A Vanilla Cake that looks so pristine, as pure as the driven snow, you may actually forgo eating it just so you can continue to admire its frosted perfection.
Let me take you back to a dinner I made years and years ago. Back then, in the “pre-BB” era, as I call it, I was still learning my way around a kitchen. I was developing my skills slowly but steadily (yes, you could say my skills were a roux). Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for my ego to get bigger than my recipe book. And on this particular occasion, I paid the price. I won’t go into detail because, as a food blogger, it’s embarrassing, but suffice it to say, I had ruined dinner. I got cocky. I spent more time tending to conversations than the food in the oven. My friends, being my friends, shrugged it off, but I was disappointed in myself.
Luckily, I had a white knight save the day. Or should I say, a vanilla knight. Yes, it was this very recipe. Like most fledgling cooks, I developed my skills by working on the best part of a meal: the dessert. So while my dinner game was lacking, my cake game was on point. Confidently, I carried out my vanilla cake and set it down in the middle of the table. Nobody budged. They just gawked and took pics. Eventually, I cut into the cake. My concerns the interior wouldn’t match the brilliance of the exterior proved unnecessary. It was a success, and singlehandedly saved my soiree.
The lesson? Learn this recipe and finish strong.
Can I use cream instead of milk for this cake?
If you’ve taken a peek at the recipe, you’ll notice milk appears twice, once as part of the batter and once as part of the frosting. Were you to replace it in the batter with cream, you would end up with a denser, richer (and yes, creamier) texture. It would also require a slightly longer baking time, thanks to the increased fat content impeding the evaporation of moisture. So be mindful of this when setting and forgetting your cake in the oven. That said, you can replace the 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of cream, no need adjusting the amount. Oh, and don’t worry if it turns a deeper golden hue on the outside. That’s normal when caramelizing the increased fat and sugar. As for the frosting, you can replace the 2–4 tablespoons of milk with the same amount of cream. It will make the frosting all velvet-like. The only heads-up I can give is that you may need to adjust the amount of sugar to get the consistency right.
Ingredients
The Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
The Frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-4 tbsp milk (as needed)
How to Make Vanilla Cake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
Step 2: Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy.
Step 4: Melt the butter in the milk and add to the egg mixture along with the vanilla extract and oil.
Step 5: Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just mixed.
Step 6: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Step 7: Bake for about 30 minutes.
Step 8: Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 9: For the frosting, beat the softened butter until creamy, then gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, adding milk as needed for desired consistency.
Step 10: Frost the cooled cake layers and serve.
FAQs & Tips
The unfrosted pieces of cake can be wrapped in plastic (I recommend two layers to keep them from drying out) and stored in the fridge for up to three days. In fact, I recommend baking them a day before frosting them, as this will firm up the batter and keep the crumbs to a minimum (you don’t want them getting into your frosting, you see). You can also freeze the unfrosted cake for up to three months. If you’ve frosted the cake, then store it in an airtight container or under a cake cover at room temperature for 2–3 days. You can also freeze a frosted cake. Just put it in the freezer uncovered for an hour to firm up the frosting. Take it out and wrap it up then return it to the freezer. It should last for about two months.
Pull the classic toothpick trick (actually, I guess it really isn’t a trick, per se). Whatever it is, insert a toothpick into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is good to go. If it comes out wet, let the cake bake for a bit longer.
As this is a butter-based frosting, you don’t typically need to let it sit or chill. It’s more important you use the right amount of milk to get the consistency right. If your kitchen is a bit hot and your frosting runny, you can chill it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to firm it up.
A well does two things: it grants you more control over mixing when doing so by hand, and it prevents the batter from clinging to the side of the bowl. You may be able to discern a bit of parchment paper in my pics; that’s what I use to prevent the sticking. As for the control, if you’re indeed mixing by hand, then a well might help. But if you are using a blender of some sort, it won’t really make a difference.
Nope. Vanilla extract is made with real vanilla. It’s more pure and therefore, stronger. (It’s also more expensive for this reason.) Vanilla essence is synthetic. It’s made to taste like vanilla and sometimes, doesn’t even contain actual vanilla. The flavor is also diluted, so while you can use it, you may find you need to use more.
Serving Suggestions
Because I just love how pure and white this cake is, I have trouble suggesting what to put atop it. As you can tell by the photos, I did manage to bring myself to sprinkle, er… sprinkles over it (I served it at a friend’s birthday, you see). But I suppose you can add whichever topping you like, be it berries, chocolate shavings, or buttercream flowers. You can also add any number of flavors to the batter (this is vanilla cake, after all, so you probably don’t need to worry about clashes). Lemon or orange zest; warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom; brewed coffee or espresso; liqueurs; nuts and seeds… seriously, the options are almost limitless.
Vanilla Cake Recipe
Ingredients
The Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
The Frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 lb. powdered sugar sifted
- 2-4 tbsp milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy.
- Melt the butter in the milk and add to the egg mixture along with the vanilla extract and oil.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just mixed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the softened butter until creamy, then gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, adding milk as needed for desired consistency.
- Frost the cooled cake layers and serve.
