Reviewed: Dec. 2, 2011

This is one of the best cakes I've ever had! I did make some changes, though. First, I used 1/2 cup high quality butter and 1/4 cup shortening instead of all shortening which I think gave it a richer flavor. Secondly, I used King Arthur AP flour instead of cake flour which I think gave it a better crumb. I made it in a bundt pan which gave it lots of crunchy surface. And I used the buttermilk sauce recipe given by another reviewer and spooned this while warm on the plate next to the cooled cake--spectacular! The cake has a lovely crunch to the outside and with the sauce it is so delicious. To the reviewer who thought this cake bland, I would recommend trying it this way because it is rich and has a terrific blend of wonderful flavors. P.S. I think it is crucial to use whole buttermilk which is hard to find. All of the grocery stores here carry only low fat (yuck) so I had to go to Whole Foods

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2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

mydogsmom

Reviewed: Jun. 26, 2011

WOW!! I love love love this cake. I used this recipe last weekend for a wedding cake and everyone commented on how good it was!! I used butter instead of shortening, and just added the egg whites when I was creaming the butter and sugar (yes I"m very lazy), no almond, and I thought it was perfect. The ladies said it was a dream to slice!! I really think the younger generation is so used to eating bakery/boxed cake mixes, that they really don't appreciate this denser cake. My only regret is that I can't give it six stars...

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3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

ILIKECAKES

Reviewed: Oct. 20, 2010

This was a hit at work - we had several parents come in and they raved about this. I didn't have cake flour but I did sift regular flour several times. The folding in of the egg whites is crucial to keep it light. Like someone else said, she used the Buttermilk sauce from another recipe so I'm adding it here. BUTTERMILK SAUCE: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup buttermilk Bring all ingredients to a boil then simmer briefly, stirring frequently. Immediately, spoon over cake. (I did this while the cake was still warm in the pan).

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10 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Gally

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Reviewed: Jul. 22, 2010

A thick, almost pound cake texture, just sweet enough, and easy to work with. Perfect for carving. Thank you so much! This one's a keeper.

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1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Lycoris

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Houston, Texas, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2009

This cake wasn't my cup of tea. I've been trying to find the perfect vanilla cake and they all come out too "egg-y". This one was egg-y as well. The search continues...

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5 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

lalanyc

Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2009

I have been eating this cake all week, and I honestly think it gets even better as it sits! The only changes I made were to use butter instead of shortening, and I also added at least 1/4 c more buttermilk, because my batter was so thick before folding in the egg whites. I also had to bake it longer. Turned out perfect, though! I spread a thin glaze with buttermilk, vanilla, powdered sugar and butter over the top. Delish!

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1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

MARFYC

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2009

I've made this a couple of times, but added four whole eggs, omitted the almond extract, and calculated the best baking time at 28 minutes (in my oven, anyway!). Also, topped it off with a lemon glaze--a simple mixture of lemon juice and powdered sugar to taste. Superb!

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5 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Dee

Reviewed: Aug. 19, 2009

Not sure what happened with my cake but it didn't rise at all so it seemed very dense to me. My husband wasn't real thrilled with the flavor although I thought it tasted ok. The only thing that helped it was the one bowl buttercream frosting.

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1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

bigred66

Reviewed: Mar. 13, 2009

WOW!! Was this a great recipe. What an incredible cake; so moist; so tasty and not too sweet. I didn't change anything in the recipe and I added the sggestion of using the buttermilk sauce as a glaze and it was delicious. Definitely a keeper!! We will make it again and perhaps try a different glaze. We also used a bundt pan and needed to bake it for 1 hr.

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2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

edie08

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, USA

Living In: Ringwood, New Jersey, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 8, 2008

I loved this cake for the fact that it was delicate, moist, and not too sweet. I only sifted the flour twice, and I used all purpose. I added a lemon/confection sugar icing to it which gave it a nice touch. I'll keep this in my repertoire. And it was pretty easy, though I used alot of bowls

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4 users found this review helpful