My Favorite Vanilla Cake Recipe

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My Favorite Vanilla Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil, or oil of your choice
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature

Make the Cake

Steps:

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour four 6-inch round cake pans.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix the Wet Ingredients: Using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl and hand mixer, mix together the granulated sugar, oil, eggs, egg whites and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
4. Add the Sour Cream: Add the sour cream just until combined.
5. Alternate Adding Dry Ingredients and Milk: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
6. Divide Batter and Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. I recommend using a scale for this to make sure each layer is the same size. I use and love this one. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool and Remove from Pans: Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the cakes from the pans.

Make the Frosting

Italian Meringue Buttercream for Filling and Decorating:

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (250g), plus additional 1/3 cup (67g) cup for adding to egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon salt. Omit salt if using salted butter.
• 16 ounces unsalted butter (454g), at room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (4.9mL). You can use pure too but it will alter the final colour if your icing.
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (0.84g)
• ⅓ cup water (79mL)
• Drop of violet gel food colour

1. In a stand mixer mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on medium high speed using the whisk attachment.
2. While the eggs are whipping, combine the 1 1/4 cup of sugar and ⅓ cup of water in a medium pot over medium heat. Maintain medium heat until the sugar temperature reaches 235-240°F. It is important to use a thermometer to get to the correct temperature. I went through many thermometers until I found this one. It’s perfect because of the long cable that connects the probe to the base, ensuring that you never drop the whole thing in and ruin it like I did many times!
3. Slowly add the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar into the egg whites while beating until soft peaks form.
4. Once the temperature reaches 235-240, drizzle the melted sugar into the mixer immediately. The meringue should be at the soft peak stage at this point.
   Run the mixer until the meringue is cool/tepid.
5. Add room temperature butter into the running mixer a little bit at a time.
6. Add the salt and vanilla.
7. Beat until the butter is fully combined, and the mixture has reached a silky consistency.
8. To get your icing a pure white colour, add a small drop of violet food colour. I like to use the Wilton one and dip the tip of a toothpick into it to get a small drop. Remember you can always add more but you can’t take away.

Assemble the cake and decorate

If your layers do not have even tops, use a large serrated knife to gently slice a thin layer off the cake tops, creating a flat surface. Now, place the first cake layer on your cake round, cake drum or serving plate. I like to glue a cake round the same size as the cake onto an MDF cake board and then place that on top of my turntable to decorate.

Using a piping bag fitted with a large tip add the buttercream frosting on top of the cake layer. I like to pipe a border around the edges first, then fill the inside. If you are using a filling other than buttercream, adding a border is imperative to ensure that nothing leaks out. Add the second and third cake layers one at a time and repeat the process.

Watch this video to see me stack, crumb coat and ice a cake.

Vanilla Cake Tips

1. Make sure your eggs, egg whites, milk and sour cream are at room temperature before making for a smoother batter.
2. Don’t overmix the batter to ensure a light and fluffy texture.
3. Preheat your oven properly to ensure even baking.
4. Consider adding a touch of almond extract for a subtle flavor boost to your vanilla cake.
5. Weigh the cake batter in each pan to ensure even-sized layers.
6. Resist the temptation to rush the process—cool your cake layers completely. Assembling a layer cake with partially warm layers may lead to frosting meltdown and a collapsed cake. Refrigerate or freeze each layer before assembling for that perfect, sturdy structure.
7. After frosting your cake, refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. This step sets the frosting and tightens the cake layers.

Try my

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