Yield: 12 servings
Vanilla Cake
⭐️Test Kitchen Approved!⭐️This rich and moist vanilla cake with fluffy vanilla buttercream and colorful sprinkles is the perfect layered cake for every occasion. So soft and decadent, this homemade vanilla cake made from scratch will take your guests to a vanilla-flavored cloud 9!
Ingredients
Vanilla Dream Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 large eggs
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream, half and half, or milk
For Decoration (Optional)
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
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Instructions
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine water and sugar. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until melted. Chill the butter mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes, until no longer warm to the touch.
- Once chilled, whisk in vegetable oil, vanilla extract and the scrapings from the vanilla bean into the butter mixture. Beat in the eggs. Whisk in the dry ingredients, until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in pans completely until cool to the touch, then frost as desired.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- Increase speed to medium and add vanilla extract. Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting is too thick, add remaining 1 tablespoon of cream.
Assemble
- Assemble the 2 layers with a thick layer of frosting in between.
- Optional Crumb Coat: Apply a thin crumb coat (very thin layer of frosting meant to catch any crumbs) on the top and sides of the cake. Pop the cake into the freezer to harden the crumb coat for about 10 minutes.
- Apply one final thick and even layer of frosting around the outside of the cake, decorate, and serve.
Notes
Store: Storing your vanilla cake as whole as possible, versus slices of cake, will retain the most moisture. If storing slices, I recommend wrapping them tightly with plastic wrap. To store, place cake in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Freeze: Wrap cake in plastic wrap then place it into a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 1 to2 hours, until fully thawed.
Measure Flour: Do not scoop from a packed bag of flour, it will create an overly dense cake! Instead, fluff the flour with a fork. Then spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. This is the correct method for measuring flour!
Cover Cake: If the tops and edges of the cakes brown too much before the baking time is up, lightly cover them with foil. This will stop them from browning much more.
Prep Your Pan: If you’re worried about your cake sticking, flour the edges of each pan after you’ve buttered them. You can also add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom to guarantee your cake will not stick!
Even Baking: These cake pan strips wrapped around your cake pans make the biggest difference for a perfectly evenly baked cake! If you use these, you should not have to level your cake!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 637kcal, Carbohydrates: 98g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 91mg, Sodium: 369mg, Potassium: 50mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 79g, Vitamin A: 750IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 1mg