Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature or cold using the Oster® Hand Mixer with HEATSOFT Technology
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, whites reserved for below
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 5 large egg whites, two from above and three additional whites
For the Swirl:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
For the Frosting:
- 1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese, well softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, well softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- To make the cake, place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round baking pans. (If you don’t have 8-inch rounds, use two 9-inch round cake pans.) Cut three rounds of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each cake pan. Place the paper in the greased cake pan, grease the paper, and flour the pans. It’s a lot of work but it will ensure the cake comes out of the pan easily. Set the cake pans aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl measure sugar and butter. If the butter is still cold, cut it into cubes and cream the butter with the sugar using the Oster® Hand Mixer with HEATSOFT Technology. Cream until butter and sugar are a pale yellow color, aerated and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolks until well combined, about 1 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add half of the flour mixture and beat with the hand mixer until just combined.
- On low speed, stream in the buttermilk until just combined.
- Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until well combined and smooth.
- In a separate medium bowl place two reserved egg whites and add three additional egg whites. Beat of medium high speed until the egg whites are frothy, fluffed and hold medium peaks.
- Add the beaten egg whites to the cake batter in three batches. Fold the first third of egg whites into the batter, mixing thoroughly but trying to keep the whites as aerated as possible.
- Mix in the egg whites in two more batches, folding until well combined and the batter is aerated and pourable.
- Divide the batter between the three prepared pans.
- To make the cinnamon swirl, stir together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until glossy and well combined.
- Drizzle the cinnamon mixture across each pan of cake batter and use a butter knife to gently swirl the two together.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet cake batter. Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat together softened cream cheese until pliable. Add the butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream and beat until smooth. Add a dash more cream or a spoonful more powdered sugar to adjust consistency as you may need.
- To assemble the cake, place a completely cooled cake layer, top side up, on a cake cardboard or a flat plate. Spread with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. Scoop about a third of cream cheese frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Dollop rounds around the edges of the cake layer.
- Place the second cake layer atop the first and spread with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. Again dot the edges of the cake with cream cheese frosting from the piping bag.
- Place the third cake layer atop the second and spread with a final layer of cream cheese frosting. Dot the top of the cake with cream cheese frosting in whatever decoration feels clever to you.
- Sprinkle with purple, green, and yellow sprinkles. Add a little plastic baby and refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy in generous slices with hot coffee. The cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
