Dessert: Vanilla-Buttermilk Wedding Cake With Raspberries and Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting

Recipe by Katherine Sacks Baking a wedding cake is not as crazy—or difficult—as it sounds! This stunning and delicious cake is designed to be as streamlined as possible. The moist buttermilk cake requires no trimming, the cream cheese frosting is much mo

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
6 cups cake flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, divided
5 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
12 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, divided
3 cups buttermilk, divided

Instructions

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350 °F. Lightly coat 10" cake pans with nonstick spray and line bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 4 egg yolks in 2 additions, scraping down bowl after each. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to low, then add dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with 1 cup buttermilk in 2 additions, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Using electric mixer on medium speed, beat 4 egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form, 2 –3 minutes. Slowly add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes more. Fold half of the egg whites into flour mixture, then gently fold in remaining egg whites.
Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake cake, rotating pan halfway through and covering with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking, until golden brown, firm to the touch, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 –50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool.
Meanwhile, repeat steps to make a second 10" cake.
Lightly coat 6" cake pans with nonstick spray and line bottoms with parchment paper. Repeat steps using remaining 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, 3/4 cup butter, 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 4 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1 cup buttermilk. Pour 1 1/2 cups batter into each pan; smooth tops. Discard remaining cake batter.
Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through and covering with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking, until golden brown, firm to the touch, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 –50 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool.