Yellow Butter Cake with Vanilla Meringue Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, line bottoms of 2 (9-inch) cake pans with parchment paper; coat pans lightly with cooking spray. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Weigh or lightly spoon potato starch into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, potato starch, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.

Place 1 3/4 cups sugar and 10 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine milk and half-and-half. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in bourbon and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans 25 minutes on wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/4 water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, without stirring, or until candy thermometer registers 250°. Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and dash of salt in a large bowl. Using clean, dry beaters, beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg white mixture, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; continue beating until egg white mixture cools (about 12 minutes). Beat 1/4 cup butter until light and fluffy; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Fold in 1 cup egg white mixture. Fold butter mixture into remaining egg white mixture, stirring until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Buttery Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Meringue Frosting: Lightly coat 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffins cups; bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Cut frosting recipe in half, using 3 egg whites and omitting butter and vanilla. Fold 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa into cooled meringue mixture, and top each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons frosting. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa evenly over cupcakes, if desired. Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 cupcake).

CALORIES 177 (31% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 3.6g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.6g; CARB 27.8g; FIBER 0.5g; CHOL 41mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 148mg; CALC 40mg