Vanilla Cake Recipe

Delicious Vanilla Cake Recipe.

I’m doing something I never thought I would do… sharing a recipe through a blog post!

I’m all over the place when it comes to baking and I’m constantly altering my recipes but so far I love this one. One of the greatest things about being a baker is experimenting with different recipes to come up with your own. For the first couple years of baking I followed recipes from my favorite cake recipe books. I’ll be creating a blog post with my top favorite cake recipe books in the near future.

This Vanilla Cake Recipe is so soft with a delicious vanilla flavor. I use this recipe not just for vanilla cake and cupcakes but I use this recipe as a base for other flavors such as: Almond Cupcakes, Confetti Cake, Chocolate Chip Vanilla, Oreo Cake and more! I hope you enjoy this recipe and I encourage you to be creative!

Ingredients that you’ll need:

• 1 Stick of Butter (8 Tbsp)
• 1 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Watkins Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Almond Extract (Optional, I love almond extract so I love to add it!)
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Buttermilk (I make my own by combining 2 Tbsp of Distilled White Vinegar w/ 1 Cup of Whole Milk.)

Equipment & Tools:

• Mixers: I enjoy using my stand-mixer from the brand Tools. This recipe does not require a mixer but you will need to make sure you cream the butter and sugar well. A hand mixer will work well!
• Measurers: You’ll need 1 Cup & 1/2 Cup measuring scoops. A set of teaspoon measuring scoops will be needed as well.
• 1 Spatula

Prior to starting make sure to set your oven to 350ºF.

Tip: Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is reaching the proper temp.

How to Combine Ingredients:

Note: With each step start low and gradually bring your mixer up to high and stop when ingredients look well mixed.

First, mix the Butter, Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt, Vanilla and Almond Extract in the bowl and cream all of those ingredients together until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

Second, add the eggs and mix on high until mixture looks light and fluffy.

Third, add the flour and start the mixer on low and slowly add in the buttermilk. Once all of the buttermilk is mixed in, gradually bring the speed up to high. After 1-2 minutes the batter will look smooth and silky.

Below are step by step photos:

• The first 2 photos is what the first step looks like combined.
• The next 2 photos are with the eggs included.
• Next is the flour & buttermilk combined and then the final product.

Once the batter is complete you can bake your cake layers or cupcakes.

Temperature

The length of time in the oven will vary depending on the pans you use and how much batter is distributed. The time will also vary depending on how much you open the oven. Every time you open your oven the temperature drops. I have a rule where I check on my cakes and cupcakes every 8-12 minutes. I do this by using the oven light.

If the center of the cake layers or cupcakes are wet by any means then the cake layers or cupcakes are not finished baking. If the top layer on the cake or cupcakes looks barely wet I will typically set a timer for 2-3 more minutes.

Tip: For cakes, use a food scale to ensure your cake layers bake evenly and finish at the same time. For cupcakes, use a small cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners and for this vanilla cake recipe make sure to fill your cupcake liners a bit more than half way. Just a bit, you don’t want to over fill the liners but going half way or under will result in under-filled cupcakes liners.

This batch is great for

• three 6 inch layers of cake (minimum 25 minutes in oven)
• two 8 inch layers of cake (minimum 25 minutes in oven)
• Over a dozen regular sized cupcakes (12-15 minutes)
• Over 6 dozen mini cupcakes (12 minutes)