Description
This Classic Vanilla Cake recipe delivers a moist, fluffy, and tender cake perfect for any celebration or everyday treat. It features a light vanilla sponge layered with a smooth and creamy vanilla buttercream frosting, boasting rich buttery flavors balanced with a subtle vanilla aroma. Perfectly portioned for two 8-inch round cake pans, this cake is easy to bake from scratch with simple, staple ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter Ingredients
- 2 cups plain / all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs (50-55g / 2 oz each), at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups caster / superfine sugar (granulated sugar can be used)
- 115g / 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2” cubes
- 1 cup full fat milk
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 225g / 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 500g / 1 lb soft icing sugar / powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 – 4 tablespoons milk, to adjust thickness
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan for 20 minutes before starting. Place an oven shelf in the middle.
- Prepare Cake Pans: Grease two 20cm (8-inch) cake pans with butter and line them with parchment paper. Using pans without loose bases is preferred for easier handling.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Beat Eggs: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs on speed 6 for 30 seconds until aerated.
- Add Sugar Slowly: While beating on speed 6, gradually pour in the sugar over 45 seconds. Then increase speed to 8 and continue beating for about 7 minutes until the mixture triples in volume and is pale white and fluffy.
- Heat Milk and Butter: While eggs are beating, melt the butter and milk together by microwaving for 2 minutes on high or warming on the stove until butter is just melted.
- Add Flour in Stages: Scatter one-third of the flour mixture onto the whipped eggs and beat briefly on speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half of the remaining flour and beat on speed 1 for 5 seconds. Finally, incorporate the remaining flour, beating just 5-10 seconds until flour is fully combined but not overmixed.
- Mix Milk, Vanilla, and Oil: Pour the hot milk and melted butter mixture, vanilla extract, and oil into the now empty flour bowl and stir together until smooth.
- Lighten Milk Mixture: Add about 1.5 cups (2 ladles) of the whipped egg batter into the milk mixture, whisking vigorously until the mixture looks foamy and combined.
- Combine All Batter: Turn the mixer back on to speed 1 and slowly pour the milk mixture into the whipped eggs over 15 seconds. Turn off mixer and scrape down the bowl.
- Final Mix: Beat again on speed 1 for 10 seconds. The cake batter should be smooth and pourable but not runny.
- Prepare for Baking: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Tap each pan gently on the counter three times to remove large air bubbles.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. For layer cakes, cool upside down to flatten the dome for neat layers.
- Make Vanilla Buttercream: Beat softened butter with a paddle attachment on high for 3 minutes until it turns from yellow to almost white and becomes fluffy.
- Add Icing Sugar: Gradually add sifted icing sugar in three batches, starting on low speed to prevent a sugar cloud, then beat on high for 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Finish Frosting: Mix in vanilla extract and add milk a tablespoon at a time to achieve a soft but pipeable consistency. Beat for another 30 seconds. Use immediately or refrigerate and rewhip before use.
- Assemble and Frost: Once cakes are fully cooled, frost the cake layers with the vanilla buttercream or decorate with cream, fresh berries, or jam as desired.
Notes
- Note 1: Cake flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour for a lighter texture.
- Note 2: Superfine (caster) sugar dissolves better; granulated sugar can be used if caster sugar is unavailable.
- Note 3: Room temperature eggs whip better, leading to a lighter cake.
- Note 5: Full-fat milk combined with butter adds richness; heating helps incorporate smoothly.
- Note 6: Use the best quality vanilla extract available for maximum flavor.
- Note 7: Vegetable or canola oil increases moisture and tenderness without overpowering flavor.
- Note 8: Preheating oven fully ensures even baking.
- Note 9: If you don’t have 8-inch pans, 9-inch pans or even 7-inch pans can be used adjusting baking time slightly.
- Note 10: Tapping the pans removes large air bubbles preventing large holes in the final cake.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / Classic
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of the cake)
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: classic vanilla cake, homemade vanilla cake recipe, vanilla buttercream cake, easy vanilla cake, layered vanilla cake, birthday cake, party cake
