Description
Delightful vanilla cake masterpiece brings pure bliss to dessert tables across kitchens. Home bakers can easily craft this classic treat with simple ingredients and straightforward techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (595 milliliters) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) whole milk (room temperature)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) sour cream (optional)
- 4 cups (454 grams) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) heavy cream or milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare cake pans by greasing with butter, flouring, or lining with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mixing Base: Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light, fluffy, and pale yellow, creating a smooth foundational mixture.
- Egg Integration: Incorporate eggs individually, blending thoroughly after each addition to maintain a silky, uniform batter consistency.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together to eliminate potential lumps and ensure even distribution throughout the mixture.
- Liquid Incorporation: Gradually blend dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture using low-speed mixing, alternating between the two to preserve a tender cake texture.
- Flavor Enhancement: Gently fold in pure vanilla extract, stirring minimally to maintain the delicate aromatic profile.
- Pan Filling: Distribute batter evenly between prepared cake pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula to create uniform layers.
- Baking Process: Place pans centrally in the preheated oven, baking for 25-30 minutes until the surface turns golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cooling Technique: Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling before further preparation or frosting.
Notes
- Optimize Ingredient Temperature: Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before mixing to create a smoother, more evenly blended batter that rises perfectly and prevents potential lumping.
- Prevent Overmixing: Mix ingredients gently and only until combined, stopping when the batter looks smooth to maintain the cake’s delicate, tender crumb and avoid developing tough gluten structures.
- Master Vanilla Quality: Use pure, high-grade vanilla extract for an authentic, rich flavor that elevates the entire cake’s taste profile, avoiding artificial substitutes that can taste flat or chemical-like.
- Achieve Perfect Moisture: Check cake doneness by inserting a toothpick near the center – it should come out clean with minimal to no batter clinging, indicating a perfectly baked, moist vanilla cake without dryness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 366
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg