Vanilla Cake Recipe
Whipped whole eggs and hot milk create soft, springy cake layers with rich vanilla flavor. Paired with fluffy buttercream, this classic bake stays tender and moist for days.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachments
- 2 x 20cm / 8 inch cake pans
- Baking parchment paper
- Heatproof jug
- Wire Cooling Racks
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain / all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar / superfine sugar
- 115 g unsalted butter / 1/2 cup
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp vegetable or canola oil
Vanilla Buttercream
- 225 g unsalted butter / 2 sticks
- 500 g soft icing sugar / powdered sugar / 1 lb
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 - 4 tbsp milk
Instructions
Full Recipe
- Heat the oven to 180 °C/350°F, or 160 °C fan, for 20 minutes before making the batter and position a rack in the center. A fully heated oven helps the layers rise evenly from the start.
- Butter two 20 cm / 8-inch cake pans and line them with parchment / baking paper, choosing pans without loose bases when possible. The parchment should sit flat against the bottom so the baked layers release cleanly.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, then set the bowl aside. Evenly dispersed baking powder prevents uneven pockets of lift.
Beat Eggs Until Aerated
- Whisk the eggs on speed 6 with a stand mixer whisk attachment, or a hand beater, for 30 seconds. The eggs should loosen and become lightly bubbly before the sugar goes in.
- Keep the mixer running and add the sugar gradually over 45 seconds. A steady stream helps the sugar dissolve into the eggs without collapsing the foam.
- Increase to speed 8 and whip for 7 minutes. The mixture should become white, thick, and roughly triple in volume.
Finish Cake Batter
- While the eggs whip, heat the butter and milk together in a heatproof jug for 2 minutes on high in the microwave, or warm them on the stove until the butter melts. The liquid should be hot and fluid, with no solid butter pieces remaining.
- Add the flour mixture to the whipped eggs in 3 additions, mixing on speed 1 for 5 seconds after each addition. After the last addition, mix only 5 to 10 seconds more, stopping as soon as no dry flour remains.
- Pour the hot milk mixture, vanilla, and oil into the now-empty flour bowl. Using the flour bowl keeps the hot liquid ready for tempering without adding another dish.
- Whisk about 1 1/2 cups, or about 2 ladles, of cake batter into the hot milk mixture until smooth. This smaller portion can be mixed firmly and should look foamy.
- Run the mixer on speed 1 and pour the tempered milk mixture into the main batter over 15 seconds, then stop the mixer. Adding it gradually protects the airy egg structure.
- Scrape the bowl’s sides and bottom, then mix on speed 1 for 10 seconds. The final batter should look uniform, glossy, and easy to pour.
Bake
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans, using 560 g / 20 oz batter per pan. Similar amounts help both layers bake to the same height.
- Tap each filled pan firmly on the counter 3 times. This releases larger trapped bubbles that could leave irregular holes in the crumb.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The center should also feel softly springy when pressed lightly.
Cool & Frost
- Let the cakes rest in their pans for 15 minutes, then turn them onto wire racks. Handle the layers gently while warm so their edges stay intact.
- For flatter layer cakes, cool the rounds upside down on the racks until completely cool. The slight dome settles under gentle counter pressure, reducing the need for trimming.
- Frost only fully cooled layers with frosting of choice, or use cream and fresh berries or jam. Warm cake will soften the buttercream and make the stack slide.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Beat the butter with a paddle attachment on high speed for 3 minutes. It should change from yellow to a much paler, fluffy cream.
- Add the icing sugar / powdered sugar in 3 additions, mixing slowly at first, then beating on high for 3 minutes once mostly incorporated. The buttercream should become light and spreadable rather than grainy.
- Mix in the vanilla and milk for 30 seconds, using milk only as needed for a soft buttercream that still holds its form. Use it right away while it is smooth enough to spread or pipe.
Notes
Aeration tip: Use room-temperature eggs and whip with sugar for the full 7 minutes until pale and tripled in volume to ensure a light, springy crumb.
Doneness cue: Press the center lightly; a baked round springs back immediately. Sizzling sounds should quiet down before testing with a toothpick.
Flat layers: Cool the baked cakes upside down on wire racks after a 15-minute pan rest to gently settle any domes without trimming.
Storage: Keep frosted cake covered under a cake dome or inverted bowl so exposed crumb stays moist. Chill briefly if the kitchen is warm.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.