The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

I know what you’re thinking, that is a pretty brave title. Honestly, this is the best vanilla cake recipe you will ever make. I have been on the hunt for a great vanilla cake recipe for a long time. I find that vanilla cake is either too dry, dense or doesn’t have a lot of vanilla flavour. This recipe is light and fluffy and has the perfect amount of vanilla flavour in it!

Some tips for making a great vanilla cake, bring all ingredients to room temperature, make sure you sift all of the dry ingredients, don’t over-mix the cake batter, and bake at a lower temperature. Some of these may sound crazy but I’ll break down it for each.

• Room temperature ingredients are a must, they incorporate into the other ingredients better.
• Sifting the ingredients adds air to them so it will make for a light and fluffy cake. I sifted my dry ingredients three times. Obviously, you don’t have to but I would recommend doing it once if not twice for sure.
• Over mixing the batter will make the cake denser, just mix everything until it’s just combined. If you see still some flecks of dry ingredients just stir them once or twice with a spoon before you add them to the cake pan.
• Baking at a lower temperature gives you better control over baking time. Most recipes say to bake at 350° F but I like to bake at 325°F and I make sure my oven racks are either in the middle or closer to the top just so things bake slower. There’s nothing worse than an over-baked cake.

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup whole milk

2 eggs, at room temperature

Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp of vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tbsp canola oil or any mild-flavoured oil

EASY ICING

1/2 icing sugar

473 mls of whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Grease a 6-inch round pan with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.

Add the lemon juice to the milk to sour it. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes or until curdled.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Set aside.

In another small bowl, use your fingers to work the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar. Remove any bits of the pod that may have come off with the seeds. Set aside. If you don’t have any vanilla beans, add 2 tsp of vanilla extra to the sugar and mix with a fork. It will look like wet sand.

Place a large sifter in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift. I sifted my dry ingredients three times, this may be overkill but I would sift it at least twice. This will help make your cake light and fluffy.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 30 seconds at medium speed and then gradually add the vanilla sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue beating on medium speed for another 4 minutes or until light in colour and fluffy.

Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

With the mixer still at medium speed, gradually add the eggs. If the batter curdles, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the flour to bind it back together.

At low speed, add the flour mixture and then the oil and milk; mix until just combined. Don’t overbeat. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 55 minutes. When a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed, remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake to gently release. Peel off the parchment paper from the bottom, and cool on a wire rack.

EASY ICING

On a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the whipping cream and vanilla until it is starting to thicken.

Slowly add the icing sugar. I only use 1/2 a cup cause I don’t like it too sweet, but add more if you like it sweeter.

Print Pin

Vanilla Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, Vanilla, Vanilla Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp canola oil or any mild-flavored oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Grease a 6-inch round pan with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.
• Add the lemon juice to the milk to sour it. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes or until curdled.
• In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Set aside.
• In another small bowl, use your fingers to work the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar. Remove any bits of the pod that may have come off with the seeds. Set aside. If you don't have any vanilla beans, add 2 tsp of vanilla extra to the sugar and mix with a fork. It will look like wet sand.
• Place a large sifter in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift. I sifted my dry ingredients three times, this may be overkill but I would sift it at least twice. This will help make your cake light and fluffy.
• Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 30 seconds at medium speed and then gradually add the vanilla sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue beating on medium speed for another 4 minutes or until light in color and fluffy.
• Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
• With the mixer still at medium speed, gradually add the eggs. If the batter curdles, add1 to 2 tablespoons of the flour to bind it back together.
• At low speed, add the flour mixture and then the oil and milk; mix until just combined. Don’t overbeat. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 55 minutes. When a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed, remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake to gently release. Peel off the parchment paper from the bottom, and cool on a wire rack.