Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
A soft, moist vanilla layer cake with a tender, buttery crumb and fluffy vanilla buttercream, made with buttermilk and a little oil so it stays moist.
20% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 27 min
- Resting
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 12
- Calories
- 695
- Protein
- 6 g
- Per serving
- $1.02
Why this recipe works
This is the birthday cake: two even layers, a flavor everyone likes and a frosting that pipes cleanly. Weighing the flour is the biggest single help, because too much flour is the usual reason a homemade vanilla cake turns out dry.
- Butter brings the flavor while a little oil keeps the cake soft and moist after it cools, even the next day.
- Buttermilk's acidity tenderizes the crumb and reacts with the baking soda for a fine, even rise.
- Beating the butter and sugar for a full 3 minutes traps the air that makes the cake light rather than dense.
Ingredients
For the cake
For the frosting
You will need
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Stand or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Offset spatula
- Wire rack
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Prepare the pans
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment.
Cream
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Mix
On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two, starting and ending with flour. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain.
Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake until golden and springy and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool
Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely, about 1½ hours.
Make the buttercream and frost
Beat the butter until very pale, 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and salt on low, then the cream and vanilla, and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Fill and frost the cooled layers.
Cook's notes
- Spoon the flour into the cup and level it, or weigh it (313 g). Scooping straight from the bag packs in up to a quarter more.
- Room-temperature eggs and buttermilk keep the batter smooth; cold ones make the butter seize into lumps.
- For a 9x13-inch sheet cake, bake the same batter for 35 to 40 minutes and use about two thirds of the buttercream.
Nutrition per serving
695 calories
$1.02 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 3% of calories | 6 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 52% of calories | 91 g |
| Fat | 45% of calories | 35 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 550 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Why is my vanilla cake dry?
Usually too much flour or too long in the oven. Weigh the flour and start checking 5 minutes before the time given.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes, this recipe is written for all-purpose flour. Cake flour gives an even finer, softer crumb; use the same weight.
Can I make vanilla cake without buttermilk?
Yes. Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into 1¼ cups of milk and let it stand for 5 minutes, or use plain yogurt thinned with a little milk.
