture.—Sara Perry

convert Ingredients
For the cake
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated while cold, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk

For the snowflakes
1 1/2 (three ounce) white chocolate candy bars
Silver dragées for decorating

For the frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, preferable a high-fat European style, at room temperature
1 pound sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
Pinch of salt

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Directions
Make the cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour the top side of the paper, and set aside.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then lightly whisk and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until light and nearly white, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla until blended. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in several additions, and beat until smooth and just blended. Scrape the sides and bottom.

4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks just form. Gently stir one third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites until just incorporated and no large white streaks of egg white remain.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, using a spatula to evenly spread the batter. Gently rotate the pans to settle and level the batter. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the layers cool in their pans. Gently loosen the edges with a thin knife before inverting the layers onto wire racks. Let the cakes cool thoroughly before carefully peeling off the paper. Cool completely before frosting, about 3 hours.

Make the snowflakes
1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the chocolate into a resealable plastic bag and immerse the bag in hot water until the chocolate melts. Dry the bag, then snip off a small piece from one corner. Pipe as many 2-inch snowflakes onto the foil as possible, and decorate the points with silver dragées, if desired. Place the sheet of snowflakes in the freezer until the cake is ready to decorate.

Make the frosting
1. In a stand mixer set on low speed, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt until the sugar is moist. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat until light and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Assemble the cake
1. Place a dollop of frosting in the middle of the serving platter. Place the bottom layer of the cake on the platter, top side down. Using a narrow metal spatula, spread a third of the frosting over the bottom layer. Place the remaining layer on top. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Remove the snowflakes from the freezer and gently peel off the foil. Be careful — these flakes are fragile. (Don’t worry if some of the tips break or chip; in a snow flurry, they’ll still look good.) Cover the top and sides of the cake with snowflakes.

2. Chill the cake for an hour to set the frosting and snowflakes. If you are serving the cake on the day it is made, keep it at a cool room temperature after chilling. To cut, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife. Dip the knife into hot water before cutting to prevent the frosting from sticking. Insert the point of the knife into the cake’s center. Cut, using an up-and-down motion, pulling the knife toward you.

Recipe © 2005 Sara Perry. Photo © 2005 Leigh Beisch. All rights reserved.