Moist and fluffy, this simple cake recipe is perfect for special occasions, with buttery icing that isn’t too sweet.
Ah, vanilla cake. The popular girl of all the cakes. But, she is also not the easiest to master. Any over or under mixing could ruin your cake. Sometimes it’s the difference between using bleached or unbleached flour (you should be using bleached). If you don’t use fresh flour, it will taste like cornbread. She is a picky gal, and rightfully so. She’s at all the birthday parties, weddings, and the holiday parties. Vanilla cake has such a simple, bare bones taste that any hiccups will be evident in the flavor. Once you learn the basics, you can easily master this recipe and be the talk of the party with your homemade vanilla cake with buttercream icing. I’ll tell you all the trade secrets I’ve learned about baking a wonderful, flavorful, and decadent vanilla cake.
What’s in Homemade Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Icing?
The ingredients are simple and the list is only 7 items:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Butter
- Milk
- Baking Powder
The ingredients should be fresh, don’t use that flour that’s been sitting in your cupboard since last Christmas, like I just did. If you don’t use fresh flour, your cake will taste like cornbread. If your baking powder is expired, the cake won’t rise enough. Because vanilla cake is such a simple recipe, if you aren’t adding any extra flavors or fillings, each ingredient will be more pronounced, so quality ingredients are paramount to making your homemade vanilla cake with buttercream icing one to remember.
Tips and Tricks
- Use fresh ingredients
- If you are using ingredients that aren’t fresh or if it isn’t stored properly, you will taste it. Make sure you store the flour in an airtight container by itself. The same goes for the butter, it will absorb the flavor of whatever is next to it. If you’re using eggs that are a couple weeks old, you can taste it.
- Use room temperature ingredients
- Eggs, milk, butter and other ingredients should be room temperature to emulsify. We are looking for the perfect cake crumb; soft and tender yet structured. If you use cold milk the butter will seize. We want everyone to play nice and get along. All ingredients need to be room temp to combine well. This means microwaving your milk for a few seconds, and letting your eggs rest in hot tap water for 5 minutes.
- Grease your pan
- The pan should be well greased and floured in order for your cake to come out in one piece. Use butter or crisco to coat the pan (I smear it on with a paper towel), then add a bit of flour and shake it all around so it sticks to the fat. You can also use cooking spray if you are into that sort of thing, but I don’t like adding any artificial ingredients to my food.
- Pull it out of the oven as soon as it is done baking
- I prefer a moist cake (really, who doesn’t?) So I always check it a couple minutes early by using the toothpick method or GENTLY tapping the top with my finger. If you stick a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Freeze it
- Once your cake is done, let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes then pop them in the freezer until you are ready to ice them. I learned this from working at a bakery. When you freeze the cake, it locks in the moisture. It is also 1000 times easier to slap icing on a cake when it is frozen. It prevent crumbling while you are moving the icing around on the cake. Best tip ever.
- Level the cake
- If you are making layer cake like in this recipe, you need to cut the top off. I’m sure there is a special knife for this step, but I just use a serrated bread knife because it is long enough. You want to cut right across the top where the hump is and gently saw it off. Don’t worry too much if it isn’t perfectly level, you can make that up with icing. Now you can snack on your delicious dessert while you wait for the big event. Plus, you can serve your kids some so they don’t have to wait either!
- Ice your cake upside-down
- Since you just cut the tops off of your cakes, you’re exposed the inside and its going to be a bit crumby. You have less of a chance for the cake to crumble during the icing stage if you are icing the un-cut bottom, plus it is probably more level than the top.
- Be generous with the buttercream icing
- This is important for a smooth texture and to avoid crumbs in your buttercream icing. Some people do a crumb coat first, which is a thin layer of icing on the whole cake, then re-icing it with a thicker layer. I find this redundant and more likely to crumble the cake, which is hard to come back from. The best method I’ve found by working with many professionals, is to put a big glob of icing on the top and then spread it around the edges so it is pretty much drooping down the sides. Then bring it down the sides and add more buttercream icing as needed. You don’t want it to get thin at any point, because once it does, that cake will crumble. When in doubt, add more icing. If you do start to crumble the cake, take your time, and add more buttercream icing.
Homemade Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Icing Recipe
Vanilla Cake Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, at room temperature
Buttercream Icing Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, in 3 intervals, mixing just until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then place them in a freezer to lock in the moisture.
- While the cakes freeze, make the buttercream icing.
Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the milk or cream, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Beat well after each addition.
- Continue beating the icing for an additional 2-3 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
- At this stage you can add food coloring if you want something other than white.
- Once your cake is cooled and ready, spread a generous amount of buttercream icing between the layers and on top of the cake.
- Decorate the cake as desired. I use fresh flowers from the garden and it just takes it up a whole level. We remove them before slicing and eating.
Now you have a delicious homemade vanilla cake with buttercream icing that will definitely impress your guests!
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