White Chocolate Cake from Dede Wilson's 'the Wedding Cake Book'

*Use a good quality imported white chocolate like Lindt white bar, Bakers or Merkens white This cake has received rave reviews by many expert cake decorators. (Note: remember, this is the recipe that is supposed to make two 6" layers, but they overflow the pans, so I use it to make two 8" cakes and the layers are about 1 1/2" high)

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• 8  ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (see step 3)
• 2  cups  unsifted cake flour
• 1  tablespoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4  ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs
• 2⁄3 cup  whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°-- I bake at 300° for 20 minutes then increase oven temp to 325° or you could use bake even strips.
2. Prepare pans with cooking spray and parchment.
3. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, stirring frequently-- remove from heat before chocolate is completely melted; stir until chocolate is melted and smooth-- cool to room temperature.
4. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.
5. Place the butter in the bowl of your mixer, and with the flat paddle, cream butter.
6. Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes-- scrape down the bowl once or twice and beat in the vanilla.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Scrape in the melted chocolate and beat until the batter is smooth.
9. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk in 3 separate batches.
10. Pour into prepared pans.
11. Bake about 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick tests clean or cake just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan-- do not overbake.