Whipped Cream Cake

Jan 22, 2010 | From the kitchen of Rose

Maybe I should have called this cake "Where's the Butter?" because at first glance there appears to be no butter in it. In reality, the butterfat contained in the heavy cream is more than the butter usually added separately!

As this seems to be, perhaps, the most popular of all the cakes in my newest book Rose's Heavenly Cakes I've decided to list the recipe on this blog for easy access.

Whipped Cream Cake
Serves: 8 to 10
Baking Time: 25 to 35 minutes
This unusual old-time recipe was sent to me by chef Anthony Stella, a restaurateur in Delaware, who asked if I could perform a makeover on it. What intrigued both of us about the recipe was that at first glace it seemed to contain no butter or oil. But on closer analysis, I discovered that the butterfat contained in the cream was more than equal to the usual amount of butter added. My makeover involved a nip and tuck, decreasing the sugar and baking powder and increasing the salt to compensate for the saltiness previously provided by a higher amount of baking powder. I also increased the overall yield by one and a half times and baked the cake in a fluted tube pan to give it an attractive appearance and more center support. The result is a perfectly even and exceptionally moist and tender cake.

Batter Ingredients
Cake Flour or bleached all-purpose flour, sifted (2 1/4 cups cake flour or 2 cups all purpose--measured by sifting into the cup and leveling it off: 8 ounces/225 grams)
Baking powder (2 teaspoons)
Salt (3/4 teaspooon)
Heavy cream, cold (1-1/2 cups/12.3 ounces/348 grams)
3 large eggs, at room temperature (1/2 cup plus 1-1/2 tablespoons/5.3 ounces/150 grams)
Pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
Superfine sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/8 ounces/225 grams)

Special Equipment
One 10-cup fluted metal tube pan, coated with baking spray with flour

Preheat the Oven
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C (350°F/175°C if using a dark pan).

Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and then sift them together to make the mixture easier to incorporate.

Mix the Liquid Ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, whip the cream, starting on low speed, gradually raising the speed to medium-high as it thickens, until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla just until lightly combined. On medium-high speed, gradually beat the egg mixture into the whipped cream. The mixture will thicken into mayonnaise consistency (unless high-butterfat cream is used). Gradually beat in the sugar. It should take about 30 seconds to incorporate it. [Here's a slight change in how I now incorporate the flour thanks to both Marie Wolf and Hector Wong commenting on the difficulty with a rubber or silicone spatula] Detach the bowl and whisk beater from the stand.

Make the Batter
Add half the flour mixture to the cream mixture and, with the whisk attachment stir and fold in the flour until most of it disappears. Add the rest of the flour mixture and continue folding and mixing until all traces of flour have disappeared. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Run a small metal spatula or dull knife blade through the batter to prevent large air bubbles, avoiding the bottom of the pan. Smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.

Bake the Cake
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted between the tube and the side comes out completely clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.

Cool and Unmold the Cake
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With a small metal spatula, loosen the top edges of the cake and invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely. The cake requires no adornment, but I love to serve it with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a large dollop of lightly sweetened Whipped Cream (page 115).

Notes: Do not chill the bowl and beaters for the heavy cream because the eggs will not emulsify as readily if the whipped cream is too cold.

High-butterfat (40 percent) heavy cream produces a finer, more tender crumb. This cream is generally available only to bakeries and restaurants, but it is certainly worth asking your local baker to sell you a container.

Special Note: I'm sending this to Kate for Sugar High Friday #61!

Alexandra S
01/15/2012 09:37 PM

I have made today the Whipped Cream cake the first time. I had to cut the ingredients by 1/3 d/t poor planning my part. ...and i baked it in the daisy cake pan from nordicware ( i really wanted to try the pan out). The cake is amazon, fantastic, easy and gorgeous. I can see myself buying another one or two nordicwar pan and pairing the cake with some fresh strawberries etc.

i just had to share

Xueping Xu
11/04/2011 01:39 PM

Hi: Mrs.Rose
I like your The Bread Bible book.I made some bread
from your book, the bread came perfect.Thanks.
Now, I will try to make whipping cream cake from your
recipe.

woody in reply to comment from SL
09/05/2011 06:15 PM

Hi SL,
We suggest you make one with the 35% fat whipping cream. You can then compare the results. The batter will typically fill a bundt pan to about 1-1/2 inches/ 3.5 cm from the rim.

SL
09/05/2011 05:08 AM

Hi Rose and Woody (and anybody else who can answer my query).

I'm from Malaysia and we get our cream from Australia. They do sell a 45% milkfat cream here but it cannot be whipped according to the manufacturer:
http://www.bullafoodservice.com.au/images/stories/cream/4030PureCream200ml/4030-4031PureCreamRV3.pdf

(I have tried whipping it before and it becomes grainy).

So when I made the recipe, I whipped it slightly where it was billowy but definitely not at stiff peaks. When I added the eggs it mixed really well having the texture and consistency of mayonnaise. But after I put the sugar it became this weird grainy thing (I used superfine sugar) and it looked like it had split and did not emulsify properly. Wish I took a picture of it to properly explain the texture =/

Anyway, I'm wondering if this was due to something else? (Maybe I put in the sugar too fast?) or was it because I couldn't whip my cream?

The cake turned out good though! Although it was severely stunted in height (It only managed to fill half of my 10 cup bundt pan).

Would you recommend using this same cream or downgrading it to a cream at 35% fat but can be whipped?

Thanks!

Anand Venigalla
08/16/2011 12:57 PM

Hi Rose, I think I may have found pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized) 40% heavy cream that may be available to the consumer. It's Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream (Pasteurized).

Here is what the description read on the Organic Valley website:

Pasteurized, 16 oz
Dress up your desserts with the freshest, most heavenly organic whipping cream on earth. You'll be dazzled by its stellar performance in all of your favorite recipes! Our luscious organic cream is standardized to 40% butterfat.

Do you think that when they say, "It's standardized to 40% butterfat," is it really 40% in butterfat?

woody in reply to comment from Fran
08/01/2011 12:59 PM

Hi Fran,
None of Rose's recipes specify using Self Rising Flour. Cake flour generally does not contain baking powder unless specified. Rose has researched and worked out her recipes for using bleached all-purpose flour as and alternate to cake flour when specified. However bleached all-purpose flour will not give as tender a crumb as cake flour.

Fran
08/01/2011 12:11 PM

The recipe calls for two (2) teaspoons of baking powder. I thought cake flour contains baking powder already? I am surprised the same amount is used no matter if you used caked flour or all purpose flour?

woody in reply to comment from tammy
08/01/2011 11:58 AM

Hi Tammy,
Thank you for sending the pictures. The cake looks like you just did not bake it long enough. We give a 25 to 35 minute window for a baking time, which works for most ovens. The cake's crust does turn a deep golden brown.

You want to check your oven's temperature to make sure that a 375 degrees setting is 375 degrees temperature. All three ovens i have used over the last five years have been cooler from 5 to 10 degrees to any oven setting which I have to compensate with adjusting the oven to a higher temperature setting.

tammy
08/01/2011 01:31 AM

Hi Rose and Woody,
i love your recipe and i followed your steps and try to bake it. however the cake structure doesn't look quite right in the middle can you take a look at 2 sample imges of my cake in below url and please tell me what may have gone wrong. thank you so much. http://liaodesign.shutterfly.com/pictures/12
http://liaodesign.shutterfly.com/pictures/13

thanks tammy

rosebush
07/24/2011 07:23 PM

Made this cake for the first time today with fantastic results! It is so re-assuring to check the website for additional insight after reading the recipe.

Fortunately, Trader Joes's carries +40% cream pints at a very reasonable price.

hartwig in reply to comment from woody
07/09/2011 04:22 AM

thank you wooody,
and justs another question:
Does the cake work in a chocolate variation with cocoa powder inside?

woody in reply to comment from hartwig
07/09/2011 01:40 AM

Hi Hartwig,
We suggest serving any fruit as a compote or other side adornment as the cake is too fragile to support any fruit while baking.

hartwig
07/08/2011 05:35 PM

Hello, this cake is amazing, but does anybody knows if it can be baked with fruits like cherrys or blueberrys? If yes, do you mix them in the batter or do you put them on top before baking and they sink in?
Greetings from germany :-)

Catherine
05/08/2011 12:35 PM

For Mother's Day this year my treat was the time to make a cake, unmolested for once! I tried this one and even though SOMEONE played with the oven and turned off the timer it still tasted great. It was overdone but still moist and flavorful. Reminds me very much of a more finely textured version of my grandmother's pound cake. (3 sticks of butter, box of powdered sugar, 3 eggs, box of sifted flour, vanilla.)

woody in reply to comment from Kim
02/28/2011 05:16 PM

Hi Kim,
What are the dimensions of the pan?
You will beable to multiply all of the ingredients by a factor depending on the volume of the pan, except the leavening. It will be increasing.
Enjoy, Woody

Kim
02/28/2011 05:02 PM

Thank you Woody.
The height of the pan I am going to use is 2 inches.
I do not have Rose's cake bible.I have Rose's heavenly cakes.
I am a new baker,so I get a little comfused.I have seen a lot of cake recipes that just have to doble all ingredients including baking powder.What can happen if I doble all ingredients,including baking powder?
Sorry for all the questions.
Kim

woody in reply to comment from Kim
02/28/2011 03:54 PM

Hi Kim,
What is the height of the pan?
Both cakes can be converted to sheet cakes which you may want to look at the wedding cake section and page 384 on extra sheet cakes.
If you have Rose's Cake Bible, you should look at the wedding section which explains leavening increases on page 490.
Enjoy, Woody

Kim
02/28/2011 12:29 PM

Hi Rose,
I would like to make the southern coconut cake or the white chocolate cake(page 91)from Rose's heavenly cakes.It would be possible to bake the cakes on a half sheet?If yes,how much baking powder do I need?
Thank you very much.
Kim

woody in reply to comment from Ming
02/28/2011 01:11 AM

Hi Ming,
To answer your question we need some information.
What ingredients did you use?
Did you do anything different from the recipe's instructions?
Have you checked your oven for being accurate in temperatures? (as most ovens are off. I have had to make a chart for every oven I have used as they all have been lower in temperature than what the setting read.)
Baking time?
Any pictures?
We look forward to seeing what we can offer for advice.
Enjoy,Woody

Ming
02/26/2011 03:56 AM

Hi rose,

do you know why my whipped cream cake has a crumbly texture?

Thanks - i love your book ;)

Hector in reply to comment from Tiffany
11/16/2010 12:20 AM

Tiffany, I did so and was good. domes a little. same temp but much less time.

Tiffany
11/15/2010 10:25 PM

Hi Rose,

Is it possible to use this recipe for cupcakes instead? I want to make this for a party, and for serving purposes, it would be easier to dish these out if they're already in individual portions. Do I still bake them at 375F? And for how long?

Thank you in advance!

Rose Levy Beranbaum in reply to comment from zeke
10/18/2010 10:44 AM

i love making it--it's magical!

zeke
10/17/2010 03:55 PM

this cake was awesome!

lan
10/15/2010 04:00 PM

Thank you, Rose, for getting back to me. That was enlightening!

Rose Levy Beranbaum in reply to comment from lan
10/14/2010 05:49 PM

ian, the weight is always the same! cake flour is lighter than all purpose so you need to use a greater volume to equal the same weight.

lan
10/14/2010 05:48 PM

Thank you for your recipe.
The recipe calls for 8 ounces of flour. Is that for the all purpose ( 2 cups) or for the cake flour (2+1/4 cups)?

Thank you!

hector in reply to comment from Diana
08/09/2010 05:51 PM

Diana, my experience as cupcakes has been pretty good and tasty, but i have a feeling doming and cracked tops will be characteristic.

http://myyellowkitchen.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/whipped-04-cream-cake-page-29-%E2%80%93-mini-pandoro-siliconetake/

Diana
08/09/2010 05:31 PM

Will this recipe work well as cupcakes?

Thank you for your time in response,

Diana

Rose in reply to comment from Syb
04/11/2010 04:49 PM

syb, i just LOVE knowing that my recipes work in locations far from where i live! thanks so much for telling us.

Syb
04/11/2010 03:19 AM

Hey, this is from hong kong!
My family loves the whip cream cake. I've made 3 and never fail. I put raisin in once and still very nice!

Rose in reply to comment from soo young
03/31/2010 11:06 PM

soo young, thank you for having the courage to communicate in a language that doesn't come as easily as your own. you certainly understand the wonderful language of cakes and sweet baking connection!

soo young
03/29/2010 12:45 AM

hello~!!
Here is Korea. I'm Korean. (I'm poor at English..)
Ago 3 months, I bought your book "havenly cake".
I love that!!!!! (maybe fall in love..^^)

Yesterday, I baked "whipped cream cake".
good~ wonderful~~^&^

Today, I will bake "Whipped cream choco cake" for my co-worker'birthday.
Add the sweetened Whipped Cream~~.

Thank for your wonderful recipe.

hector in reply to comment from Kathleen
03/25/2010 04:48 PM

thx Kathleen. i would definitely do it as cupcakes if you don't mind the little crater, as i do adore my take:

Kathleen in reply to comment from Hector
03/25/2010 04:45 PM

Hector, I know we all make typos in our forum posts, but I love your use of the word "tune" instead of "tube". I picture you whistling a tune as you bake your cakes. A happy baker in a happy kitchen... :)

I agree with Hector -- this is one of the most tender cakes I have ever baked. A tube pan is most recommended.

Hector in reply to comment from Paula
03/25/2010 12:26 PM

Paula, this is a very tender cake and requires a center tune for support. I think the center will be sunken if baked on a layer pan. I've done cupcakes, and the logic is reverse, been tender and baked on a small and narrow pan, the centers bake heavilly domed like a crater.

Paula
03/25/2010 12:15 PM

Can this be used for cupcakes or layer cakes?

Jackie
03/16/2010 05:33 PM

This cake is wonderful!! Thanks so much!

hector in reply to comment from Susan
01/25/2010 05:02 PM

when i line every shelf with tiles is because i want to bake on each shelf many cakes at the same time, if i only need to use one shelf, i only line the most top shelf and the bottom shelf or oven floor.

i make sure the side spacing between pans and between pan and oven walls is at least 2", but the space above the pans and the tile lined shelf above can be as minimum as 1/2". when i am using each oven shelf, each shelf lined with tiles, i keep convection turned on. all the tiles seem to lower the strength of the air circulation just right so to not affect cake baking negatively with convection.

Susan in reply to comment from hector
01/25/2010 04:07 PM

Hector,
When you fully lined all the shelves did you leave some space on the sides to help air circulation? And I assume you place the cake pans directly on the tiles to cook the cake.

hector in reply to comment from Lola LB
01/25/2010 11:14 AM

Made le succes yesterday at friends house, spent 7 hours in great company with friends there. The first thing I did was turn on the oven and had to set the dial to 320oF instead of 350oF, glad I brought my little oven thermometer. I also lined many quarry tiles, indeed as many as 18 tiles, on every oven shelf. Cake baked beautifully even and at the exact time as indicated on the book. Was a bit of a workout carrying all those tiles though...

Oven was gas, and we preheated for 3 hours!

Lola LB
01/25/2010 06:35 AM

Yep . . . always check the oven temperature. Our stove is the standard housing developer "go cheap and get the cheapest electric stove possible" issue and temperature is always at least 15 degrees below where it should be. We always use the oven temperature.

Kathleen
01/24/2010 12:59 PM

To insure cake success, I'm using all the fail-safe tools:

Oven thermometer. I have a very good stove, a Bosch, but still verify the temperature setting with an additional thermometer.

Instant-read thermometer. This lets me know that all the ingredients are at the proper temp. Butter between 65-75 deg. F, all other ingreds. at cool room temp. I put ingreds. back in the fridge if they are too warm.

Digital kitchen scale. I weigh everything but salt, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla.

Fresh baking powder.

Maybe try it the next time in one pan? Using two smaller pans shouldn't make a difference, but it always helps to follow a recipe exactly.

This is such a great cake, that I hope you try it again. Good luck and let us know if you do.

hector in reply to comment from patbagg
01/24/2010 12:29 PM

Pls check oven temp and also cake temp with an instant read digital thermometer. Mines took the same time to bake as written on the book, longer or shorter usually means the oven is too cold or too hot respectivelly. You can't tell this cake is done by the color of the top crust because it tends to always be very pale. When overbaked, this cake tends to shrink.

patbagg
01/24/2010 12:11 PM

just had a spectacular failure with the whipped cream cake. i have checked and double checked the ingredients/method/oven temp (my usual gaggenau oven). i baked in 2 5c kugelhof pans (old faithfuls). they rose up nicely but never browned. finally after about 30 minutes, they collapsed. i let them bake an additional 10 or so min (hoping for a miracle). then i removed them from oven. still very pale. let rest for about 10 min then attempted tp remove from pans. one ok but very tender. the 2nd completely fell apart. delicious crumbs. does not taste raw. any ideas?

ButterYum
01/24/2010 12:34 AM

We really loved this cake! Served it on day 1 with a little raspberry puree and meyer lemon curd; day 2 with just a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar - both were excellent!

http://butteryum.blogspot.com/2010/01/whipped-cream-cake.html

Kathleen
01/23/2010 10:01 PM

Thanks, Hector. If it works just as well, I will continue using it instead of a balloon whisk. I like multi-tasking implements -- tools that do more jobs than they were built to do. Plus I have such a small kitchen, I hardly have room for anything else!

hector in reply to comment from Kathleen
01/23/2010 05:36 PM

As written on the book, using a spatula works. It is just easier if you use the mixer's whisk, detached, or a giant ballon whisk.

Using the mixer's whisk, detached, is recommended throught the book. Works just as good as a giant ballon whisk, but if you do this often, I am certain, you will go get one!

Kathleen
01/23/2010 05:11 PM

I have meant to ask before if the detached whisk would be a good substitute for a balloon whisk, which I do not own. After reading Hector's note, I think the answer is yes. Hector, do you agree that whenever a recipe calls for folding in flour with a balloon whisk, the detached standing mixer whisk would work just as well?

Phyllis in reply to comment from hector
01/23/2010 12:37 PM

And we wonder why Hector tells his kids...read the whole recipe "before" anything else! LOL

Phyllis in reply to comment from hector
01/23/2010 12:35 PM

Well, thanks Hector...a day late and a dollar short, though. I used a spatula and did observe the batter's resistance to smoothing out nicely. I'm off to check the book; how could I have missed this? Scary.

evilcakelady
01/22/2010 02:15 PM

Oh! I didn't even notice that, Hector. I saw the phrase "fold in" and immediately went for my favorite silicone spatula. Funny!

hector
01/22/2010 02:04 PM

do note that this recipe indicates using the mixer's whisk attachment, but NOT operated by the mixer. fold by hand with the whisk instead of a spatula. more on this later.

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Welcome to Real Baking with Rose, the personal blog of author Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Spend A Moment with Rose, in this video portrait by Ben Fink.

Heavenly Cake Bake Along

Hector's Take on Rose's Cakes

Whipped Cream Cake