Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Recipe
The Big White Cake has been a tradition at Southern Living since 1995. Each year, our readers (as well as the staff) eagerly anticipate the December issue, anxious to bake and enjoy this show-stopping dessert. This year's fabulous cake really raises the bar; not only is it incredibly delicious, but the eye-catching Cake Ball Ornaments make it almost too pretty to eat. Cake flour, egg whites, and a generous amount of vanilla extract make these layers light, tender, and aromatic. Save time by baking the cake layers in advance; freeze them until you are ready to assemble the cake. We've topped this year's white cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream. You can easily manipulate the frosting into fun petals (shown here) or a more traditional smooth finish. Don't forget the show-stopping Cake Ball Ornaments when finally displaying your cake.