Holiday Spice Cake

1. Make sure to set the butter, sour cream, egg whites, whole milk, and water out ahead of time to make sure that they come to room temperature before using.
2. When it is time to start baking, add the white vinegar to the whole milk and let it sit for just a few minutes so that the milk can curdle a little bit.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Once the ingredients have come to room temperature, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together for about 3-4 minutes until it is very creamy and light in color. Don't skimp on the creaming time here! The creamier and lighter this mixture is, the lighter your cake will be. If it ends up looking a bit split, don't worry, it will still bake up well.
5. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined.
6. Add half of the egg whites and mix until completely combined.
7. Add the other half of the egg whites and mix until completely combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that every bit is getting mixed in.
8. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate medium-sized bowl.
9. Then, combine the water with the milk mixture.
10. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl. Then add the milk/water mixture to the mixing bowl. Finally, add the rest of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Combine until well incorporated but do not overmix or you may lose all the air you have worked so hard to incorporate.
11. Prepare two 8 inch cake pans by coating well with coconut oil or Crisco. You can do this by dipping a paper towel into the container and rubbing it thoroughly inside the pan from top to bottom. (See note *)
12. Pour the cake batter evenly into the pans.
13. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with only a couple of moist crumbs sticking to them. You don't want them to come out completely clean or the cake may be too dry.

* Note:  If you want to make extra sure that the cake comes out in one piece, you can cut out a round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. You can turn the pan over, lay the parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and trace a circle using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Cut this out and place it on the inside of the pan on top of the oiled surface.

Pecan Pie Filling

1. While the cakes are cooking, combine all ingredients for the pecan pie filling, except for the pecans into a medium saucepan. Whisk well to combine.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, take the pan off the stove, and set aside.
3. Mix in the chopped pecans and put the mixture into the refrigerator to cool and set.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Find recipe here: https://glutenfreed.recipes/swiss-meringue-buttercream/

• When the cake is baked and fully cooled, divide each cake into two four layers. Line each layer with a ring of buttercream and fill with the pecan pie layer. Repeat this with each later, except for the top layer (if adding buttercream on top). Cover the rest of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Serve immediately or put in the refrigerator for later.