I have already told you this story before and before and before.  Basically, I’m on a quest for the perfect vanilla cupcake.  My top runner is Amy Sedaris’ cupcake, but I’d have to say this takes a close second.  

Having been blogging, tweeting and baking for a couple of years now I see the name Dorie Greenspan floating ALL OVER the place.  I mean have you heard of Tuesdays with Dorie?  A whole following devoted to her and baking from her book every week.  What stuck out most was her recipe for the perfect party cake.  I’m a sucker for anyone who has the confidence to make claims like this for any recipe.  I tend to love typing “the best ________” to find recipes.  It’s worked pretty well so far. :)

The cake almost has a pound cake taste with an angel food texture.  It’s a very light texture which I like, but the hint of lemon leaves something to be desired.  I’d rather add the lemon and call it lemon cake and that is not the perfect party cake to me. Next time I’d like to incorporate a vanilla bean with the sugar instead and see if I can enhance this almost perfect cake.

Perfect Party Cake
from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours

{I got 26 cupcakes from this recipe}

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 stick (8 tbsp or 4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp pure lemon extract

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. FIll your cupcake papers between 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch. Cool to room temperature and frost!