The BEST Vanilla Cake Recipe

4.69 from 392 votes

The BEST Vanilla Cake Recipe

This Classic Vanilla Cake pairs fluffy vanilla cake layers with a silky vanilla buttercream. The perfect cake for birthdays, weddings, or any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 35

Total Time 2 35

Servings

Calories 694kcal

Author Olivia

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk or whole milk, room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream:

6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

Assembly:

confetti sprinkles
nonpareils

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Vanilla Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (about 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
Bake for 30-35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack.

Vanilla Buttercream:

Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)
Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
Add vanilla and whip until smooth.

Assembly:

Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layer and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth with a bench scraper.
If desired, use a decorating comb to give texture to the sides.***
Mix confetti and nonpareils in a small bowl. Press sprinkles gently along the bottom of the cake and sprinkle along the top. For the speckled sides, I grabbed a pinch of sprinkles and tossed them randomly at the sides.
Pipe rosettes using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting.

Notes

Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.

* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease-free or your meringue won't stiffen.

** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.

*** I used the left side of the one on the left pictured here.

Nutrition

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