If you’ve just taken the first steps in your cake-making journey, we highly recommend starting with the classic vanilla cake — probably the most universally loved cake. If you can master creating the soft, butteriness of this cake, you will be well on your way to becoming an expert cake baker.
The good thing about vanilla cake is how versatile it is. It serves as a neutral base that can be paired with a variety of frostings and fillings. It can also be transformed into cupcakes and bundt cakes and easily served on a variety of occasions — from casual family gatherings to weddings.
Ready to try your hand at creating this baked dessert classic? Here’s a recipe for you; probably the only one you’ll need.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 433 gm cake flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 340 gm unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 400 gm granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 360 ml buttermilk (room temperature)
For the vanilla buttercream:
- 340 gm unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 540 gm confectioner’s sugar
- 80 ml whole milk
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 177°C.
- Grease three 9-inch cake pans. Line them with greased parchment paper rounds.
To make the cake:
- In a bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk well.
- In a mixer, beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes until you arrive at a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Add eggs, egg whites and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat for about 2 minutes till it is well combined.
- Add the cake flour mixture to this and mix.
- While the mixer is still running, add buttermilk until the batter turns slightly thick.
- Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans. Bake for around 23-26 minutes. Poke a toothpick into the cake to check if it’s done.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely before adding the frosting and assembling it.
To make the frosting:
- In a large bowl, add butter. Using a handheld mixer, beat it for about 2 minutes till you achieve a creamy consistency.
- To this, add confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, milk and salt and continue beating until the texture resembles frosting. In case the frosting is too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar; if it’s too thin, add more milk; if it’s too sweet, add an extra pinch of salt.
If you are keen on getting your frosting techniques right, here are a few hacks you can follow. And if you are interested in experimenting with other kinds of frosting, you have to read this.
Assembling and decorating:
- With a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the baked cakes.
- Generously spread frosting over one layer of cake. Place the second layer on top of it and cover with frosting too. Repeat the process with the third layer of cake. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour.
- Your vanilla cake is ready to be sliced.
If you’re planning to serve this cake for a get-together or a birthday party, the good news is that you can make it well ahead of time — the frosted or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2-3 months! Just make sure to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before assembling and decorating it. In the refrigerator, the finished cake can last for up to 5 days.
Talking about decorations, you can also turn this baked dessert into a version that incorporates the colorfulness of sprinkles. All you need to do is fold 135 gm sprinkles into the cake batter. You can also use different berries to inject a fruity freshness — the berries also add a vivid contrast against the pale white of the vanilla buttercream frosting. Alternatively, you can try these decoration ideas too.