Christie C. I couldn’t share a vanilla cupcake recipe and not share a vanilla cake recipe! Just like the cupcakes, this vanilla cake is delicate, moist, enriched with pure vanilla flavor, and compatible with ANY icing! This cake uses egg whites and loads of butter to enhance the flavor and texture of the cake. Plenty of vanilla extract is added for full, robust flavor.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to bake and decorate
- 10 ingredients or less
- Super delicate white cake
- Super moist texture
- Goes well with ANY icing
It can be difficult finding a moist, buttery vanilla cake recipe that isn’t dense or bland. What makes this one different? It’s butter-based cake that uses egg whites and cake flour, a low gluten and low protein flour that promises light, fluffy, and delicate cake.
If there is one ingredient you cannot substitute, it’s cake flour. If you can’t find cake flour, you can use all-purpose of pastry flour, but the texture won’t be nearly as soft and may result in a dense, bread-like cake.
I’ve made this cake so many times with varying decorations.
This cake tastes best when paired with Swiss Meringue Buttercream or Vanilla Buttercream. Swiss meringue buttercream is a little more work, but this icing is super airy, silky, not too sweet, and reminiscent of vanilla ice cream. Yum!
If time is of short supply, there’s no shame in using store bought buttercream! Some grocery stores such as Whole Foods and Publix sell their store-brand buttercream to customers. Otherwise, you can go with the household name brands such as Duncan Hines, Wilton, or Satin Ice. Organic brands include Miss Jones and Simple Mills.
As for what sprinkles to use, I personally love sprinkles from Sprinkle Pop or India Tree. I kept this cake simple with a layer of buttercream.
MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS
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TOOLS
Two 9″ aluminum cake pans
Silicone spatula
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Large, medium, and small mixing bowls
Optional: assorted piping tips and piping bags
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 3 (180g) extra large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (320ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla extract
- 4 cups (450g) cake flour, sifted
- 4 cups (450g) cane sugar
- 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp (26g) baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 24 ounces vanilla buttercream, homemade or store bought
- simple syrup, for brushing
- optional: sprinkles
Instructions
Make the cake
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Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, and the vanilla extract.
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In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 30 to 60 seconds.
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While the mixer is still running, add the egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients and butter a third at a time, 20 seconds at a time.
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When fully incorporated, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, and mix again on high speed for 40 seconds to aerate the batter.
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Line the bottoms of two 9 inch by 2 inch pans with parchment paper and spray the bottoms and sides with nonstick cooking spray.
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Divide the batter equally between each pan and smooth out the tops with a spatula.
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Bake the cakes in the middle of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick runs clean when probed into the middle of the cakes.
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Brush a thin layer of golden syrup, simple syrup or honey over the cake and allow the cake to cool completely before serving or frosting.
Decorate the cake
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Once the cake has cooled completely, place the cake in the freezer for 20 minutes. After the cake has chilled, torte the cake by cutting each later in half to create a total of four layers. If the cake has developed a “dome,” simply cut the excess away with a serrated knife to create a flat surface.
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Ice each cake layer with Swiss Meringue Buttercream, or your choice of buttercream, with a cake spatula. After each layer has been stacked, ice the cake completely using a spatula and cake scraper.
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Alternatively, if you do not have the tools, ice the cake with a spatula or butter knife. Place your choice of sprinkles over the top of the cake.
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