This is, as the title says, a very simple white cake; it’s basically the Crazy Cake without the cocoa. While this does do best as cupcakes, resist the temptation to taste them right when they come out of the oven. For some reason, the almond extract smell is incredibly overwhelming when steaming hot and it will change how you perceive the taste. Wait until they cool before enjoying.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. (Due to the need for lightness (as there are no eggs to act as a leavener), it is important to actually sift the ingredients. Do not skip this step.)
2. Measure in the wet ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain. Pour into the prepared pan or measure out into cupcake holders.
3. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean.
Note: It is easy to do this recipe straight in the pan as it doesn’t have any eggs and margarine to be creamed together. If making cupcakes, you can mix it together in a bowl and spoon from there. However, it is important to make sure that you whisk it really well to remove any and all lumps. If you do not, you will have little white lumps inside your cupcakes when you bite into them.
Note: The usual rule of thumb in specialty baking is ‘The Smaller The Better’. When using unusual ingredients, your baked goods will often be more dense and not rise as well. The smaller portion (cupcake vs cake) allows the batter to rise better, as the sheer volume doesn’t weigh it down as much.
Note: A single recipe makes 1 8x8 recipe or about 18 cupcakes, depending on how high you fill the cups. If serving straight out of the pan, it isn’t necessary to grease the pan. However, if you will be plating it, grease the pan so that it comes out easily.
