On Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 11:48:39 AM UTC-7, wrote:
> And here's someone who apparently didn't have much better results (I'm pretty sure I DID use an electric beater, not that that would have made it worse)
>
> http://thehairpin.com/2014/02/winter...birthday-cake/

That blog post contains the actual recipe. You are supposed to cream the butter with sugar and fold in a mixture of the dry ingredients, alternatively with the beaten egg whites. That's a pretty common way to make cakes.

The blog writers probably didn't separate the eggs properly because their whites didn't ever get stiff.

On Top Chef they've used whipping eggs whites by hand as a competition. I think they did a dozen eggs: separate, whip by hand, hold the bowl upside down over your head as proof that it worked. It doesn't take that long.