Description
This Soft Vanilla Cake recipe delivers a tender and moist cake with a light crumb, complemented by a creamy American-style vanilla buttercream frosting. Perfect for celebrations or a sweet treat, this cake is carefully crafted with a balance of butter, oil, and buttermilk to achieve its softness and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Vanilla Cake
- 2¼ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavoured vegetable oil (canola oil recommended)
- 1⅔ cups (332 g) white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1¼ tbsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1½ cups (337 g) buttermilk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar (icing/confectioners’ sugar)
- 1½ tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1½ tbsp milk or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Tins: Preheat your oven to 165 °C (330°F) with the fan on for even baking. Grease and/or line two 8-inch cake tins using your preferred method to prevent sticking.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk them together to combine evenly and set aside.
- Cream Butter, Oil and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter, vegetable oil, and sugar together for 2 minutes until the mixture appears light and creamy.
- Add Eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the creamed mixture, mixing well for 10-15 seconds between each egg to ensure full incorporation.
- Add Vanilla, Vinegar, and Half Buttermilk: Mix in the vanilla essence, white vinegar, and half a cup of the buttermilk until combined. Set the mixer aside for the next steps.
- Fold Dry Ingredients and Remaining Buttermilk: Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Then fold in the remaining 1 cup of buttermilk until just combined. Finally, fold in the remaining dry ingredients. Avoid overmixing to prevent gluten development that could toughen the cake.
- Divide Batter and Bake: Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cake tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cake Layers: Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 15-20 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
- Prepare Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: In a stand mixer bowl, add the powdered sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and milk or cream. Begin mixing on low speed with the paddle attachment until the ingredients are just combined, about 1 minute. Increase to medium-high speed and continue mixing for 10 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through to achieve a smooth and fluffy consistency.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cake layers are completely cool, frost them evenly with the prepared vanilla buttercream or your preferred frosting.
Notes
- You can substitute the all purpose flour and cornstarch with 325 g cake flour for a lighter texture.
- When using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for initial mixing and switch to folding by hand for the final batter mixing to avoid overmixing.
- Gently folding in dry ingredients prevents overdevelopment of gluten, resulting in a softer cake texture. Mix only until flour streaks disappear.
- This American-style buttercream is sweeter but uses less icing sugar than traditional recipes. For a less sweet option, try Swiss meringue or French buttercream.
- If your oven does not have a fan function, increase the baking temperature to 175°C (347°F) to bake the cake properly.
- Homemade buttermilk substitutes may require reducing the quantity to about 1¼ cups (275 g) for best results, as store-bought buttermilk is thicker.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
