Buttermilk Waffle Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate between adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter.
6. Coat two 8 inch cake pans with cooking spray or butter and flour and evenly divide the batter into the pans, setting aside ½ cup of batter for the waffle topping.
7. Bake for 34-36 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool for 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack before gently running a knife along the edge of each pan, topping the cake with another cooling rack and turning each cake out. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

Waffle Topping

1. While the cakes bake, carefully pour ½ cup of batter onto a waffle maker that is lightly coated with cooking spray and cook as directed.
2. Divide waffle into 4 sections and set aside.

Maple Buttercream

1. Stir together egg whites and sugar in a double boiler. Continue to stir occasionally until mixture reaches 160º F on a candy thermometer.
2. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix with the whisk attachment on high for 8-10 minutes, until somewhat stiff peaks have formed.
3. Switch out the whisk for the paddle attachment and slowly add in pieces of butter on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add in maple syrup and mix until smooth.

Assembly

1. Once your cake layers have cooled, carefully cut the tops off with a serrated knife so that each layer is level.
2. Place one layer, top side down, on a cake board and spread with frosting. Repeat this step with the next layer.
3. Apply a crumb coat, or a thin layer of frosting, around the cake and chill for 20-25 minutes.
4. Place a piping tip into a pastry bag and fill it with the remaining buttercream.
5. Pipe four swirls onto the top of the cake and place a waffle slice in each swirl. Enjoy!