by The Best Cake Recipe! This is the finest vanilla cake recipe I’ve ever made. A traditional butter cake with Japanese methods for the plushest, soft.
Fluffier, more tender, and less oily than classic vanilla cakes, much moister than traditional sponge cakes, and much easier to make – plus the same dough also produces wonderful Vanilla Cupcakes. See this recipe for chocolate cake.
My favourite Vanilla Cake recipe is…..
Plush, moist, and fluffy crumb without being unduly so (as some store-bought can be). No more thick pastries for you!
It keeps almost flawlessly for four days. On Day 1, I was 100 percent fresh, and on Day 4, I was 96 percent flawless. That is unprecedented!
Lovely vanilla and butter flavor with no greasy aftertaste;
There are no huge tunnels or uneven, crumbling holes in this crumb; it is even and lovely.
Bakes are absolutely flat – no need for leveling!
Makes excellent cupcakes;
It’s not excessively sweet, and
It should be as delicate as possible while being sturdy enough to construct a massive tiered cake drowned in icing or mounds of cream and fruit. In contrast, Chiffon Cakes and Japanese Sponges, while lighter, cannot withstand much more weight – the bottom layer becomes rather compressed.
So, if all of that appeals to you, I venture to suggest this may become YOUR favorite vanilla cake recipe as well! And here’s a sneak peek to show you how soft and fluffy it is even after 4 days: Chocolate Fudge Frosting.
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The The Best Cake Recipe:
This vanilla cake was created by combining the finest Japanese sponge cakes and Western butter-based cakes. It has the world-famous exceptionally soft, fluffy texture of Japanese cakes and employs the Japanese baking process, as well as the buttery richness and sweetness of Western cakes.
However, it is more robust than Japanese cakes, which are so fragile that they can only be adorned with cream. Anything heavy squishes the bottom layer!
Importantly, this cake meets my cake shelf-life criteria of being absolutely fresh for at least two days after it’s created. (This is good for four days.) Who bakes cakes on the day they are supposed to be served?
Interestingly, baking experts will recognize the method and ingredients in this cake as being very similar to what is known as a Hot Milk Cake in America – albeit strangely, it’s often described as a “dense” cake, presumably because they don’t preserve the egg aeration to the extent that I insist on, and also because it’s sometimes baked in bundt pans, which take far longer to bake (= dense cake).
The words “best served on the day” on a cake recipe are seldom a good omen — it indicates the cake deteriorates dramatically overnight. However, THIS CAKE RECIPE is nearly ideal for 4 – even 5 – days!
I’m not going to go too cake-nerdy with you… An even crumb, on the other hand, is an indication of a well-made cake. There are no enormous tunnels or several holes of varying sizes. It looks and tastes velvety, with a plush texture comparable to Red Velvet Cake.
Ingredients for my Best Vanilla Cake
This velvety, silky vanilla cake requires the following ingredients. There is no cake flour, buttermilk, or sour cream. I tried them all and found that ordinary/all-purpose flour and only milk work best for this cake.
Plain/all-purpose flour — when compared to cake flour, the flavor of the butter and vanilla is more prominent, the crumb is slightly silkier, and it maintains slightly moister. Plus, there’s no need to seek for or pay a premium for cake flour! Do not use self-rising flour or gluten-free flour as an alternative.
Eggs – beaten to aerate, these are essential for making the cake exceptionally light and fluffy. You don’t get an eggy taste; Baking powder is preferable to baking soda (bi-carb), which does not rise as well. This is our safety net, an additional hand to assist the cake rise.
Full fat milk Is just basic cow milk. Low fat works just as well but produces somewhat lower results. Do not use nondairy milk or buttermilk as a replacement.
Oil – If possible, use caster / superfine sugar since it melts easier in the eggs. However, ordinary/granulated sugar works just as well — you may just wind up with some small brown patches on the bottom. Only 1 tablespoon of oil offers a visible touch of extra moistness, especially on Day 4, without weighing down the cake in the least. Don’t be tempted to add more — I tried an extra spoonful and it didn’t rise as well as it should have.
Vanilla extract – The greatest vanilla extract money can buy. Imitation works OK, however, the flavor isn’t as pure or authentic. Queen Vanilla Extract is what I use. Don’t squander your money on vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste — they’re not worth it for baking.
Why is this safer than traditional “cream, butter, and sugar” cakes?
Making a very nice cake that begins with “cream butter and sugar until fluffy…” is more difficult than you may expect. The butter must be at the proper temperature, and the mixing bowls must not be cold.
If the butter is excessively soft, the cake will be oily and dense – do you recognize this? You won’t be able to cream it if it’s too firm, and you’ll wind up with grease pockets. When you beat butter for too long, the air pockets are broken.
With cookies and several other sorts of baked foods, there is greater space for mistakes. However, for cakes and cupcakes, the butter temperature must be near ideal. The ideal temperature for “softened butter” is 17°C/63°F.
Warning: This is a lengthy step-by-step explanation article to guarantee that individuals new to baking have all they need to bake this cake precisely the first time and every time!
Why is vanilla cake “very hard” to make? Finding the ideal cake appears difficult because there is nothing to hide behind; it is one of the purest kinds of baking. And the “cream butter and sugar” phase is the most problematic, determining whether the cake will succeed or fail from the outset (read above).
This Vanilla Cake recipe is far more forgiving!
The Best Cake Recipe
Description
Watch the recipe video above. Your favorite vanilla butter cake, but with Japanese methods for the plushest, soft, and delicious yellow cake you’ve ever tasted. This professional bakery-type cake keeps its freshness and moistness for 4 days – that’s unheard of!
This is THE Vanilla Cake recipe for any occasion, from layer cakes to birthday cakes, Victoria Sponge to strawberry shortcake…. the options are unlimited…..
The frosting is offered in the form of classic vanilla buttercream; go here for my secret recipe. Fluffy Less-Sweet Frosting Cupcakes – check Vanilla Cupcakes recipe for different pan sizes. Metric/weight measurements are available by clicking the button above the ingredients. Note 11: Cake flour is unnecessary; plain flour is preferable. Ensure success by reading the top 5 points in the Notes section below. See this recipe for chocolate cake.
Ingredients
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
Instructions
- Before beginning the batter, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fans) for 20 minutes (Note 8). Position a shelf in the center of the oven.
- Butter 2 x 20cm / 8″ cake pans, then line with parchment / baking paper. (There are 9 additional pan sizes to be noted.) If possible, use a cake pan with a solid base.
- In a large mixing basin, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Place aside.
- 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer equipped with a whisk attachment or by hand.
- Pour the sugar in for 45 seconds while the beater is still running.
- Then, on speed 8, beat for 7 minutes, or until the loudness and whiteness are tripled.
- While the egg is beating, pour the butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave for 2 minutes on high to melt the butter (or use stove). Do not allow milk to bubble and boil (foam ok). Do not do this ahead of time and allow the milk to cool (this affects rise).
- When the egg is beaten, distribute 1/3 flour on the surface and beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Mix on Speed 1 for 5 seconds after adding half of the remaining flour. Add the remaining flour and mix on Speed 1 for 5 – 10 seconds, or until the flour is just combined. Stop immediately if you can’t see any flour.
Add some Egg Batter to hot milk to lighten it up: Fill the now-empty flour basin halfway with hot milk, vanilla, and oil. Pour around 1 1/2 cups (2 ladles) of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter (the amount doesn’t have to be exact). Mix with a whisk until smooth – be forceful here. It will seem frothy. - Slowly add milk: Return the beater to Speed 1, then pour the milk mixture into the Egg Batter for 15 seconds, then turn off the beater.
- Scraping and final mixing: Scrape down the edges and bottom of the basin. For 10 seconds on Speed 1, the batter should be smooth and pourable.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- To remove large bubbles, wrap each cake pan three times on the counter (Note 10 for why)
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Take out of the oven. Cool for 15 minutes in the cake pans before turning out onto cooling racks. Cool upside down if used as layer cakes – a small dome will flatten properly. Layers are neater if the cake is level.
- Frost with your favorite frosting, cream, and fresh berries or jam. See the post for a list of suggestions!
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 3 minutes on high, or until it changes color from yellow to almost white and becomes fluffy and creamy.
- Gradually add icing sugar / powdered sugar in three batches, beating carefully (to avoid a powder storm), then on high for 3 minutes, or until frothy.
- Beat in the vanilla and milk for another 30 seconds. Only use milk if necessary to make it nice and soft while still holding its shape (eg for piping). Use right away. (If making ahead, chill before re-fluffing.)
PREPARATION:
COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS
BEAT THE EGGS UNTIL AERATE:
FINISH CAKE BATTER:
BAKE:
COOL & FROST:
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM:
Video
Notes
- Before beginning, read the recipe from beginning to end.
- Make sure your baking powder isn’t expired — here’s how to tell;
- Fresh eggs ensure that the cake rises correctly (old eggs do not aerate as effectively).
- Follow the recipe’s step-by-step instructions.
- Don’t use confetti or blueberry add-ins (they sink); and once you start, keep going until it’s in the oven. Do not, under any circumstances, let the batter sit about – the bubbles will dissipate!
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 339
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 13g20%
- Saturated Fat 7g35%
- Cholesterol 91mg31%
- Sodium 97mg5%
- Potassium 190mg6%
- Protein 6g12%
- Vitamin A 434 IU
- Calcium 90 mg
- Iron 2 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
