I Do recommend that you not use substitutions in the ingredients. For example, don't substitute regular all-purpose flour for cake flour or margarine for real butter. The same is true for using imitation vanilla flavoring instead of pure vanilla flavoring. Sometimes those substitutions don't matter but cakes just taste better when you use the real stuff.
Candy Cane Cake
3 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Lightly grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment. Grease parchment. (I use waxed paper instead of parchment paper.)
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high until pale and fluffy. It takes about 3-4 minutes. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat only until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
7-Minute Frosting
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
Bring 2 inches water to a gentle simmer in the bottom of a double-boiler. Place egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water and corn syrup into the top boiler.. Place boiler over saucepan and cook, whisking on low speed with a hand mixer, until mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. This takes 8-9 minutes.
Remove top pan and continue to whisk on medium speed until thick, glossy peaks form. This takes 2-3 minutes.
Assembling and Decorating
3 candy canes, crushed (about 1/4 cup)
Store-bought peppermint bark, roughly chopped
Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Top with 1 cup frosting and sprinkle with half of the crushed candy canes. Place second cake layer on top of that and top with 1 cup frosting and the remainder of the crushed candy canes.
Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Press peppermint bark into the frosting on the sides of the cake.
