Caitlin celebrated her birthday last week. And in preparation of the big day, I scanned my collection of recipes and cookbooks, searching for the perfect layer cake. Last year I made her the pumpkin crepe cake. The year before that, the butternut squash layer cake.
This year, I decided, it was time to stray from the harvest theme. I was looking through my cookbooks, feeling uninspired, when I resolved to make my own cake. No recipe. No guide. I would just with it.
And that’s when it hit me. Anything could be a cake. I didn’t have to find a cake recipe online or in a book. I wasn’t confined to the traditional notions of what could or could not become a cake. So that’s when I decided to just grab my idea and run with it.
Two years ago, Caitlin and I had made white chocolate- and chocolate chip-blondies, and loved them, returning to the recipe whenever we were in the need for a quick sweet. Thinking back to these blondies, I wondered if they couldn’t be made into a cake. Then, I thought that they could probably be made into a cake. And, after that, I simply resolved to make them into one fabulous cake, complete with white chocolate icing.
And fabulous it was!
BLONDIE LAYER CAKE WITH WHITE Chocolate ICING
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
ASSEMBLING TIME: 30 minutes
YIELD: Serves 16 to 20
WHAT TO GRAB:
BLONDIE LAYERS
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup White Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup Chocolate Chips
ICING
12 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups Confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, very finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
HOW YOU DO IT:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
BLONDIE BAKING
2. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until well blended. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and mix until fully incorporated.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Working in batches, add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Add the white chocolate and chocolate chips, and mix into the batter.
4. Generously grease three round cake tins. Divide the batter evenly among the three tins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the blondies to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then remove the blondies from the pan and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.
ICING ON THE CAKE
5. Adding the sugar in batches, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Add the vanilla, salt, and cream, and whip until smooth. Do not overwhip or you will ruin the icing! Finally, add the finely chopped white chocolate chips.
6. Place a small dollop of icing in the middle of the cake platter (this will help prevent the cake from moving too much). Place one blondie layer on the platter. Apply icing to the first layer. Place a second blondie layer, upside down, on top of the first layer (so that there is a flat bottom on top). Apply icing to the second layer. Place the third blondie layer on top, right side up. Apply icing to the sides of the cake. If there is icing left over — and you are so inclined — apply icing to the top of the cake.
7. Slice and serve!
IamSimplyTia
This looks and sounds marvelous!!!! Drooling over here. Great job!
Agata
Ah, breathtaking effect!
The Dinner Belle for Kimberlybelle.com
Who doesn’t love a cookie cake?! What a great idea to stack them and form a layer cake-it’s a perfect twist on a classic that I can’t wait to try!
The Dinner Belle for Kimberlybelle.com
BROOKEandMCKENZIE
Great blog and great recipes.
Always great to find another fellow WordPress blogger, especially about yummy food. Now I have to make a decision which one of your recipes I must try first!
Caitlin
It has taken me far too long to comment on how much I loved this cake! It was delicious, particularly the icing!
From your culinary efforts to your constant support, you have been a lifesaver over these past months of constant travel for me. You’re just the best!
Abigail @ Fat Burning Furnace
Wow! This looks so awesome! It’s like a big cookie made into a cake! I can’t wait to try it out as soon as I get all the ingredients and of course have others to share it with!! Thanks for sharing!
Zee
Is the texture like a cake or a brownie or a biscuit?? Please reply, I’m thinking of making this! 🙂
Charles
The texture is definitely that of a brownie. Glad you’re thinking of making it!
Zee
Hi Charles! I made the cake for my partner’s birthday and she loved it. Thanks for the recipe and clear instructions! 🙂
Charles
Terrific! I’m glad you guys liked it!
Rachael K.
For this recipe it calls for 4 eggs. Then in the instructions it just calls for the egg whites. Are the yolks needed?
Rachael K.
Can you make this in two pans instead of three?
Charles
Rachael, you do not need the egg yolks. You can definitely make it in only two pans, though you will certainly have some leftover batter. Let me know how it turns out!
Rachael K.
I made this cake tonight and it turned out very well. I made it with two cake pans instead of three. All I had to do was bake it for 10 minutes longer. I didn’t like the frosting that much but maybe with less butter it will taste better to me. I felt it was too buttery. But everyone enjoyed it very much.
Janie
Forgive me if this is in the post, but what size tins did you use? Are they 9 inch? Thanks!
Rachael
Yes I used 9-inch pans