Homemade Vanilla Wonder: A Foolproof Cake Recipe

Baking the perfect moist vanilla cake can turn an ordinary afternoon into a delightful celebration of sweetness.

Creamy, soft, and irresistibly tender, this vanilla cake recipe promises pure dessert bliss.

Every baker dreams of creating a cake that melts in your mouth with rich, smooth flavor.

The secret lies in carefully balanced ingredients and precise mixing techniques.

Moisture is the key to an exceptional cake that keeps everyone coming back for seconds.

Bring your mixing bowls and enthusiasm, and let’s transform simple ingredients into a decadent dessert that will have everyone asking for the recipe.

This cake will be the star of any gathering, guaranteed to draw smiles and requests for seconds.

Steps To Follow For Easy Vanilla Cake

• Fire Up the Oven

Crank the oven to a toasty 350F. Grab your cake pans and give them a quick butter and flour massage to prevent sticking.

• Whip Butter and Sugar

Grab your mixer and transform butter and sugar into a fluffy cloud of deliciousness. Keep beating until the mixture looks light and dreamy.

• Introduce Eggs and Flavor

Drop eggs into the mixture one by one, giving each a good beating. Splash in vanilla for that classic sweet essence.

• Blend Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, gently mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Think of it like creating a powdery snowstorm of cake potential.

• Create Cake Harmony

Slowly marry the dry ingredients with your butter mixture. Alternate adding dry mix and milk, stirring gently. Stop mixing the moment everything looks combined.

• Prepare for Baking

Pour batter into pans, spreading it evenly with a smooth motion. Make sure the top looks nice and level.

• Bake to Perfection

Slide pans into the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center.

• Cool and Celebrate

Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Once completely cool, decorate or enjoy as is.

Easy Vanilla Cake Tips And Add-Ons

• Foolproof Baking Hacks: Soft, Fluffy Cake Every Time
• Room Temperature Magic: Pull out butter, eggs, and milk 30-60 minutes before baking to ensure smooth blending and even cake texture.
• No Cake Flour? No Problem: Create homemade cake flour by removing 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour per cup and replacing with cornstarch for lighter results.
• Dairy-Free Delight: Swap milk with almond milk, coconut milk, or even water to make the cake suitable for lactose-intolerant friends without compromising flavor.
• Flavor Boost Tricks: Enhance vanilla intensity by adding a splash of almond extract or replacing half the vanilla with bourbon-based vanilla for deeper, richer taste.
• Gluten-Free Option: Replace cake flour with a gluten-free flour blend and add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to maintain cake's soft, tender crumb.

Ideas To Serve Easy Vanilla Cake With Style

• Frosting Flourish: Create a creamy vanilla buttercream or silky cream cheese frosting to spread generously between layers and on top of the cake for a classic, indulgent finish.
• Sweet Serving Style: Dust the cake with powdered sugar or top with fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries to add a pop of color and tangy contrast to the sweet vanilla base.
• Dessert Companion: Serve slices alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for an extra luxurious and comforting dessert experience that elevates the simple cake.
• Party Perfect Presentation: Use decorative cake stands, add edible flowers, or pipe elegant frosting designs to transform this easy vanilla cake into a stunning centerpiece for birthdays, brunches, or special celebrations.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Calories: 360 kcal

Servings: 9

Easy Vanilla Cake Ingredients To Grab

• Cake Flour: Provides delicate, soft texture with lower protein content for tender crumb.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and helps create light, airy cake structure.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness.

• Butter: Delivers rich flavor and contributes to cake's tender texture, best when softened at room temperature.
• Eggs: Bind ingredients, add structure, and provide moisture to the cake.
• Milk: Creates smooth consistency and helps ingredients blend seamlessly.

• Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, classic flavor and aromatic depth, use pure vanilla for best results.
• Baking Powder: Helps cake rise and creates soft, fluffy texture, ensure it's fresh for maximum lift.

Tools To Bake Easy Vanilla Cake Right

• Electric Mixer: Essential for creaming butter and sugar, and mixing batter smoothly.
• Large Mixing Bowls: Needed for combining ingredients and mixing cake batter.
• Cake Pans: Two 9-inch round pans or one 9×13-inch rectangular pan for baking the cake.
• Whisk: Perfect for blending dry ingredients evenly.
• Spatula: Helps smooth batter in pans and scrape sides of bowls.
• Toothpick: Used to check cake doneness by testing center of cake.
• Wire Rack: Allows cakes to cool completely and evenly after baking.

How To Store Easy Vanilla Cake The Right Way

• Cake Refrigeration Strategy: Store unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate for up to one week, maintaining moisture and texture.
• Freezing Friendly Method: Wrap individual cake layers in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze flat for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before decorating, ensuring perfect freshness.
• Frosting Storage Tips: Once frosted, cover cake with a cake dome or plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 4 days. Let cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving to enhance flavor and softness.
• Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare cake batter or baked layers in advance. Unbaked batter can stay refrigerated for 24 hours, while baked layers remain fresh when properly sealed and chilled.

Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe

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• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 9 1x

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Description

Moist vanilla cake delights taste buds with classic simplicity and rich flavor. Homemade comfort shines through balanced ingredients that welcome you to enjoy each delectable slice.

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Ingredients

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• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 ¾ cups (330 grams) cake flour
• 1 cup (240 milliliters/8 fl oz) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¾ tsps baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

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Instructions

1. Oven Preparation: Calibrate oven to 350F (175C) and meticulously coat two 9-inch round cake pans or a 9×13-inch rectangular pan with grease and flour, ensuring seamless cake release.
2. Butter Creaming: Utilize an electric mixer to whip softened butter and granulated sugar into a voluminous, cloud-like consistency, creating a pale and ethereal mixture that takes approximately 4-5 minutes.
3. Egg and Flavor Integration: Gently fold eggs into the creamed mixture one at a time, ensuring complete incorporation. Introduce vanilla extract, blending until the aromatic essence permeates the batter uniformly.
4. Dry Ingredient Composition: Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt together, creating a light and airy dry ingredient foundation with minimal lumps and maximum smoothness.
5. Batter Consolidation: Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to the butter-sugar base in three and two stages respectively, beginning and concluding with dry ingredients. Fold gently to maintain batter structure, avoiding aggressive mixing that could compromise cake texture.
6. Pan Distribution and Baking: Evenly spread batter across prepared pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, confirming doneness by inserting a toothpick that emerges clean and free of raw batter.
7. Cooling Protocol: Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes, then delicately transfer to a wire cooling rack. Permit complete temperature reduction before proceeding with frosting or serving.

Notes

• Butter Temperature Matters: Ensure butter is softened at room temperature, not melted or cold, for the perfect creamy texture and even mixing.
• Gentle Mixing Technique: Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent a tough, dense cake – mix just until ingredients are combined to maintain a light, tender crumb.
• Accurate Measuring is Key: Use precise measuring cups for flour and level them off with a straight edge to guarantee the right flour-to-liquid ratio.
• Pan Preparation Tricks: Create a non-stick surface by using parchment paper in addition to greasing and flouring the pan for easy cake removal.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 9
• Calories: 360
• Sugar: 33 g
• Sodium: 150 mg
• Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 11 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 48 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 100 mg