Ultimate Vanilla Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, vanilla paste and vanilla extract until combined. Let stand 10 minutes. Line bottoms of 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper., Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together twice into a large bowl. Add butter and canola oil; beat until mixture is crumbly. Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream mixture just until combined. , Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely. Frost cake as desired.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and butter. Beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until super light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating in between additions. Beat the batter until almost doubled in volume and very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• With the mixer on low, gently beat in a third of the flour mixture. Before it's fully combined, add half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk until everything is well-blended and no lumps remain.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 3 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans with nonstick spray.
• Add ½ cup (80 g) of sprinkles and gently fold into the batter with a spatula until well-incorporated.
• Divide the cake batter among the prepared pans and place 2 pans on the top oven rack and 1 pan on the middle rack.
• Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan on the middle rack to the top rack, and vice versa, halfway through baking, so the cakes bake evenly. The cakes are done when they are golden brown, pull away from the sides of the pans, and the tops spring back slightly when pressed.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely. (If you don't have a wire rack, let them cool in the cake pans on the counter.)
• Make the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer on high speed to beat the butter, cream cheese, and salt. Mix until light and creamy, about 4 minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed to combine. Once the sugar is incorporated, beat on high speed until there are no lumps and the frosting is super white and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Place a dab of frosting on a cake stand or an inverted plate. Place a layer of cake on the cake wheel, then evenly spread frosting on top with an offset spatula. Place the next layer of cake on top of the frosted layer, and spread frosting on top. Add the last cake layer and lightly frost the entire outside of the cake to create a thin crumb coat.
• Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and use the remaining icing to frost the cake in an even layer. Take the end of an offset spatula or knife and gently press it against the against the frosting at the bottom of the cake. Then, spin the cake and slowly raise the spatula after each rotation to create a ribbed effect. Smooth the top of the cake with the spatula.
• Place sprinkles around the edge of the cake. Set a small cookie cutter, any shape you like, in the center of the cake and fill in with sprinkles. Gently remove the cookie cutter.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
• Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Place one cake, bottom side up, on a cake stand. Tuck strips of parchment paper underneath. Using an offset-spatula or table knife, spread top with Whipped Frosting. Top with remaining cake; frost top, then sides.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a round, deep 20cm tin, then line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
• Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next.
• Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt. Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, followed by the milk.
• Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 20 mins or until well risen and golden - a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup by gently heating 50ml water with the sugar and vanilla in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool for 30 mins in the tin, then use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake, going right to the bottom. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition.
• Leave to cool completely, then either wrap the cake well or fill and ice it. If you wrap it with baking parchment and cling film, the unfilled cake will keep well for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
• For ideas on how to decorate the cake and to try out some variations on this basic cake mixture, have a look at the 'Goes well with' recipes for Simple elegance wedding cake, Birthday bug cake and Summer celebration cake.

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds; lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl until combined. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl until the batter is completely combined, smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans from left to right halfway through, until the cakes are a light golden brown and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar until completely smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake, domed-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake, domed-side up, on top. Spread the top with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, smoothing it out.