Perfect Vanilla Cake (Printer-friendly)
Light and moist vanilla layer cake with creamy buttercream frosting, ideal for celebrations or everyday enjoyment.
# What you'll need:
→ For the Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
→ For the Vanilla Buttercream
09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 tablespoons whole milk
12 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
# Method:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt; beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
10 - Once cakes are completely cool, spread a layer of buttercream between the layers. Frost the top and sides with remaining buttercream.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly light while still being sturdy enough for layering
- This is the kind of cake that makes people ask if you bought it from a bakery
02 -
- Overmixing after adding flour creates a tough cake, so stop as soon as you see no dry flour
- Cooling cakes completely before frosting prevents melting buttercream and sliding layers
03 -
- Weighing ingredients in grams produces more consistent results than cup measurements
- Purchasing quality vanilla extract is worth every penny for the difference it makes