Diner en Blanc Cake

For the cake:
2 cups sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, soft
1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
1-1/2 tsp fiori di sicilia extract
4 large farm fresh eggs

For the frosting:
6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 whole vanilla beans
4 Tbsp milk

To bake the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 9″ round cake pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add butter to the mixer and beat until it looks sandy.
4. Combine the milk and fiori di sicilia and add to the mixer. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl as you go!
5. Crack eggs into a bowl. This way, you won’t accidentally get egg shells in your cake batter. With the mixer running on low, add eggs one at a time. Make sure each is incorporated before adding the next.
6. Pour batter into your prepared cake pans. Softly bang the bottom of the pans against the countertop to help settle the batter evenly in the pan.
7. Bake for  25 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool before removing it from the pan.
9. Frost with Double Vanilla Bean Frosting (recipe below).

To make the Double Vanilla Bean Frosting:

1. Cream together powdered sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer. Start with two cups of powdered sugar and half a stick of butter, alternating additions.
2. Slowly incorporate vanilla, seeds from two vanilla beans, and milk. Beat until smooth. Add additional milk or powdered sugar if needed for desired consistency.

Want more Diner en Blanc recipes? Read all about The Rose Table en Blanc here.