Name: Whipped Cream 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

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.

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.