Two of my three children want that exact cookie (cake) for their birthdays! Now I can make it. Thanks. Yours looks terrific by the way.

I have made this white cake for years.....but not FOR years if you get what I mean....what I mean was that it was an old favorite when I baked birthday cakes more often. ICE CREAM CAKE 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup butter 2 cups sifted flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1 cup sifted cornstarch 1 cup milk 1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract 5 stiffly beaten egg whites Cream sugar and butter together. Sift the flour, baking powder and cornstarch together. Alternate adding these to creamed mixture along with milk. Beat until very smooth. Add vanilla and then fold in egg whites that have been beaten until stiff. Bake in 2 greased and floured 8" round cake pans for 25 to 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Frost with Boiled White Icing. Or....since he specifically asked for "vanilla cake, I might fill with a vanilla pastry cream and then top with that frosting where you mix egg whites, sugar and syrup in a double boiler and cook beating all the while until it's thick and holds it's shape Here's what I have for a flourless chocolate cake.....came from this forum many years ago... It is kind of like a cake textured hot fudge sauce served in slices. VERY rich - so cut in thin slices. Killer Chocolate Torte 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks) cut into 1/2 in. pieces 1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons espresso powder 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (NOT unsweetened or semisweet) 6 large eggs at room temperature 6 large egg yolks at room temperature powdered sugar for garnish whipped cream (optional) Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan with 2 3/4 inch sides. cut parchment or wax paper to fit sides, and, and a circular piece to fit in the bottom of the greased pan. Smooth paper against inner surfaces. Melt 2 cups butter with the sugar and espresso powder in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add chocolate and stir until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk the eggs and additional yolks in a large bowl until frothy. CAREFULLY fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and place on a heavy baking sheet. Bake in the preheated 325 degree oven until the edges puff and crack slightly but the center is not quite set. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. to remove from pan, dip a sharp thin knife in hot water and run it around the sides of the pan to loosen the torte. Carefully release and remove the pan sides and the parchment. It will have cracks in it, but this is normal. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar (if desired) and cut into very thin slices with a sharp knife dipped into hot water, taking care to wipe the knife after each cut. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Many servings.

Ann, DH is one of those people who sometimes say they hate something that they have never tried. He really wants to lose weight, but he really likes his snacks. And usually more than one or two in an evening. So I have tried some unusual combinations of things and as long as I don't tell him what's in it before he tastes it, he gives it a fair shake. One of his favorites is sugar-free fat-free vanilla pudding with sliced bananas and cous cous (which he thought was tapioca). I don't lie to him, I just don't disclose everything before the tasting. He also hates eggplant, but he loves my eggplant pizza. I slice the eggplant, brush it with olive oil and broil it (both sides, then add marinara sauce, low-fat pepperoni, fat-free cheese, then bake until the cheese "sort of" melts. There have been several things that DH thought he didn't like - until I found the right venue for that particular item. He now eats tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and vinegar and summer squash several different ways, both items he "hated". As for the garbanzo bean cake, it worked well with the Splenda, but I think next time I will increase it to 1 cup. I didn't take into account the extra sweetness the chocolate chips would have added. The cocoa and applesauce also worked well. I served it with fat-free Cool Whip. DH said it was "okay". I'll keep tweaking it until it satisfies me. This is in no way a reflection on the original recipe, I just have to adjust it to fit our needs.

The instructions do NOT say beat the egg whites first, therefore my understanding is that you add them with a whisk along with the whole egg. The "folding" instructions for the remaining ingredients may make you think they need whipping first, but that's not indicated in the instructions. I do see how that could be confusing. Let us know how they turn out ;-). BTW, sometimes it's easier to purchase a small carton of liquid egg whites (Aldi has an inexpensive brand) than it is to separate a number of eggs and then try to figure out how to use the yolks (make gluten-free noodles comes to mind, however). I keep a group of g-f recipes that use a number of egg whites so I can use a carton of egg whites quickly after opening it. -Grainlady