VW Cake

A few weeks ago I made a cake for a graduation/birthday party. This friend is a VW lover and I thought it would be fun to the emblem on the top. The cake and frosting are simple butter cake recipe that I adapted from a Joy of Baking recipe. I added some of my strawberry rhubarb butter between the layers to make it a little more exciting :)

(I had major issues with the font of this recipe...sorry it's all wonky)

Butter Cake:

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. cake flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup sugar, divided

3/4 butter, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp. cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour two - 9 inch (20 cm) round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper and grease and flour parchment paper.While eggs are still cold separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl.  Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).In a mixing bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.In bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add 1 cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.  In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tarter and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then fold in the remaining whites until combined. Do not over mix the batter or it will deflate.Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 -25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Frosting:

1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat cream cheese until smooth. While mixer is running slowly add chunks of butter. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time. Once all the sugar is incorporated add the vanilla. I found the consistency of this frosting very easy to work with. Adding a little orange or lemon zest would be really good as well to give it a more fun citrus pop.