If you want to make the best Fluffy Vanilla Cake Recipe ever, then this is the recipe for you. Spongy, fluffy, moist and tasty for days. Did I mention its also easy and quick to make? Lets get started :)
If you prepare the following items in advance, you wont have to stress during the baking.
You will need the following utensils handy.1) Two Mixing Bowls2) A Stand or Hand Mixer3) Two 8 inch or 20 cm baking tins, greased and lined with baking paper.4) A Rubber or Silicon Spatula5) A Table Spoon6) A Small to Medium sized Saucepan7) Cake Turntable8) Bench Scraper9) Serrated Bench scraper
1) Preheat the oven at 175C or 350F2) Grease your baking tins, optionally line them with parchment paper for an easier removal after baking.
Vanilla Cake Batter Preparation
Combine all the dry ingredients in a whisking bowl, whisk lightly together and set aside.
Cream the room temperature Eggs for 5 to 6 minutes until light and fluffy. Keep a medium speed, don't whisk at high speed to keep fluffy and not too stiff. Slowly add the sugar 1/4th at a time. Whisk for another 6-7 minutes until white, creamy and fluffy.
In the saucepan, melt the butter and buttermilk together. Don't let the mixture boil, stop it just before it does.
Pour the mixture in a heatproof mixing bowl. Before it cools down, add one cup of egg/sugar mixture and whisk quickly until smooth and combined. Now whisk in the remaining egg/sugar mixture and add the remaining wet ingredients (vanilla extract, vegetable oil)
Carefully fold in the dry ingredients until just combined, DO NOT over mix as this will create more gluten which in turn will make your cake less fluffy. Once combined, shake and bang the mixture 3-4 times to get any excess air bubbles out of the batter.
Split the mixture evenly between the two baking tins, wrap the wet baking belt around the baking tins and place in the oven. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean when you stick it in the cakes centre.
Remove the cake from the baking tin and let it cool completely to room temperature. It's important that the cake is not even warm when you add the icing.
Vanilla Buttercream
In a mixing bowl and using a hand or stand mixer, whisk the butter until its light and fluffy. Slowly add the powder sugar 2-3 tablespoons at a time and whisk until creamy and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and whisk for 7-8 minutes until white, light and fluffy.
Assemble
To get a perfectly flat cake you will need to level the top of both cake layers by cutting off the dome. There are a few methods for this. You can either use a large breadknife and slowly cut around the sides at an even height. You can also use tooth floss, using a long enough piece, wrap it around the cake at the edge of the dome. Slowly pull left and right in a saw motion until it cuts through the dome of the cake.
Add 3-4 scooped tablespoons of buttercream on the top of the bottom layer. Using a confectionary angles pallet knife spread evenly to approximately 1 cm thickness. Now carefully add the 2nd cake layer.
Next add a very thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides of the cake. Using a bench scraper scrap off the buttercream. leaving a thin layer on the top and sides of the cake. Place in the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes. This layer of icing will keep any crumbs from mixing in to the rest of the buttercream.
Once the crumb layer has set, add the remaining vanilla buttercream on the top and sides of the cake. Using your serrated bench scraper, turn the cake and evenly scrape creating the icing pattern depicted. Set aside to cool. Voila.