Classic Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting

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The classic cake that is the perfect treat to celebrate any and every occasion…Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting! It’s just like the cake you know and love, but now made even better. Two light, fluffy, and oh-so tender cake layers infused with sweet vanilla, and frosted with the silkiest homemade vanilla buttercream. Every bite is perfectly sweet, full of vanilla flavor, and truly melt-in-your-mouth delicious! It’s the perfect cake to bake for birthday’s, parties, holiday’s, or just whenever you need a sweet, but oh-so delicious cake. Bonus? It’s so much easier to make than you might think and truly a crowd pleaser!

About The Recipe

Sometimes, all you need is just a big slice of vanilla cake to celebrate the weekend. At least, that’s what we believe! And when my mom and I realized that we haven’t shared a basic (but delicious) vanilla cake, we knew we needed to fix that ASAP.

So, what better way to welcome in the weekend, amirite?

This cake is no ordinary vanilla cake, though. This cake is better than any bought cake you can get (sorry, not sorry!).

When developing this recipe, we wanted to create a cake that would rival all the rest. We wanted something tender, fluffy, moist, not too sweet, but full of vanilla flavor. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you.

My mom and I have never made so many vanilla cakes! From adjusting ratios, ingredients, bake times, and pans the cake was cooked in. We did it ALL so you could have the best ever vanilla cake!

We finally arrived at, what we believe to be, the most delicious vanilla cake.

The best part? This cake is a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

Every bite is sweet without being too sweet, tender, fluffy, perfectly moist, with just right amount of rich buttercream frosting.

It will always leave you wanting more!

Reasons You Will Love This Vanilla Cake

• A classic, but oh-so delicious.
• Only two layers for easy assembly!
• Full of vanilla flavor.
• Two extra thick layers of cake.
• Frosted with the easiest and silkiest vanilla buttercream.
• The perfect cake for celebration’s, birthday’s, holiday’s, or just to have a sweet bite whenever you’re craving a delicious cake!

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Stand Mixer
• 8 Inch Cake Pans
• Cooling Rack
• Offset Spatula

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Cake:

• Cake Flour – For the perfect structure and texture, we opted to use the cake flour to make this vanilla cake a little extra special and even more delicious!
• Baking Powder – Leavening is essential for baking, as this is what creates the light and fluff texture you know and love.
• Salt – A dash of salt enhances the flavor of this cake, while cutting the sweetness just a little bit.
• Unsalted Butter – We opted to use unsalted butter for this cake so we could control the amount of salt in the recipe!
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness, without being too much.
• Large Eggs – This cake uses 4 large eggs plus one egg white to create the ultimate structure in this cake.
• Whole Milk – Using whole fat milk makes this cake incredibly tender!
• Vanilla Extract – This is what gives this cake all of it’s flavor! Be sure to use a high quality vanilla for the ultimate flavor.

For The Frosting:

• Salted Butter – Remember to set the butter out ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar – For the smoothest buttercream, sift your powdered sugar!
• Heavy Cream – A splash of heavy cream loosens the frosting to make it spreadable, but also keeps it light and fluffy.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds flavor to the frosting.

How To Make A Vanilla Cake

Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare batter

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 1-2 minutes.

Add in eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Stir in vanilla.

Step 3: Bake

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Allow to cool in pans.

Turn out onto cooling rack. Level layers, if needed.

Step 4: Make frosting

Beat butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until completely mixed.

Add cream and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

Step 5: Assemble

Place one layer of cake on cake plate. Spread about ½ of frosting on top.

Top with second layer. Frost entire cake.

Decorate as desired.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

For this recipe, cake flour is a necessity! Though, if you don’t have cake flour, don’t fret. You can actually make your own by measuring out 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Then, remove 4 Tablespoons. Add in 4 Tablespoons of corn starch and whisk until well combined. Voilà! Homemade cake flour.

How can I elevate the flavor of this cake?

I get it. Vanilla cake can sound pretty basic…but trust me, when you get a slice of good vanilla cake, that will TOTALLY change your mind! But there are a few things you can do to really enhance the flavor of this cake. The first thing you can do is use a high quality vanilla extract! Another thing you can do, if you have access to it, is use vanilla sugar instead of granulated sugar.

Can I use a different frosting?

Of COURSE! I highly recommend using a different flavor of frosting, too. From chocolate buttercream to strawberry buttercream. You can really do almost anything!

Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?

Definitely! All you need to do is line a muffin pan with cupcake papers and fill each paper about ¾ full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes test done!

Why is my cake dry/crumbly?

Dryness can be a common issue with baking cakes. It’s either a result of over-mixing or over-baking! Though, keep in mind that under-mixing and under-baking can be equally as bad. So, be sure to follow the directions in the recipe card below (and make sure your oven is at the right temperature!) for the best results in this cake!

How To Achieve The Perfect Buttercream

There are are a few things you can do to make sure you get the creamiest, silkiest buttercream every single time!

The first is making sure your butter is room temperature. This is super important! Another is sifting your powdered sugar. Lumps of powdered sugar = lumpy buttercream!

Lastly, if you feel your buttercream is too thick, you can add a splash (1/2 – 1 Tablespoon) of whole milk or heavy cream. This will help loosen it a little.

Decorating Ideas

With a vanilla cupcake, the possibilities are pretty much limitless when it comes to decorating! If you need some inspiration, here are a few of our favorite ways to decorate these delicious cupcakes.

• Sprinkles of any kind! From rainbow, holiday themed, and everything in-between. Sprinkles always add a cute and fun decorative element to any cake!
• Use a different frosting like our Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
• Speaking of chocolate, you can use mini chocolate chips or chocolate curls on top of this cake.
• A drizzle of salted caramel sauce or even chocolate sauce would add a delicious and gorgeous element!
• Feel free to color the frosting with food coloring to add a fun pop of color!
• Use edible flowers, especially during the spring and summer.
• Pipe shapes or patterns onto this cake. Flowers, animals, anything holiday-themed!

How To Store

If you have cake leftover, you can store this cake in a cake plate at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate it for up to a week! You can also freeze this cake whole or as individual slices for up to 2-3 months!

Substitutions

• If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own! Measure out 2 cups of all purpose flour and place in a glass bowl. Remove 4 Tablespoons and then add 4 Tablespoons of corn starch. Whisk until well combined.
• No unsalted butter? No worries! You can use salted butter in this recipe, just be sure to omit the salt.
• This recipe can be made vegan by using a plant-based milk, your favorite plant-based butter, and aquafaba. For the frosting, use your favorite vegan butter and plant-based milk.

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like:

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

The Ultimate Chocolate Layer Cake

Vanilla Rose Layer Cake

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Oreo Cake with Oreo Frosting

Expert Tips

• Set your eggs, butter, and milk out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Check your baking powder to make sure it’s still in-date.
• Remember to preheat your oven!
• Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl OFTEN! This is super important to make sure the butter is fully incorporated.
• Be careful to not over-mix your batter.
• If you’re unsure the cakes are baked, you can use a cake tester or tooth pick. If it comes clean, the cake is baked through!
• Let the cake cool COMPLETELY before frosting it.

When you make these Classic Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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