Vanilla Cake
Vanilla Cake Covered with Buttercream Frosting and Decorated with Buttercream Flowers
Vanilla cakes are basic sponges which can be used as a base for a lot of other creations like caramel cakes (recipe soon) and other flavored cakes. It is easy to make and produces perfect results. Though not as light as sponge cakes like the French Vanilla Sponge Cake, it has a better structure and resistance. This is an adaptation of a recipe by Anna Olson. It is a vanilla cake, so be sure to use a high quality pure vanilla extract.
Caramel Cake
INGREDIENTS:
(1) 170 Grams Unsalted Butter (3/4 Cup)
(2) 266 Grams Granulated White Sugar (1-1/3 Cups)
(3) 3 Eggs
(4) 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
(5) 270 Grams Cake Flour (2-1/4 Cups)
(6) 1-1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
(7) 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
(8) 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
(9) 1 Cup Milk or Buttermilk
Vanilla Bean Pods
PROCEDURE:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
(2) Grease and line the bottom of two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. For extra assurance, coat the sides of the pans with flour after greasing.
(3) In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
(4) In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar and continue mixing at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
(5) Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
(6) Next, add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
(7) Finally add flour mixture and milk to batter in 5 additions (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour) mixing after each addition. Do not over mix batter.
(8) Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
(9) Allow cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes before unmolding.
This cake is best frosted with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. A recipe for this can be found here.
Vanilla Cake Covered with Buttercream Frosting and Decorated with Buttercream Flowers
Terry Adido is passionate about showing people how easy it is to recreate restaurant quality meals in the comfort of their kitchens. With a style of cooking he refers to as Afro-European Fusion, his meals are influenced greatly by French and Italian Cuisine with a West African twist. If you love good food, you are in for the ride of your life.
U really inspire me nd am going to try dis recipe. Pls I notice my cake scatter anytime I cut it with bread knife. What cud be d cause or is it normal
Hi. A bread knife is not the correct tool to use when slicing a cake. That might be why your cakes scatter. Use a regular large knife. Alao ensure that you measure your ingredients accurately as too much dry ingredients will make your cakes dry and crumble while cutting. Lastly, be sure to make use of large eggs when a recipe calls for eggs as small eggs will result in less liquid and thus a drier cake.
Hi Terry,
Please could you tell me the perfect frosting for a rich fruit cake? Thank you.
For rich fruit cakes, the perfect frosting is marzipan. You can Alao use royal icing. Do not however use buttercream on a rich fruit cake.
hi terry. Please what’s the difference between this cake and the pound cake,apart from the vanilla flavor
Hi. Pound cake also has vanilla in it. Pound cakes are however richer as they have more butter. They have a more buttery flavour. They are also more dense as they have less milk and other liquids.
What is d vanilla beans pod used for .where is it planted?
Pure vanilla extract is derived from vanilla bean pods. You have a choice between using the bean pods or vanilla extract/paste in your baked goods. They are grown in most parts of the world, but are more commonly grown in Madagascar.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I have two questions though.
Why bake the cake in separate pans, and not in one large pan? Is the vanilla bean pod (shown above) the same as what the hausas call konofuru (used in making kunu)? Thanks.
Vanilla cakes are almost always baked in separate pans because they would be sandwiched together with buttercream or any other filling. In fact, each sponge will be further divided into 2 which will give you 4 layers in all. If you want to bake it in just one pan, you can, this would however increase baking time and might lead to a drier cake.
As for the vanilla beans, I would say no. Vanilla is not indigenous to Nigeria. I did not use the pods in this recipe. I put up the picture just so we know where vanilla extract comes from. The beans were however used in my Vanilla Pastry Cream recipe. Do check it out.
So is this recipe for the supposed 4 layers? Cos mine doesn’t rise to create 4 layers, or could it be because i baked it in one 8″ pan
If you want higher ties, you will have to double the recipe.
Please Terry is cake flour different from all purpose flour?. TENX in advance.
Yes, they are different. Cake flour has corn starch added to it which makes it lighter than all purpose flour.
Thanks for your prompt response (No wonder my cakes turn out dry). Please where do you think one can get pure vanilla extract in Nigeria? Is there an alternative?
Thanks. I would check cake baking shops.
U are a God sent! Thanks you so much for sharing ur knowledge to others God always bless you with more! I tried the chocolate cake and it came out well but has a lot of oil and I suspected something has gone wrong with my multiplication. I appreciate ur nice gesture! In fact I made a 14inches by multiplying ur recipe. More so I will like to state d measurement DAT I used so DAT u can correct me where necessary.
I used:
I kg flour
4tsp of baking powder
6tsp of baking soda
1.6g granulated sugar
1040ml buttermilk
1000ml veg oil
1000ml boiling nescafe
8large eggs
4tsp of vanilla flavour
Hi. If the chocolate cake was oily, then maybe you were a bit off with the measurements. Sorry I am unable to go through your measurements and do the multiplications myself. If however you multiplied it accurately, you should be fine.
Thank terry. Where is ur office pls inbox me.
Hi. I do not have an office.
Hi Terry, can the quantity of sugar be reduced successfully without affecting the results of the cake?
I would start by reducing 1/4 cup of sugar and see how that works out. You should be fine.
Hi terry I am up coming baker who loves baking with a passion, I stumbled upon your site and must say kudos, I tried out your vanilla cake recipe and was very meticulous with my measurements but I discovered that while the cake was in the oven 30 mins in to baking I went to check and discovered it foamy,and the cake didn’t turn out so nice afterwards. Pls terry I need your help cos I really do not know why or what went wrong, thanks
Hi. When you say “the cake didn’t turn out nice afterwards” what exactly do you mean? What went wrong in your opinion?
Hi terry still waiting for your reply.thanks
Hello terry,
I really do not know what happened.
tried out this recipe this night…. couldn’t run out to get butter so i made do with margarine and it still turned out wow! cant wait fro dawn to try it out again with butter, i know the outcome will be heavenly. thanks a million Terry…. u are just the best. keep up the good work.
Awesome. Thanks for the feedback Katchy. It’s sure gonna have a richer taste with butter.
I tried this recipe but it’s too oily. ..what could be wrong
Your measurements might be off.
Hi terry, I notice my cakes always have so much crumbs whenever it is cut to be eaten and get so dry and hard when it stays for 2 or 3 days. Please what am I doing wrong
Hi. Please read this post.
Hello terry this recipe looks yum and i cant wait to try but i have a question can i made cake flour from cornflour as a substitute?
Yes. Click here for more.
Hi Terry, I tried this recipe today but it was foamy @ a point n when it was baked, it was oily. Didn’t just come out well. Dnt know what went wrong. I followed the measurement.
I’m sad to hear that. I really cannot tell what went wrong as other people have not experienced the same challenges.
I will try it again.
I tried it out again n this time, it was perfect. Thanks so much
Awesome!
Weldone Terry!
Pls I wat recipe is best for a fruit wedding cake,she wants something really nice and DAT would last about 2months…..Also in the absence of baking soda,can I double the b.powder to get the result or would it ruin it?…
Thanks a lot
Hi. You can use any of the recipes here.
No, BP cannot be used to substitute BS.
Thank you so much, I also asked a question on whether I could use the balloon attachment to cream in place of the paddle attachment and what is the difference in their results. God bless u
Thanks in advance Terry.
I want to bake this cake for a client who doesnt want milk at all in her cake. How do u suggest i make up for the liquid d milk should have added?
Hi. More eggs might work. On the contrary, you can try a different milk free recipe like my French Vanilla Sponge Cake.
Hi Terry,
I just spooned and leveled 2-1/4 cups of cake flour. After that I always measure to check if the grams amount is correct but with this recipe I’m off 50g. Should I follow the grams and just add the rest or go with the cups. I tried 3 times. Thank you.
Go with the grams Dominique. That’s why its best to bake with grams as no two cup/spoon measurements are the same even if the same method of measuring is used in both cases. If you want to bake with cups, sift or spoon the flour into the cup as opposed to using the cup to scoop the flour from the bag.
Hi Terry,thks so much for all these wonderful tips. am sorry pls I want to clearify something about frosting fruit cakes with royal icing n nt buttercream,are u talking about using royal icing to sandwich d layers or to coat d body before covering d fruit cake with fondant.thk u.
To coat the body before covering. Fruitcakes usually do not come in layers.
Hello Terry thanks for sharing,i have a question though,can we substitute butter for margarine?
Yes. But the cake will not be as rich.
ok. thks so much. I appreciate. I wil try it.
Hi Terry, tank u soooo much, you are a saver. pls my cake doesnt rise to fit one 8″ pan. i use your exact recipe.
Hi Kopho. You are welcome. There is no universal height for 8 inch cake tins. There is thus no way one recipe can rise to the height of all 8″ cake tins. You might need to bake several layers to form a tier.
Okay Tanx a bunch
tried ur vanilla cake n twas yummy,my hubby almost ate half while standing. thks alot.
lol. You should make more for him then.
definitely I will make more for him,smiles. I appreciate u
Hello Terry, thank you so much for being generous with your knowledge of caking. I have tried virtually all the cake recipes here and they’ve not failed me, the cakes always come out great. I would like to know if I could cover this vanilla cake with fondant or are there any other cakes that suits fondant icing?
Kind regards
Thanks Chinelo. Glad to read your feedback. Technically, any cake can be covered with fondant.
Thank you so much Terry
Thanks and God bless you Terry for sharing your baking knowledge. Your recipes I have tried so far are great.
Thanks for the feedback Egiye.
Thanks for your tips Terry, to make this recipe with a hand mixer how many minutes do I need to mix my ingredients?
You are welcome. I have no idea. Definitely a bit longer.
Hi Terry, I tried this recipe and it came out awesome.
I was going through your notes under Nigerian wedding cake and you explained how alcohol evaporates so adding before baking doesn’t preserve cake, when should it be added please.Thanks alot for your time and effort.
Yes it evaporates when added before baking. For regular vanilla cakes, alcohol cannot be used as preservatives.
Hi Terry, I have a three layered cake of vanilla and red velvet for a clients birthday. Please I want to know the best frosting to use for the cake. Also I’m using a 10inch pan so should I bake this recipe in one pan or divide it into two 10inch pans.
Hi. (1) Try this Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting or regular Cream Cheese Frosting. (2) Bake it in one pan.
Thank you so much Terry.
You are welcome Chisom.
Pls how long can this cake last 1). If kept in the fridge. 2). If kept outside the fridge. Thanks
(1) About a week. (2) A couple of days
Hi Terry really love your work. I would like to ask please, whenever I make vanilla sponge cake using the recipe I will include below which seems to be very common when I search for sponge cake recipes, it comes out too dense and dry, when what I want is a moist and soft finish (but sturdy enough to cover with fondant and stack) and I definitely do not overmix my batter after the addition of flour.
225g butter/margarine
225g sugar
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
is there a red flag on this recipe please because I noticed yours does not use them in equal parts.
Hi. I cannot comment on your recipe as I have ever used it before. Why not use one of mine and see if you will get the results you want.
Thanks so much Terry, i’m about to try your recipe.
You are welcome Ella.
Hi Terry. Hope my question is not stupid. Can you use this cake for wedding cakes and also have you used it for wedding cake? Thanks
Hi Pat. Yes and yes.
More wisdom . thanks alot.
Thanks.
Terry, can u take us through colour combination, pls. Am expecting. Thanks
I do not understand your request.
Hi terry,thanks for this recipe. Please I want to know why the flour in this recipe is a bit higher thank the regular vanilla cake of eg 500gflour,500g sugar,500g butter and 10eggs.thanks.
Also,if I use milk as stated,how long can d cake last without preservative?
Thirdly,if I omit egg can I put flour and egg alternatively while mixing?(starting with egg and ending with flour).
Thanks in anticipation
Hi. (1) Each recipe is different. The flour quantity here is normal for this recipe (2) It will depend on your weather conditions and how you store the cake (3) No. The egg should be added where stated in the recipe.
Thank you terry for the reply. God bless,
No 3,I actually meant “if I omit milk”…. Guess the answer is till no….
And I just tried the recipe(with milk) was very great and melts in the mouth. Thanks a lot
Hi Terry. Thank you foranother great recipe. I consider your website a school of its own. I’m just blown away by how you patiently answer every question, even those you’d probably rather not answer. May God bless you always.
Hi Terry,
What if I just want to use eggs but no milk?
I have never tried that before.
Hi terry….its me again.
OK,heard that lemon juice and zest help can be used to preserve my vanilla cake or other types of cakes,how true is this?…how many tsp of lemon juice is cool per kg of flour?
Also,does it have any effect of the cake itself or its flavour.?
Thank you for always responding promptly.
The only use of lemon I know for in cakes is flavor. It gives cakes a lovely flavor. I am not aware of its preserving qualities.
Terry i stumbled on your site by chance & i must say its been a blessing. I ve tried your french sponge,RV & plain vanilla & the result was great. Thanks for your knowledge. You are blessed indeed.
Thanks Member. I am glad my recipes have worked for you.
Good day Terry. I would like to ask if substituting butter in your recipes with our Nigerian Topper margarine, using same measurement. Thanks in advance.
Hi. Its the same measurement.
HiTerry what happens when you use salted butter I wanna try this recipe but I don’t have unsalted butter at the moment , will the salted butter affect my results? If not what should I do to get a fine result
It will be fine. Leave out the salt in the recipe.
Hello Terry, I tried this recipe and it was really nice! I want to use try the recipe again using 10″ square pan. Do I need to double the recipe for a four layered square cake?