Description
Silky smooth easy vanilla cake delights dessert enthusiasts with classic American baking charm. Butter, sugar, and vanilla blend seamlessly to create a tender crumb you’ll savor with pure comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¾ cups (330 g) cake flour
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and thoroughly grease two 9-inch circular pans or one 9×13-inch rectangular pan, dusting with flour to prevent adhesion.
- Creaming Process: Employ electric mixer to whip softened butter and sugar into a light, voluminous mixture for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Liquid Integration: Fold in eggs one at a time, ensuring complete incorporation after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract, blending thoroughly into the creamy base.
- Dry Ingredient Composition: Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt, creating a uniform dry mixture that will provide structure to the cake.
- Batter Development: Gradually combine dry ingredients with butter mixture, alternating with milk. Fold gently to maintain batter’s delicate consistency, starting and ending with dry ingredients to prevent overmixing.
- Baking Preparation: Evenly distribute batter into prepared pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula to ensure consistent depth and optimal baking results.
- Baking and Verification: Bake for 25-30 minutes, testing doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean and free of raw batter residue.
- Cooling and Finishing: Remove from oven and allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling before decorating or serving.
Notes
- Select Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature for smoother blending and optimal cake texture, preventing lumpy batter and promoting even mixing.
- Avoid Overmixing Batter: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stopping precisely when ingredients combine to prevent tough, dense cake from developing gluten through excessive stirring.
- Check Oven Calibration: Use an oven thermometer to verify actual temperature matches 350F setting, preventing uneven baking or potential burning due to inaccurate heat distribution.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free blend for celiac-friendly version, or replace dairy milk with almond/oat milk for lactose-intolerant individuals without compromising cake’s delicate structure.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 118 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg