This is my best vanilla cake recipe.
This professional bakery style cakestays fresh and moist for 4 days thats unheard of!
Use the same batter for perfectVanilla Cupcakes.
Vanilla Sponge Cake used to make a Victoria sponge – spread with strawberry jam, top with whipped cream.
This is a reader favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbookDinner.
My best Vanilla Cake recipe is…..
Anything heavier and the bottom layer gets squished!
(This lasts perfectly for 4 days.)
Because who bakes cakes on the day they are intended to be served??
But THIS cake recipe is near perfect for 4 days even 5 days!
No large tunnels or lots of irregular size holes.
It looks and tastesvelvety a similar plush texture toRed Velvet Cake.
Theres a widely held misconception that cake flour is the secret to a better cake.
Thats only true for certain cakes.
For this one, plain / all purpose flour yields better results.
Tried them all this cake is better with plain / all purpose flour and just milk.
Eggs whipped to aerate, these are key to make the cake extraordinarily light and fluffy.
This is our safety net, extra helping hand to make the cake rise.
Milk, full fat just plain cow milk.
Vanilla Sponge Cake used to make a Victoria sponge – spread with strawberry jam, top with whipped cream.
Low fat works as well but rises marginally less.
The butter has to be at the perfect temperature, and you cant have chilly mixing bowls.
If you beat butter too long, you break the air pockets.
Theres more room for error with cookies and some other types of baked goods.
But the butter temperature needs to be near perfect for cakes and cupcakes.
(17C/63F is the perfect temperature for softened butter).
After 7 minutes of beating, the egg-sugar mixture will triple in volume (double in height in the mixing bowl).
And even if you nail it, the cake rapidly loses freshness.
This recipe puts all to shame in terms of fresh shelf life.
This Vanilla Cake recipe is much more foolproof!
The unique plush, fluffy crumb of this cake is from double lifting power whipped eggs PLUS baking powder!
The aeration created during this step is key for a soft, fluffy crumb.
This is a technique borrowed from Japanese sponge cakes.
TOP TIP:After this step, keep beating to aminimum otherwise youll knock the air out.
Just follow my time and beater speeds and you cant go wrong!
Heres what it looks like before and after beating:
2.
Gradually add flour Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Then add into egg mixture in 3 lots, mixing for just 5 seconds on Speed 1 in between.
This should make the flourjustincorporated dont worry if there are some bits not mixed in.
Hot melted butter in milk use a microwave or stove to heat milk with the butter until it melts.
Believe it or not, HOT milk helps with aeration in this cake.
Interestingly, I recently discovered it is also used in a traditional Southern cake called Hot Milk Cakes.
Slowly pour milk mixture back into whipped eggsover 20 seconds on Speed 1.
Pour into 2 cake panslined with parchment/baking paper.
This wont affect the cake-rising bubbles created in Step 1.
But it makes large bubbles in the batter rise to the surface and burst.
The surface blemishes dont really matter if you are frosting.
Bake 30 minutesuntil golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
The cake will have a slight dome but it flattens when it cools.
That can occur if your oven doesnt distribute heat evenly (my left front is hotter).
But dont fret once the cake cools and the slight dome flattens, the cracks will disappear.
Eggs at room temperature these will fluff better and faster.
Cool but not cold?
Very warm?I would be worried they might be off!
Clockwise from top left: Vanilla Cake frosted with vanilla buttercream, my SecretLess-Sweet Fluffy Vanilla Frostingtopped with fresh flowers,Chocolate ButtercreamandLemon Glaze.
Just more consistent results with room temp eggs).
De-chill icy cold mixing bowls Cold kitchen?
Run them under warm tap water then dry before using.
Prevent screen from sleeping
Not hot tap water just warm.Why?
Eggs aerate faster and better when slightly warm.
Cold bowl will lower temperature of eggs.
check that the milk and butter are hotwhen you mix in the batter.
Not much, but a bit.
Recipe can be halvedfor one single layer cake, baked in one pan.
Otherwise, put 2 on middle shelf and 1 pan on shelf underneath.
Bake top 2 pans for 21 minutes, remove from oven.
Move bottom pan up and bake for another 2 minutes then remove.
Ideas for frosting and decorating Vanilla Cake
Here are a few ideas for finishing this Vanilla Cake.
It looks just like Vanilla Buttercream.
Place top sponge on then dust with icing sugar / powdered sugar.
Note: this cake is a fluffier (and I dare say, better!)
Its so moist with such a lovely vanilla and buttery flavour, it is sensational eaten plain.
And with all that Im finally done.
This is THE Vanilla Cake recipe that is my best all rounder.
For birthday cakes, special occasions, to make to impress the pants off your family and friends.
And now its all over to you tell me what you think!
Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in mydebut cookbook Dinner.
Mostly new recipes, but this recipe is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
