Tim's Christmas Eve Birthday Cake

                                      Tim's Christmas Eve Buttermilk Birthday Cake 


Ingredients                                                   Method                                                                              

1 cup butter (2 sticks)                                   cream butter, add sugar gradually, cream well
2 cups granulated sugar 

3 cups cake flower                                        shift together
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 cup buttermilk                                            add alternately with dry ingredients to butter-sugar
3 egg yokes                                                    mix, blend well 

6 egg whites                                                  beat whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat
1 teaspoon cream of tartar                             until stiff, add vanilla and blend into batter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:  Pour batter into two 9-inch paper lined cake pans.

Oven Temperature:  375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Baking Time:  30 to 35 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

Finishing:  Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove and allow to cool completely on cake racks.  Remove paper.  Put layers together and ice with White Butter-Cream Icing.  Ground nuts (such as walnuts) may be added to the sides of the iced cake. Trim with red and green (for Christmas Eve) and blue for birthday. 

Double the above to make a FOUR LAYER Christmas Eve Buttermilk Birthday Cake.