Rich White Cake
from Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, 1950s edition

[White cake is made with the whites of eggs only, no yolks; and because the whites are beaten and folded in, the cake is very light and airy.]

The richest and most elegant of all. Elegant with Almond Cream Filling, a white frosting and melted chocolate poured over the edge, or with Fluffy White Frosting sprinkled with shredded fresh coconut. For Toasted Almond Cake, frost with Browned Butter Icing. Decorate with split or slivered blanched almonds, toasted.

For 2 9" layers or 13x9" oblong pan	For 2 8" layers or 9" square pan
1 cup 2 cups 3 cups 4 tsp. 1 tsp. 1 1/3 cups 2 tsp. 6 (3/4 cup)	3/4 cup 1 1/2 cups 2 1/4 cups 3 tsp. 3/4 tsp. 1 cup 1 1/2 tsp. 4 (1/2 cup)	soft shortening (half butter for flavor) sugar sifted flour baking powder salt thin milk (half water) vanilla or other flavoring egg whites, stiffly beaten

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease generously and flour the baking pans.

Cream together the shortening and sugar until fluffy.

Sift together the dry ingredients and stir in alternately with the thin milk and flavoring. Add in the flour first and last. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake layers 30 to 35 minutes (square or oblong 35 - 45 minutes) until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. The cake should be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan and will spring back when lightly touched with the fingertip (no imprint will remain).

Remove from the oven and let stand in pan(s) 10 minutes. Then carefully loosen from one side with spatula. Tip and turn to let in air. Turn cake on wire cooking rack so it will not "sweat" and become soggy. Place another cooling rack on top and flip so the cake is right side up. If baking the cake in an oblong or square pan, you may leave the cake in the pan, but cool on a wire rack.

As soon as the cake is cool, spread desired frosting or filling between layers to the outer edge (if making a layer cake). Frost sides and top of cake with light sweeping strokes. Pull frosting from bottom up to top to make the cake look well shaped.