Perfect Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream
If I had to use only one word to describe this vanilla cake it would be flavorful. Yes, it’s also moist and rich, with a tender, fluffy crumb that’s somewhere between a chiffon and butter cake. But, what really sets this cake apart is its flavor.
If you’re looking for a go-to vanilla cake recipe for wedding cakes, birthday cakes, shower cakes, anniversary cakes, or just because cakes, that will have everyone who tastes it coming back for more, this is it.
{Recipe originally published in 2015. Updated in 2019.}
This has been my go-to vanilla cake recipe for years and years because it’s just so dang delicious. It’s sturdy enough to hold up to whatever fillings and frostings you throw at it, the layers always rise beautifully, with a nice flat top that makes stacking and decorating a cinch, and – most importantly – in the hundreds of times I’ve served this cake, everyone always LOVES it. Always. Because, as I said, it’s so dang delicious.
Here’s what makes this cake so delicious: butter, buttermilk, egg yolks, plenty of vanilla extract and the tiniest hint of lemon and nutmeg.
What’s the difference between white cake and vanilla cake?
Most white cake recipes are focused on creating a cake that is super white. These recipes call for using all egg whites, a colorless fat like vegetable shortening or oil, and very little (if any) vanilla extract. Egg yolks, butter, and vanilla might contribute a lot of flavor to cakes, but they also affect the color of the batter. So, if you want a super white cake, you really have to leave them out.
Personally, I could care less about how white my cake is. I just want it to taste good. And that’s why this recipe is for a Vanilla Cake not a White Cake.
Is this vanilla cake still white? Yes. But, it’s more of a warm white than a white-white. The recipe includes butter, a few whole eggs and a large amount of vanilla, because flavor, flavor, flavor.
It also contains a smidge of nutmeg and lemon extract, because they accentuate the vanilla and give the cake a warm, rich flavor. You can, of course, leave the lemon and nutmeg out. But, I beg you to bake this cake just once with both of those lovely ingredients left in the batter even if you aren’t crazy about lemon or nutmeg, or both.
The recipe only calls for 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and a 1/2 tsp of lemon extract. You could get away with adding as little as 1/8 tsp of nutmeg and 1/4 tsp of lemon extract. Either way, the point of adding them is not to make this cake taste like a lemon or nutmeg cake. We are still baking a vanilla cake.
The lemon and nutmeg just make this cake taste like a better, more flavorful vanilla cake. They add a touch of brightness and warmth that will have people telling you it’s the best vanilla cake they’ve ever had. Who doesn’t want to bake something that is the best your guests ever had???
Here’s the bottom line about the whole white cake vs vanilla cake issue: If you have someone who asks you to make a white cake, they are very rarely saying that the whiteness of the cake is the most important thing to them. Most of the time, they are asking for a really good vanilla cake. It’s just that we use the terms “white cake” and “vanilla cake” interchangeably.
So, by all means clarify what they’re really after. But, most people will prioritize kick-ass flavor in their cakes over the color any day.
The Magic of Buttermilk in Cakes
Buttermilk is truly a magical ingredient in baking. First of all, remember the whole flavor soapbox I just stepped off of? Well, I’m stepping back on, because one of the main reasons to use buttermilk in cake is because it adds flavor.
Many recipes that call for buttermilk, like Red Velvet Cake or super fluffy blueberry pancakes, also contain baking soda. Baking soda is a leavener that will help baked goods rise IF it’s paired with an acid, like buttermilk.
Baking powder, on the other hand, is a leavener that includes baking soda PLUS acid. To activate it, all you need to do is add a liquid – acidic or not.
This vanilla cake recipe uses buttermilk AND baking powder. Sooo… what the heck? The buttermilk in this cake is not added to help the cake rise. The baking powder (and beaten egg whites) have that covered. What it does do is contribute flavor and a super tender texture to the baked cake.
Baking soda has a neutralizing effect on the acid in buttermilk, which means you loose some of the tangy flavor it would otherwise contribute. Sometimes, this is exactly what you want. And sometimes you want aaaallll that flavor to come shining through.
In this vanilla cake, the buttermilk adds a lovely complex flavor to the batter that I didn’t want to mute AT ALL. By using all baking powder, the acid in the buttermilk is free to add a powerful flavor boost while creating a soft, tender crumb.
The secret to baking a cake with a super fluffy, soft, and tender crumb.
There are a lot of different methods for mixing cake batter, all of them serving a purpose. This recipe uses beaten egg whites, stabilized with a bit of sugar, to add air to the batter. That extra air helps leaven the cake and also gives it a super soft, fluffy texture.
When you whip egg whites, the proteins in the whites unfold and then reattach to each other in a way that traps moisture. This process not only helps keep this cake moist, it also keeps the proteins from contributing to the structure of the cake so that the texture is extra tender and soft.
Simply separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the sugar, beating as you pour. Continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the whisk from the beaten egg whites.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter very gently so that you retain as much air as possible.
This recipe will give you three OR four vanilla cake layers or 24-36 cupcakes.
Generally, when I bake this vanilla cake, I opt for three thick layers. But, four thinner layers is also an excellent choice. However many layers you bake, try to bake them all at once. As I mentioned above, adding liquid to baking powder activates it’s rising power. If batter is allowed to sit out for a while before baking, some of the gasses produced by baking powder to help your cakes rise, will escape from the batter and result in a cake that doesn’t rise quite as high.
If you prefer cupcakes, you’ll get somewhere between 24 and 36 from this recipe, depending on how full you fill your cupcake tin.
The endless number of frosting and filling options.
Most of the time, when I bake this cake, I stick to filling the layers and frosting the cake with Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream. It’s one of those gorgeously classic combinations that’s difficult to beat.
Even still, I sometimes fill the layers with my favorite pastry cream, strawberry rhubarb jam or peach preserves.
This cake also pairs well with pretty much any variety of flavored version of Italian Meringue Buttercream – fresh berry, lemon, chocolate, caramel, and coconut maple buttercream are just a few of my favorites. Sometimes I flavor only part of a batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream, filling the layers with the flavored version and keeping the outside frosted in vanilla buttercream. Other times, I frost and fill with whatever flavor strikes my fancy.
This cake is also delicious frosted with Classic American Buttercream, which only takes about 5 minutes to make and is silky smooth and flavorful thanks to the additions of butter and heavy cream.
The only thing I’d be cautious of when deciding how to fill and frost this vanilla cake is adding fresh fruit. Fruit jam, preserves, or fruit flavored buttercream work really well. But, fresh fruit generally contains too much moisture. As the moisture leaks out of the fruit, it can soak into the cake layers making them kind of soggy and even causing the layers to slip, toppling your cake over.
If you want to serve this cake with fresh fruit, I’d suggesting adding it as an accompaniment when serving. A spoonful of fresh berries that have been tossed in a bit of sugar and lemon juice is divine served alongside a thick slice of vanilla cake.
Used in this Vanilla Cake recipe:
- Wilton Cake Pan, 8-inches by 3-inches
- Angled Icing Spatula
- KitchenAid 6-Quart Professional Mixer
- Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Sprinkles!
Other favorite layer cake recipes:
- Gluten Free Vanilla Layer Cake
- Funfetti Cake
- Lemon Layer Cake with Blackberry Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream and Caramel Rum Sauce
- Chocolate Blackout Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Classic Red Velvet Cake
- Perfect Devil’s Food Cake
- Champagne Cake with Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Perfect Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Caramel Cake with Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Gluten Free Caramel Cake
This Vanilla Cake Recipe is a Building Block Recipe. Building Blocks are tried-and-true recipes that I find myself coming back to time and time again, sometimes to make them exactly as is, and sometimes as a starting point for something new. -> More Building Block Recipes.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
Happy baking!
The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 large slices
Print Recipe
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If you’re looking for a go-to vanilla cake recipe for wedding cakes, birthday cakes, shower cakes, anniversary cakes, or just because cakes, that will have everyone who tastes it coming back for more, this is it.
Ingredients
- 4 whole eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
- ¾ cup butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup shortening
- 1 tbs pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 3 cups cake flour (To make cake flour, replace 2 tbsp of flour with cornstarch per cup. So, for this recipe, add all the flour to a bowl, remove 6 tbsp and then add 6 tbsp of cornstarch. Whisk well to combine.)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 1 cup buttermilk, full fat, at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325. Grease and flour three or four 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper that is also slathered with a bit of butter or shortening.
- Separate the 4 whole eggs, placing the 4 yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a separate medium
size bowl. Add the 3 additional egg whites to the other 4 for a total of 7 egg whites. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the sugar, beating as you pour. Continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the whisk from the beaten egg whites. Set aside. - Fit the standing mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the butter, shortening and remaining 2 cups of sugar until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl a time or two. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
- Add 2 of the egg yolks and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining 2 egg yolks, beat for about 20 seconds, until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg to a large bowl and mix with a wire whisk just to combine.
- Beating on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour: 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour. With each addition, beat on low speed, just long enough to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter just until incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. If baking 3 layers, bake for 40-50 min. If baking four layers, bake for 30-35 minutes. When done, the cakes will be golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan. To check for doneness, stick a toothpick into the center of one of the layers. Remove the toothpick and look for signs of raw batter. If only cake crumbs stick to the toothpick, the cake is done. You can also scoop a tiny amount of cake from the center of one of the layers to check for doneness. (You’ll be covering the cake with frosting anyway.)
- Let the cakes cool on wire racks for 5 minutes in the pan, then gently turn them out of the pans onto the wire racks to cool completely. If you don’t plan on frosting the layers immediately, wrap each tightly with plastic wrap. The layers can be stored at room temperature for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Frost with Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream, or Classic American Buttercream.
Keywords: cake, layer cake, birthday cake recipe, vanilla cake, white cake, Italian Meringue Buttercream
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Wow that looks so good!! Definitely going to give it a try 😀
After you make it, let me know how you like it Catherine! xoxo
I want to make a square 16inch two layer Cake can you advice the adjustments to the present recipe ingredients measurements?
Hmmm…. I’d suggest making a recipe and a half. This might make a bit too much, but you can always make a few cupcakes if you have any leftover batter. Cupcakes made from leftover batter are the bakers reward! 🙂
Thanks for posting!! My version was delicious but dry and it deflated in the center……I did make one substitution of sour cream for buttermilk because that’s what I had on hand. Any recommendations? Did you post low altitude conversions?? Thank you so much!!
Hmmm… There are a few reasons for a cake that’s on the dry side and sinks in the center. The substitution of sour cream for buttermilk might have actually been the reason for both. You can substitute sour cream for buttermilk, but it helps to thin the sour cream out with a bit of milk. Having enough moisture in the batter is especially important at low altitudes. There are different moisture levels in sour cream and buttermilk – sour cream having a bit less moisture. Adding a couple tablespoons of milk can help balance the moisture differences.
Another reason that cakes sink in the center is over beating the batter. Beating the batter too much, or too vigorously, strengthens the gluten structures too much and beats air into the batter, which can cause the cake to rise too much and then fall. When adding flour mixture, alternating with the liquid, make sure to beat the batter on medium-low speed, just until each addition is incorporated.
A couple of other tips: You can increase the moisture in a cake (especially at low altitude) by adding an additional 2-3 tablespoons of sugar to the batter. You can also brush a baked and cooled cake with sugar syrup to increase moisture: Simply boil 2 tbsp sugar in 1/4 cup of water until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and set aside to cool before brushing on the cake.
You might try adding an additional teaspoon of baking powder to the batter.
I haven’t published low altitude instructions for any of the cakes on this blog simply because I’d have to travel somewhere to test them. Not that I’m opposed to heading to the coast in the name of testing a cake recipe! 🙂 Having said that, thanks to your comment, I’ve been thinking that I might add “low altitude” suggestions to some of the recipes on this blog. Hopefully that will be helpful to those of you who don’t live at 5200 feet above sea level! Regardless, I really appreciate your comment and your suggestion. I also hope you’ll try this cake again and that these ideas help your next cake turn out perfectly! xoxo
After reading this I’m wondering if you’ve addressed my issue with the baking and denseness of the cakes. Now I did 3 6in layers so my layers were think, and because of this I cooked them longer than recommended BUT I didn’t realize you were baking at a higher altitude. (I am def not in the mts haha.) Also I was concerned when I folded in the egg whites because it too much more work than I expected to fold them into the thick batter and in tern made me worried I overmixed it. Which I think I did. My cake layers were nice and level though and the flavor was delicious. My cupcakes sunk in the middle when cooling and even though I cooked them to what I felt was a long time, some seemed uncooked still once cooled.
Any tips? Again, flavor was delicious, consistency was my issue I think!
Hello again! It sounds like your cake layers turned out well, but the cupcakes not so much. My favorite method for baking cupcakes is to bake them for 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 to finish them up. The higher temperature at the start gives them a nice initial rise. I’d suggest trying that if you make cupcakes with this recipe again. That should take care of the sinking problem. One other tweak might help: Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the sugar into the egg whites as you beat them. This should stabilize them and make it easier to fold them into the batter later. I’ve actually considered making this change to the recipe itself. If that helps keep your cupcakes from sinking, will you let me know?
I was looking for something to make for my hubby’s birthday coming up. This cake will be perfect! Pinned
Your husband is a lucky man! Please let me know what you both think of this cake! xo
★★★★★
After frosting and placing in the fridge until ready to serve, does this cake need to stand out at room temperature before serving?
It’s good either way, Lynda. It’s really just personal preference. I do prefer the flavor of the cake and the frosting at room temperature, simply because the frosting is soft and creamy, and the flavor of the cake is a bit more “open”… but it tastes great straight out of the refrigerator as well. Good luck! And please let me know how you like this cake! xoxo
I’ve been baking since I was a teen and I have to say this cake is absolutely, positively, off the charts awesome! I’ve saved this recipe believe me because I’ve been searching for a perfect “white cake.” This cake has the absolute perfect and incredibly tasty light brown crust. A cake so good, believe it or not we couldn’t stop eating it. In fact the tender golden crust was so good we ended up not even frosting it! Thank you so much for this perfect recipe!!
William, you have just made my day! I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate your generosity in taking the time to let me know how much you enjoy this cake. Thank you so much! Happy Baking! xoxo
Making this this weekend with your italian buttercream. Wish me luck!
That’s awesome, Pam! How did they turn out for you?
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I made this cake as part of my son’s birthday cake for yesterday and everyone who had the vanilla raved about it. I may use a little less nutmeg in future uses, as I am not a huge fan of the spice, but it does add a tastiness to the cake that I believe would be missing without it. Mine was not as tall as yours, but the three layers was what I was looking for and I was so happy to only have to do one batter!! Thank you again!!!
Thank you so much for your comment Katherine! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the cake and am so thankful that you took the time to let me know! xoxo
I have been seeking a perfect recipe for quite some time. When no one reviews a recipe, it is hard to know if it is trustworthy. Thank you again.
Hi, I have been looking for a really great vanilla cake recipe for a while. I just made cupcakes from this recipe (without the nutmeg due to guests allergies)and it is absolutely delicious! It is very sweet by itself and does have a slightly stronger lemon flavor than I wanted so I will use 2 cups of sugar instead of 3 (since the icing will be sweet) and less of the lemon extract. I love how moist it is inside and sturdy on the outside. Great recipe! Thanks!
Charissa, I cannot tell you how happy comments like this make me! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this comment. I love that you are adapting this recipe to suite your tastes! Happy baking!
I was looking for the best vanilla cake and I found it! I made it today end it came out with nice color on the top of the cake. It looks like the cake box cake. Is a little sweet by itself – am doing the same as other people – 2 cups of sugar. I love how moist it is inside. Thank you! Can I make this cake chocolate?
★★★★★
So glad you like this recipe Harry! In answer to your question about making this a chocolate cake, I’d suggest you just try this recipe, which is my family’s favorite chocolate cake: http://ofbatteranddough.com/the-ultimate-chocolate-cake-with-rum-custard-and-sugared-almonds/
Make it with the rum custard, almonds and chocolate ganache if you like – or just make the cake. It’s delicious with all the bells and whistles or completely unadorned. If you try it, let me know what you think! xo
Help help!
When the eggs are added, does it include egg whites too?
Hi Blanca! Yes – sorry, that’s not very clear in the instructions is it? I’m going to update the recipe to make that more clear now, but add the whole eggs and the egg whites in step #3. After you make it, let me know how you like it! xo
Can you wrap this cake in fondant?
Yes – I don’t see why not. Frost the cake with a semi-thin layer of the Italian Meringue Buttercream before covering with fondant. It should be lovely!
Your cake was delicious! Thank you for being my friend, neighbor, and culinary hero! If you ever move, I’m moving with you!
★★★★★
Awww… thank you! I’ll tell Steve our next home must include room for you. xo
My sister loves strawberry and vanilla cake! It will be her 23rd birthday this weekend and I was wondering if you had a great strawberry filling recipe that would compliment this wonderful recipe? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi Keilani! Strawberry filling would be divine! Here’s what I suggest… Fresh Berry Italian Meringue Buttercream: Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add about 1/3 of a cup of berry puree to every 2 cups of buttercream, adding the puree a little at a time and beating well after each addition. You can frost and fill the cake with the strawberry buttercream, or make the vanilla buttercream, portion some out for the filling and just add the strawberry puree to that. I’ve made this berry version of Italian Meringue Buttercream with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries – they are all delicious! Let me know how everyone likes it – and Happy Birthday to your sister!
Sound delicious. I will try this cake because I haven’t found a vanilla cake that’s really moist and yummy. I will let you know my comments after I bake it.
This cake is awesome! The nutmeg reminds me of pumpkin pie. I’m a kid and I made this for Mother’s Day (even though it was a week ago.) My mom loved it and I liked it. Your an awesome cook, Rebecca! ????????
★★★★★
How sweet of you to have baked a cake for your Mom! I’m very impressed an so glad it was a success! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you and your Mom enjoyed this cake and please let me know if you ever have questions or recipe requests. xoxo
Nice recipe but for some reason, right before the time is up and it’s done, the sides of the cake stay elevated but the middle deflates a bit. When it’s baking and rising, it’s perfect. This happens right before it’s ready to come out.
Hmmm…. where are you located, Sandra? Elevation and humidity might be the culprits. I developed the recipe in Colorado, so depending on where you are in the world, we might need to make a couple of adjustments.
I made this recipe today and the same thing happened, the middle totally deflated. I am in Colorado. at 4982 ft in altitude. I pulled the recommendations on cake is to add extra eggs to increase liquids preferably egg whites. Would you suggest this? Other than that the flavor is amazing.
★★★★★
Hmmmm…. Well, first of all, I’m sorry your cake sunk, Tammy. That can be super frustrating. I’m in Colorado as well, so I don’t think it’s an altitude issue. You could certainly try adding another egg. That might totally help. However, I suspect you might be over beating the batter a bit. Beating the batter too much, or too vigorously, strengthens the gluten structures too much and beats air into the batter, which can cause the cake to rise too much and then fall. When adding flour mixture, alternating with the liquid, make sure to beat the batter on medium-low speed, just until each addition is incorporated.
I’m glad you like the flavor of this cake! If this ever happens to you again, with any cake, one option is to cut the sunken center out of the cooled cake and fill it with fruit, pudding, whipped cream or custard. Please let me know if you bake this cake again. xo
I loved this cake so much that I made one of my sisters wedding cake and iced this with a strawberry white chocolate Swiss merengue. It was Devine!!! Cake was lemony and I only added half of the nutmeg. The cake reminded me of a strawberry lemonade cake. Everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing a great recipe.
★★★★★
That sounds like an amazing combination! I just might have to try that one of these days. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Can you use all butter instead of the shortening?
Hi Trish! I think the cake will turn out fine using all butter – it just might be slightly more dense. I used half butter and half shorting because I wanted the flavor of butter, but shorting contributes more moisture than butter. Shortening also makes this already dense cake a bit lighter. Having said all that, the difference is slight, so if you would prefer to use all butter, I’m sure the cake will come out just fine. xo
Hi Rebecca, instead of using the shortening, can I just replace with butter? Will it work? Thanks!
Hi Jenn! I think the cake will turn out fine using all butter – it just might be slightly more dense. I used half butter and half shorting because I wanted the flavor of butter, but shorting contributes more moisture than butter. Shortening also makes this already dense cake a bit lighter. Having said all that, the difference is slight, so if you would prefer to use all butter, I’m sure the cake will come out just fine. xo
Just made this cake and it tasted amazing. One question I had is that when I took a bite it just seemed very heavy and dense. And I’m a big cake eater so I usually opt for a bigger or second slice. But since it was heavy it kinda made me feel full. What causes it to be this way. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Stephanie! So glad you like the flavor of this vanilla cake! To answer your question – this recipe does make a pretty substantial cake. If you think of angle food cake on one end of the spectrum and a rich pound cake on the other, this vanilla cake would definitely fall on the side of the pound cake. However, one thing to be cautious of is how vigorously you are beating the flour. When alternating the addition of the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients, be sure to mix just long enough to incorporate each addition. Once the flour has been added, beating too vigorously can cause the flour’s gluten to develop too much, resulting in an even more dense structure. I hope that helps! Happy baking! xo
Yes that helps a lot. Thank you so much. I think I might have beat the flour to much which caused it to be even more dense.
What in the recipe causes the cake to be more on the pound cake side rather then angel food cake side.
Mostly the different is the amount of fat in the recipe. Pound cake is traditionally made with a generous amount of butter, while angel food cake contains none. The addition of fat creates a more dense and moist consistency.
This looks and sounds amazing!! I have 2 questions for you:
1st could I swap out the shortening for coconut oil? I try to stay away from refined hydronated oils/ shortenings as much as possible (OK 99% of the time). Or would I just be better off going the all butter route that others mentioned?
And second question, have you tried making this recipe on a larger scale? My good friend is getting married in a few weeks, and I am making her wedding cake, as her gift. <3
I was going to go with my "ole standby" which I love!! But she wants a "naked cake" so I am thinking I need something that is a bit denser, but not quite pound cake….so it holds its moisture better, since it won't be wrapped in a nice "blanket" of S.M. (or Italian) B.C! 🙂
She is not a huge "sweets fan", but loves decadent, rich flavors/foods…so I think I will take the advice from other commenter and cut back on the sugar. I am adding a Meyer lemon curd as well as the meringue between the layers, and also lemon zest/oil and a hint of lavender to the cake as well. But I am wondering if everything can just be mutliplied out, fairly straightforwardly, or if there are further adjustment's I should consider. The cake I am making will be for approx 150 people. I am planning on a 4 tier round cake, 8, 10, 12, 14.(2" sides, double layers)
Any advice you have will be greatly appreciated!! 🙂 Thanks so much!!
Hi Christy! You should be able to use coconut oil instead of shortening in this recipe as long as the oil is solid at room temperature and not melted. Coconut oil will change the flavor slightly and might affect the rise… So, I’d suggest cutting the recipe in half and making a small cake to test it. If you’re not happy with the result, just use all butter the next time you bake this cake. Also, I have made this cake in a variety of sizes, from cupcakes to a 16 inch round. You shouldn’t have to make any adjustments to the measurements – just make more batter. 🙂 Lemon and lavender in this cake will be divine! Also, this cake freezes really well, if you wanted to make the layers in advance. Just wrap each layer in plastic wrap and then in foil. Best of luck with the wedding cake! Let me know how everything turns out! xoxo
Fantastic! So excited! Thank you for the quick response! I sure will let you know how it turns out! (Wedding is on the 26th of June)! 🙂 Looking forward to making it! Great idea to make a smaller- “taster cake” with the coconut oil- my hubby and kiddos, I am quite sure, will be very happy to be my testers!! 😉 ( I am sadly (in moments like these) grain free- so my tastings are just to taste for flavors and texture, I try hard not to eat more then a T. worth- or my body gets very upset with me. This one, will be hard to resist going for a 2nd T though!! 😉
I just wanted to ‘stop on back’ and let you know that the wedding cake was perfect! Total success!! Your recipe is awesome! The coconut oil worked beautifully! I didn’t add the nutmeg, instead I added the lemon and a “kiss” of lavender. I also made my homemade lemon curd to go in between the layers, and a lemon Swiss buttercream. The cake was a “naked cake” was OUTSIDE (didn’t know this ahead of time-agh!) In late June, in the south!! And it hung in there like a champ! It stayed moist and the crumb was awesome!! I am trying to figure out how or if I can post a picture of it, for you to see?! Anyway everyone loved it. The wedding g was 170 guests and I made a 4 tiered cake 8, 10, 12, 14… and all that was left of it at the end, was the equivalent to the 8 in cake size!! So basically it was gone! So thank you very much for creating this wonderful recipe and double thank you for sharing it!! 🙂 Big ((((Hugs!!!)))) To you!! I will be using it again for another wedding cake in early Oct, and most likely all my vanilla/white cake orders!!
★★★★★
Hi Rebecca & Cristy,
I am making this cake as a gift for my dear cousin’s wedding in September. Did you double or triple the recipe for your layers? I plan on making a 6, 8, & 10 in tiered cake. 2 of each round.
Thanks!
Anna
Hi there Anna! This recipe will make three good sized 8-inch layers or two large 8-inch layers. So, the amount of batter you will need depends on how tall you want your layers. For a cake as important as a wedding cake, I’d suggest going with tall layers. That way, if for some reason the top sinks a bit, you can just cut of the top of the layer and still end up with a good sized cake. If you agree, I believe you’ll need to triple this recipe.
One suggestion: Unless you are able to bake all the layers at once, I’d mix up the batter in two batches: 1 1/2 recipe to bake both layers for the 8-inch and 6-inch cakes. Then mix up another 1 1/2 recipe of batter to bake the 10 inch cake. (If you have any leftover batter, make a few cupcakes.) The reason I’d suggest not mixing all the batter at once is because the baking powder will start to work as soon as it touches the wet ingredients. I’m afraid that if you mixed up all the batter at once, the evening power of the baking powder would be much diminished by the time you got to the last layers.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! I’d love to know how the cake turns out! xoxo
Hi Christy! I don’t know how this happened, but I somehow missed your amazing comment about last year’s wedding cake until today! I am so sorry! Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how happy it makes me that you are enjoying this recipe. I also just love the idea of adding lemon and lavender as flavorings. I am most certainly going to try that! If you would still like to send a picture, I would LOVE to see it. You can send it to rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com, or post it directly to the Of Batter and Dough Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/bakingwithbatteranddough/
Again, so sorry for the extremely delayed response and THANK YOU so much for taking the time to let me know how much you like this recipe! xoxo
Mmmm !!!!! I love this recipe! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I tried this recipe today and it turned out great. I didn’t use any shortening, I just used butter for the recipe and it still became brilliant. This is the first time that I did a layered cake covered with your recipe of vanilla italian buttercream, and I’m very happy with the result. ????
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Yeah! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Stephanie! Thank YOU for taking the time to let me know. Comments like this just make my day! xoxo
By the way, can I use this for chocolate cake? I have seen your recipe for chocolate cake, but then, I dont prefer using cinnamon and coconut oil.
Hi Stephanie! With a few modifications, I’m sure this vanilla cake recipe could be used as the basis for a chocolate cake… however, the recipe I have published here for Chocolate Cake is so good, I’d actually encourage you to try it. You could substitute coconut oil for the canola oil and just leave out the cinnamon. If you want, you could also substitute instant espresso powder for the cinnamon. When used sparingly, both cinnamon and espresso complement the flavor of the chocolate without competing with it. Or, just bake it without either! 🙂 http://ofbatteranddough.com/the-ultimate-chocolate-cake-with-rum-custard-and-sugared-almonds/
Hi there ,this cake looks so good! I wanted to make one but I’m not sure of what brand of shortening , can you recommend a specific brand? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jean! It doesn’t really matter what brand of shortening you use. I usually just buy the store brand! Just make sure it says “All Vegetable Shortening”. Let me know how the cake comes out for you! xo
Hi, this cake baked real good. The sides were perfect. The only thing about it I would do differently is add less sugar. I only put two cups and it was still too sweet maybe only 1 or 1 1/2 cups next time.
So glad the cake came out well for you! Certainly do some experimenting to adjust the level of sweetness. The only thing I would caution you on is this: sugar not only contributes to the level of sweetness in baked goods, it adds moisture. To compensate you could add an extra egg yolk or about 1/4 cup of plain unsweetened yogurt to the batter along with the milk. I haven’t tested this recipe with either of those substitutions, but I believe they won’t change the texture, flavor or rise of the cake and will compensate for the reduction in sugar. Happy baking! xo
Hi 🙂
I just wanted to say thank you for the recipe! The flavour was incredible and everyone said they loved the unique flavour 🙂 Only problem was it came out quite dry which I believe is my fault…I only used two tins instead of three. I turned the oven down a bit and cooked them for a little longer but I think I messed something up. What would you suggest doing to the time and temperature if I’m only using 2 tins?
Thanks again 🙂
Em
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Hi there! First of all, I am so pleased that you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. Comments like that just make my day! In answer to your question, baking the cakes in two layers instead of three shouldn’t affect the moisture level in the cake, so my guess is that it was cooking it at a lower temperature that dried the cake out. I’d suggest keeping the oven temperature at 350 the next time you try this recipe. You will probably have to bake the layers a bit longer than if you poured them into three pans, so if the tops look like they are getting too dark, gently cover them with foil.
A word of caution: opening the oven for too long while cakes are baking can cause them to fall. So can jostling them around in the oven before they are baked through. So, wait as long as you can before covering the layers with foil (if you have to at all) and try to be as gentle as possible.
Another option might be to reduce the amount of batter slightly, making 2/3 of the recipe instead of the full amount. This would result in slightly shorter layers, but the bake time should remain fairly consistent. You could even make the full amount and just reserve about 1/3 of the batter for cupcakes. The cake freezes really well, so you could tuck those cupcakes into the freezer for later.
One more thought – since this cake has such a substantial texture, it’s important to pull it out of the oven the second they are baked through. Testing to see if the cake is done with a toothpick doesn’t really work well, which is why I suggest scooping out a small amount from the center to check for doneness. If the amount you remove from the cake to check that it’s done looks slightly underdone, go ahead and remove the layers. They’ll continue to cook a bit in the pans after you remove them from the oven. Good luck! Please let me know if the cake turns out less dry the next time you bake it! xo
How long would you cook cupcakes?
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Beth! Cupcakes made from this vanilla cake recipe will probably need about 20 minutes to bake, but I’d check them at around 17 minutes just to be sure.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Elizabeth! I generally use salted butter in all baked goods even though most other bakers are advocates for using unsalted butter. The reason is simple: I really like the added salt in sweet treats. Having said that, I usually don’t specify whether the butter in my recipes should be unsalted or salted because I just don’t think it matters that much. Use whatever you prefer, or whatever you have on hand. The exception for this cake is the butter in the Italian Meringue Buttercream – it is very important to use unsalted butter if you are making that. Salted butter makes the Buttercream much too salty. Let me know if you have any other questions, and what you think of the cake after you bake it! xo
Hello, I am planning on making this recipe today along with your Italian buttercream, but since I’m new to baking and trying to perfect my skills I’m curious to know if it matters if you use 100% real butter or substitute butter sticks? I have made buttercream recipes in the past with substitute butter and something is off about it, so I’m not sure if it is the butter but that’s what I’m thinking. I’m trying to go the cheap route but I don’t think it’s paying off, please let me know what you think, thank you.
Hi Lisa! I’ve never used anything in this recipe besides real butter, and honestly, I wouldn’t risk using anything else. There is so much butter in this frosting (one of the reasons it’s so delicious!), that I’d be concerned about the consistency and flavor of using anything else. I know it might be more economical to use substitute butter, but if the recipe is ruined as a result, it really doesn’t save you any $$. 🙂 It’s awesome that you’re diving into this recipe today! Please let me know if you have any other questions and how the cake turns out! xo
Hi! I’m going to attempt your recipe for my daughters birthday tomorrow but wondered if there was a substitute for shortening other than coconut oil? The coconut oil I have at room temp is fully liquid (live in Singapore where the humidity is high!). Would love your advice please. I will also drop the sugar level and replace with some yoghurt per one of your suggestions above! Thank you! Gib
Hi Lyn! So glad you’re making this cake tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear what you think about it! If you don’t want to use shortening, I’d suggest using all butter rather than substituting it with something else. Using all butter works well in this recipe. Happy Birthday to your daughter! xo
Thank you! Will let you know how I go 🙂
Ok so I divided the batter into 2 x 7inch tins. How long do you think I should bake them for please Rebecca?
Hi Lyn! By now, I’m sure you’ve already baked the cakes. How did they come out?
The first two layers I may have overbaked slightly – I baked them for about 48-50 minutes. I then did a second batch, one layer in the 7inch tin and leftover batter into cupcakes. This third layer turned out better I think, but seemed to bake quickly – it was in there for about 40 minutes (maybe there was less batter than the first two layers in the tin?), and is browner in colour than the first two. Will be making your Italian buttercream this morning to frost them.
The batter looked a bit curdled when I added eggs/egg whites to the butter/sugar mixture. Wonder if I did something wrong? Butter was softened at room temp.
Can I use this recipe to make a sheet cake?
Hi Kim! I’m sure this recipe would work fine as a sheet cake. You’ll just want to pay close attention to the bake time. As sheet cakes are thinner than round layers, the bake time should be less. I haven’t ever baked this recipe as a sheet cake, so I’m not sure how much less, but I’d suggest that you start checking for doneness after baking for 20 minutes. Let me know how it comes out! xo
Thanks for the quick reply, would you still recommend a scoop test to check doneness or would I use a toothpick?
With the thinner layer, a toothpick will probably do the job. When the cake is done, the top should be golden brown, the sides of the cake will be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick should come out mostly clean – there might be crumbs on the toothpick, but you shouldn’t see any actual batter. However, if you’re in doubt, don’t be afraid to scoop a bit out of the center. I’m assuming your frosting it? If so, the frosting will cover the scoop.
Hi Rebecca, i stumbled upon your recipe after looking for the best vanilla cake recipe. What a luck, looking at all the comments, I’m sure it is the Best Vanilla Cake. I have a question though, can I use a homemade buttermilk (milk+lemon/vinegar)? As I’m living here in South Korea and never saw any buttermilk sold in any supermarket. Thank you in advance x
Hi Hanim! Yes – you can use homemade buttermilk in this recipe and it will come out just fine. Let me know what you think of this Vanilla Cake after you bake it! xo
I made this during the summer as a layer cake with a strawberry filling and vanilla bean icing — It was AMAZING! I want to recreate it for the holidays with rum extract as opposed to lemon. Can I bake this in a bundt pan?
Hi Jasmine! I am SO glad you are enjoying this recipe! Using rum is a great idea. I’ve never baked it in a bundt pan, but I don’t see any reason why that wouldn’t work out well. You’ll probably end up with some extra batter, but I would suggest just baking a few cupcakes and freezing them for later. Also, if you want some extra rum flavor, I’d suggest brushing the top with rum after the cake is baked. You could also add rum to the buttercream frosting. Let me know how it turns out! xo
Hi.
I pour the whole recipe in a 9″ pan and it’s been more than 50 min and it’s golden brown but is still liquid in the middle. I don’t know what to do.
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Hello Eliana! I know it’s been a couple of hours since you asked this question, but I have to ask: how did it turn out?
Ok I have now tried your chocolate cake and vanilla cake! I have to say I’ve never had a better cake in my life, and I have been baking since I was a kid! They are both incredibly delicious and I’m a picky person I don’t usually like anything. Thank you so much for sharing. You’re awesome! (I only used two cups of sugar for the vanilla)
Thank you so much Rita! This comment just totally made my day! I am so glad you enjoyed the vanilla and chocolate cake recipes and hope that every other recipe you find here proves to be just as delicious. Please let me know if you ever have any questions or suggestions! xoxo
I’m planning on making this recipe for my easter cake :), but I do have one question (I don’t have much knowledge on the different kinds of flours) But can i use cake flour instead? Or is that pretty much the same thing? I have a whole box of it that i barely used and I would like to use it up!
Hi Angela! So glad you are going to make this cake for Easter! Using cake flour instead of all-purpose in this recipe should work out fine. To do so, use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour. So, you’ll want to use 3 cups + 6 tbs cake flour for this recipe. Good luck and let me know how the cake comes out! xo
Thank you so much! I definately will let you know
How long do you bake cupcakes for if you make cupcakes and not a cake. Made this into a cake and it was super delicious but my friend decided on cupcakes.. I do not want to over bake in fear of having them dry out!
Hi Cassandra! Cupcakes made from this vanilla cake recipe will probably need about 20 minutes to bake, but I’d check them at around 17 minutes just to be sure. Happy Baking! xoxo
HI can I use 9 inch pans?
Which shorting is best to use? or can I add more butter? just curious =) I am going to make this cake for my job thanks for the recipe.
Hi Chaz! Any brand of vegetable shorting will be fine. Using all butter works well too, it just makes the cake slightly more dense than using both shorting and butter. But, I’ve baked it with all butter and it’s delicious! Good luck! Let me know how your cake comes out! xo
Hi Rebecca,
THe cake turned out to be a hit!!! My children loved it and so did my co workers!!
This will be my go to cake whenever I need a good vanilla cake to make.
I think it would pair nicely with crushed almonds inside the cake itself =)
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Yeah! I am so glad to hear this!!! I LOVE the idea of adding crushed almonds. The contrast of textures would be really nice. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed this cake! xo
Hi there! 9-inch pans will be just fine.
The ingredient list says 3 whole eggs, but step 4 says add the two egg yolks. Did I miss something? Should I use 2 or three egg yolks?
Oops! Typo! Thanks for noticing – I’m surprised no one’s asked me about this before! Using three whole eggs, and therefore 3 egg yolks is correct. Adjusting the recipe now… xo
Great! Thank you. I figured as much and was going to go ahead and use 3 yolks, but thanks for letting me know for sure. I guess it’s a good thing I have such attention to detail since I work in nuclear engineering!
I’m making this cake for my son’s 2nd birthday this weekend. I can’t wait to see how it comes out.
Haha! Yes… I’d imagine attention to detail is VERY important for a nuclear engineer! 🙂 Let me know how the cake comes out, and happy birthday to your son! xo
Is there any way to do this as a sheet cake? The recipe looks amazing, just not sure about baking times for a 12×18 pan.
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Hi Charity! I’ve never baked this as a sheet cake, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. As far as bake time… Bake times vary quite a bit from oven to oven, and even from climate to climate, so it’s hard to give you a tight estimate. But, I’d check the cake at 35 minutes, although it could take 45 to 1 hour. I hope that helps! Let me know how the cake comes out for you! xo
Hi I was wondering if I could turn this into a rose vanilla cake by adding a tsp of rose water and omit the nutmeg?
Hi Chaz! It’s certainly worth a try. I’m not sure a tsp of rose water will be enough for the rose flavor to come through. In addition to omitting the nutmeg, I’d suggest replacing up to half of the milk with rose water, depending on how strong the flavor of the rose water is and how strong you want the rose flavor of the cake to be. I’d also suggest cutting the amount of vanilla in half so that it doesn’t overwhelm the rose flavor. So interested to hear how this comes out for you! Will you let me know? xp
Hello,
I was wondering when you measure out your flour, are you packing it into the measuring cup? I recently tried this recipe and it was great, but a bit dense and crumbly, and was thinking that I shouldn’t pack the flour too tightly to avoid this. I was also wondering if you ever measure out your ingredients by weight.
Thanks so much, and I can’t wait to try my hand at this recipe again!
★★★★★
Hi Katrina! When measuring a cup of flour, I usually spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife. You want to avoid packing the cup; just fill it gently and level it off. This is a pretty dense cake; but, it should also be quite moist. So, if yours was crumbly, it was probably due to a bit too much flour. It also might have been a bit over baked… to test when the cake is done, stick a toothpick in the center. If crumbs cling to the toothpick as you remove it from the cake, the cake is done. If you see batter on the toothpick, bake for a bit longer. If you are filling and frosting the cake, you can even use a knife to scoop a bit of cake from the center to test for doneness. The frosting and filling will cover it up. Good luck baking this cake again and please let me know if you have any more questions! xoxo
Thanks so much, I’ll let you know how it goes the next time around!
You’re most welcome Katrina! Can’t wait to hear how the next one comes out for you. xo
Really flavorful cake. We really liked it.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked this recipe Nathasia! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
How many days ahead can I make this cake? I see you mentioned it will store at room temperature for a day and the freezer for a couple months but will storing it in the refrigerator keep it fresh enough for a party that is a day or so away?
Thanks!
Hi Lizette! Storing the cake in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a couple of days should be fine as long as the cake is tightly wrapped. If it’s frosted with Italian Meringue Buttercream, it will keep in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days and still taste perfectly fresh. I hope that helps! Let me know if you need anything else! xo
I loveeeeeeee this cake but when I bake it it keeps sinking in the middle any idea of what I may be doing wrong?
Hmmmm…. A couple of questions: Are you in a particularly humid part of the world? Both too little and too much moisture can cause a cake to sink. Have you tested the temperature of your oven? Most ovens are a little off in temperature. Testing your oven’s accuracy with a thermometer can help you know if you need to adjust up or down when baking. When you cut into the cake, is it baked all the way through? This cake gets pretty golden on top, which can fool you into thinking that it’s done, when it’s not quite there yet. Let’s start with that. If none of those things are the culprit, we’ll trouble shoot some more. 🙂 So glad you love the cake! xoxo
Thanks so much for answering that I live in Connecticut. I also thought about the oven temperature I am going to get a Oven thermometer
Dear Rebecca,
You’re simply amazing! I’ve been searching for a Vanilla cake recipe, attempt after attempt I always fell short. I began to think I would soon be in the kitchen creating my own recipe until at I came across your website. Your recipe doesn’t have that many reviews (yet) but this recipe is my new “go to”. At first glance I knew it was a winner, as I prepped the batter I thought “Wow, the person who created this recipe has talent!”. I never review anything, I mean to but apparently I’m easily distracted. I also realized that I NEVER read blog’s but enjoyed reading yours!
Thank you,
Nikki
★★★★★
Nikki! This comment just absolutely made my day! You should see the big goofy smile on my face right now. 🙂 Thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed this recipe. I can’t even tell you how much it means to me to hear from readers – especially when they’ve made something they love! If there’s ever anything I can do for you, please let me know. Until then, happy baking! xo
Hi! This recipe looks great. I was wondering if you think it would be good to use for a double barrel cake?
Yes! I think this would work well as a double barrel cake. What size layers and how many layers are you planning to bake?
I was planning on starting with 2 6”x3” round cakes. It sounds like this recipe might make more batter than needed though.
If you’re only making two 6″ layers, you’ll defiantly have a lot of batter leftover. I’ve never made a double barrel cake – but, aren’t they typically at least 4 layers tall? If you’re making four 6-inch layers, you’ll still have some batter left over. But, rather than try to reduce the recipe to the exact amount, I’d suggest making cupcakes with the leftover batter. You can freeze them and pull them out on a rainy day. 🙂
All of the recipes I find say two or three cakes of the same size. Maybe thats meaning two layers per cake, which would be 4 layers. I think that would make sense. 😀
I think you’re right. I believe double barrel cakes are usually around 8 inches tall, so having four 2-inch layers would give you that height. I also understand that it’s important to add a cake support in the middle – a cake board supported with dowel rods – which you might already be planning to do. Wanted to mention it just in case. 🙂
So, back to your original question – I’m thinking that one recipe of this vanilla cake batter will be just about right. You’re inspiring me to make a double barrel cake! Let me know if you have any more questions, and I’d LOVE to see a picture of the cake after you make it! xo
Hi Rebecca! I’m looking to make a 2-layer (2 x 9-inch) rainbow cake using an amazing vanilla cake recipe. Do you think your recipe will be suitable? Are there any points of caution or adjustments I should consider? I’d just be adding a little food colouring to the batter essentially, and making 2 larger/shorter layers, instead of 3 smaller/taller ones. Thank you!
Hi Ani! I think this recipe will work really well for you! It’s super tasty – my favorite! You might have some batter left over – if you do, you can make an extra layer and freeze it for a rainy day, or make some cupcakes to eat now or freeze for later. I love rainbow cakes! Will you send me a picture of the cake after you finish it? Happy Baking! xo
I have to say this by far is the number one best tasting cake I’ve done so far but for whatever reason it keeps sinking in the middle. I left a comment about his before and I tried your suggestion on the thermometer and it read exactly 350 and this is still happening. Am I maybe mixing the batter too hard or fast. Also do
You have a cupcake recipe ?
Hi Barbara! I am so sorry this cake keeps sinking in the middle for you. Sinking middles is one of the most frustrating things about baking cakes, and the reasons can be so varied! The next time you make this, would you try something? Only cream the butter and sugar for about 2-3 minutes. Instead of separating the eggs, whisk them together (yolks and whites) and add them in 3 additions to the creamed butter and sugar, beating in each addition at medium-low speed just long enough to incorporate. Then proceed with the recipe, beating as little as possible on low speed as you add the wet and dry ingredients. I’m wondering if there is just too much air in the batter, causing the cake to rise too much and then fall…
I haven’t worked out a good vanilla cupcake recipe yet, but I need to! I’ll work on it ASAP and send it straight over to you when it’s ready. xo
Hi Barbara
Greetings from Australia. I haven’t yet made this recipe but I am planning to as the recipe looks great especially with buttercream.
I’ve been looking for a great Vanilla cake recipe that’s soft & moist that holds well under fondant. Would this work under fondant for a celebration cake or would I have to tweak it. Also I am planning to reduce the 3 cups of sugar to 2. Will that impact on the cake structure (other than less sweet which is my preference).
I’m a little puzzled with how many pans this cake makes? You mention ‘Grease and flour three or four 8 or 9 inch round cake pans’ . How many cups of batter does the recipe make? Would it make 4 pans 8″ x 2 or 3″ ? 3 pans 9″ x 2 or 3″ ?
Many thanks in advance.
Cheers
★★★★
Hello Lidia from Australia! Thanks for reaching out! I’m excited you’re going to try this cake. It’s one of the most popular recipes on this blog and one of my favorites for sure. This cake will be perfect under fondant because it’s such a substantial cake. It’s quite moist, but not one of those “light as air” white cakes. It will be a good match for fondant.
The only issue you might have with reducing the sugar is that the cake won’t be as moist. Sugar contributes sweetness to baked goods of course, but it also contributes moisture. I’d suggest cutting the recipe in half and testing the lesser amount of sugar before you bake the real thing. Try it and see what you think. If the cake is on the dry side, stick to the higher amount of sugar. OR, another option: reduce the sugar and then brush the layers with 3-4 tbsp sugar syrup after baking (boil an equal amount of sugar to water in a saucepan to dissolve the sugar, let cool, and brush over cake layers). Simple syrup makes cakes super moist but doesn’t really up the sweetness much at all.
Finally, to your last question, I haven’t measured how many cups of batter this recipe makes. Sorry about that! I say to use 3 or 4 cake pans because it just depends on how tall you want each layer to be. It’s a tall cake no matter what, but you could choose to bake 3 thicker layers or 4 thinner layers. Also, use either 8″ or a 9″ inch pans for the layers. Using 9″ pans will give you slightly thinner layers, but not by much.
Does that answer all your questions? Please let me know if you have any more! And, will you let me know how the cake turns out for you? I’d love a picture if you take one! Happy Baking! xo
Hi Rebecca
Thank you so much for your speedy response.
It would be great to see actual weights on American recipes rather than ‘cup’ references.
For example 1 cup Australian = 250 ml but 1 cup in the US = 235ml so I’m forever trying to convert US to AU with correct measures . Can’t go wrong with actually weighing ingredients (using a scale not a cup) and perfectly fine in US rather than metric. I find ‘cup’ references can be a a little subjective depending where one lives.
Hope you don’t mind the feedback.
Thanks for the suggestion. Will try half the recipe with less sugar and see what happens.
Best wishes
Lidia
★★★★
Thanks for the feedback Lidia! I’m always interested in hearing about things that would improve the experience people have with this blog. I genuinely appreciate your suggestion to include weights and will consider adding that in. Please let me know if you have any other questions with this recipe. And, I’d love to hear how it comes out for you! Happy Baking! xo
Hi Rebecca
I thought I’d let you know how I got on with the reduced sugar approach (oh my lord I know that’s blasphemy in the baking world…lol).
Anyway I made 1/2 the portion of your recipe in my test kitchen last night along with the Ultimate Vanilla cake recipe from Yolanda Gampp. Both great recipes and in both I had sugar at 90% of flour weight. I have to say that both turned out GREAT. Yo’s recipe marginally ahead for taste (she uses all butter no shortening), slightly less height, Yours was a little higher and a little lighter (partial cake flour and beating egg whites).
So my conclusion is I’d like to stick to yours but substitute the shortening for full butter (more flavour and I know it’s a bit yellower on the inside).
Please let me know if ALL butter won’t work in this recipe.
For those living in metric countries like moi, half recipe made 4.3 cups of batter or 823g. It filled 1 x 7′ tin (18 cms) filled to 3/4 ie. 621g (1.8pounds) plus 1 x 4′ pan with 202g (7.1oz) batter filled to 2/3.
I also made your Italian Meringue butter cream which was wonderful. I have played around with reducing sugar in previous recipes and it was like Russian roulette..lol. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t (at the most crucial times). I made yours (without any Lidia tampering to ingredients) and it turned out great. Given I’m Italian I really should have this one down pat! lol.
Anyway thank you so much for helping me out. It’s been an interesting experiment and you have some lovely recipes. So glad I discovered you.
Best Wishes
Lidia
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Lidia! I wish I could have you test every single recipe I publish here! You are amazing. This information is priceless. Thank you so much! You know… you’re the second person to tell me that they reduced the sugar in this recipe with no ill effects. It’s great to know that the lesser amount of sugar doesn’t seem to affect how moist the cake is. When I was developing this recipe, I experimented with different amounts of sugar and felt like less sugar did affect the moistness of the cake. BUT – I’m baking at 5280 ft. above sea level and wondering if that might be a factor? Perhaps. Ahhh, the challenges of trying to create recipes that might get baked at all different altitudes and climates. If only I could jet around the world testing them all. Not that I need to when there are bakers like you in the world! 🙂
I have baked this cake with all butter and you’ll have no issues. The only reason I chose to publish this recipe with half butter and half shortening is because the shortening creates a slightly more tender crumb. I didn’t want to go with all shorting because butter contributes so much deliciousness… but, using shortening in cakes really does make for a more tender crumb. Half and half was where I landed, but there really isn’t much difference between that and using all butter.
I’m also thrilled that you liked Italian Meringue buttercream. It’s my absolute favorite. I would LOVE a picture of the cake if you’re so inclined to send one to me after you make it! And, please let me know if you have any questions of if there is anything I can ever do for you. xo
Its amazing!!! Came out perfect!!! But is there a way to cut out half the sugar without compromising the cake? It Tastes beautiful, light and fluffy just a bit sweet for my family.
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I’m so glad to hear that you like this cake! I’ve had a couple of readers tell me that they’ve reduced the sugar to 2 cups with no ill effects. Perhaps try that next time and see if it suits your tastes better. Sugar adds moisture to baked goods, not just sweetness. So, I’d be hesitant to reduce it any more… but, I’d be super interested to hear if reducing it to that amount worked well for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you liked this recipe. I appreciate it greatly! xo
How can I adjust this cake into chocolate?
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Hi Lasha! Instead of trying to adjust this recipe, I’d suggest using this chocolate cake recipe, which is my favorite chocolate cake of all time. 🙂
The recipe calls for baking it in a bundt pan, but you can totally bake it in round or square cake pans instead. Let me know if you have any questions about it. And, if you make it, I’d love to hear what you think! xo
Hi Rebecca-
I just came across this recipe and the I.M.B.C. recipe. I am going to make a half of batch of both to test the flavor and texture. I am looking to make my brother in law a wedding cake (as a gift) to cut with a small removable cake to put away for first anniversary. Would the little cake hold for 1yr anniversary? They are serving Costco sheet cakes to guests due to expense. I would even stick with the simple elegant decorating. I have never made a wedding cake before. Before I came across your site I was thinking 2- 3 9″ round layers with a 2-3 4″ round layers on top. Do think this would look ok? Or do you suggest something different? I have 9in round pans and a 4 in round Corell to bake in. I am planning on making a strawberry compote to put between layers, either by itself or whipped in the I.M.B.C. Do I need to double the batter or 1.5 the batter? And would it be the same doubling for the frosting? Also what tip did you use for the dots? After reading all the cake and frosting reviews, how early could I make these cakes and freeze them? My husband and 2yr old daughter are in the wedding. I need to do as much ahead of time as possible. The wedding is 4 hrs away on a Friday night in Michigan in July. I would like to travel with it in an electric cooler all decorated ahead of time. Can I freeze cakes pull them out Monday, frost frozen and add compote and final decorating. Or is that too soon? Any advice is appreciated and welcome. Thanks for sharing and being so thorough.
Hi Dawn! Thanks for reaching out. I think it’s awesome that you want to do this for your brother! First of all, the cake will keep just fine for a year. It will be safe to eat and will taste alright – although not as fresh as one that was freshly baked or not frozen for quite as long, of course. Since you are doing a tiered cake, I’d suggest only doing two layers for each cake. One batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream should be plenty to ice a 9-inch and 4-inch layer cake. Making the cakes and decorating them ahead of time is a great idea. When I used to do wedding cakes, that’s exactly what I used to do. Traveling with a frozen cake is much easier than traveling with a fresh cake. The cake will need 4-5 hours to defrost, so plan for that. Another thing that I would suggest is that you add the decoration at the bottom – the dots – after setting it up at the reception site, if at all possible. As the cake defrosts, some condensation might develop on the surface of the icing. You can gently pat it away with a paper towel, but I’d be concerned that the bottom decoration might not adhere to the cake. Adding the dots along the bottom won’t take long… you can just put some Buttercream in a decorator bag fitted with a round tip and bring it with you to the wedding.
Not sure if that answers all your questions? In short: Yes, you can freeze the layers of cake, frost them frozen, and put them back in the freezer until the day of the wedding. Travel with the frozen, frosted cakes to the wedding, making sure the will be able to sit out at room temperature to thaw for 4-5 hours before serving. Add the bottom decoration after setting the cakes up at the reception site if you can. Even better would be to allow the cakes to thaw in the car while you drive to the reception site, then stack them on site as well. You can freeze the bottom layer with dowel rods in the cake, so all you have to do is set the 4-inch cake on top of the 9-inch cake and add the bottom decoration.
Does this help? Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I made this cake this weekend. Someone asked for a “simple vanilla cake” for their birthday. I found the cake recipe to be great! This cake is delicious and the consistency is spot on. I am baking at altitude in Boulder, CO. What I noticed is that I definitely had some sink in the center and the edges over baked just a hair compared to the rest of the cake. I think the sink was due to my over mixing when I integrated the wets and dry into the main batter. I have have mixed in one and immediately put in other or else turn it off instead of leaving it on low. However, I also wonder if we need a hair more flour at altitude? I’ve noticed success with that when making cookies and other cakes. I would recommend the paired icing. I dislike buttercream frosting but the texture of the frosting and balance of taste was the most perfect pairing with the cake.
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Hello Christina! I’m so glad you like this cake! As to the sinking… I’m live only about 45 minutes away from Boulder (hello, neighbor!), so I’m not sure altitude is the culprit. Over mixing will cause some sinking in the middle, so it might be that… but, I’m actually wondering if it might be the amount of sugar in proportion to flour. I’ve had a few readers tell me that this cake has turned out better for them when they use 2 cups of sugar instead of 3. I’ve had success with both (2 cups and 3 cups), but because there seems to be more consistency with using 2 cups of sugar, I recently changed the recipe to 2 cups of sugar. Sometimes it takes Google a few days to update a page for everyone else. So, you might have been seeing 3 cups of sugar when making this cake. If that’s the case, I think that might be the issue. If you make it again with 2 cups of sugar, will you let me know how it comes out for you? One of the best things about food blogs is the collaborative effort. It’s so helpful to know what works and what doesn’t in other baker’s kitchens! Also, I am so glad you like the Italian Meringue Buttercream! I dislike traditional American buttercream as well, but love IMB. Happy to hear you feel the same. xo
I made this as a wedding cake/gift last year. I would love to share a photo with you of the final product. The best compliment was…there was absolutely NO cake left 🙂
Making it again for last-year’s-Bride’s sister; do you know off hand how many CUPS the original recipe yields?
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Hi Anna! I would LOVE to see a picture of the wedding cake you made. Will you send it to rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com. I can’t wait to see it! I haven’t actually measured how much batter this recipe produces, but I’d guess it’s somewhere between 12-14 cups. Sorry to not be more precise! Please let me know if you have any other questions, and… Happy baking! xo
Hi! You have so many commentson your vanilla cake, I couldn’t read all of them! 🙂 but: some refer to 3 cups of sugar and also refer mixing in whole eggs and whites after butter. The recipe says 2 cups sugar and beaten egg whites. Was the recipe altered at some point ? I was a bit confused. I should follow the recipe as it is written, right?
Hi Cecília! Thanks for the question! This recipe is a great example of the power of collaboration. It’s one of my favorite things about having a food blog. I can put a recipe out there that works well for me and as other people try it, they offer feedback that helps me make adjustments to the recipe so that it gets better and better. I love it. 🙂 To answer your question – yes, follow the recipe instructions as they are written. They’ve been changed a couple of times because of reader feedback. Will you let me know how the cake comes out for you? Happy Baking! xo
Hi Rebecca, I have just made this cake as a trial for an 80th birthday cake I’m doing soon. I normally stick to a chocolate cake recipe so vanilla was a first, and by everyone’s account it was pretty good (I just layered with lemon curd and fresh cream, but the birthday version will be smb and lemon curd). Just a query – my batter wasn’t pourable but more spoon dumps, so I wonder if I over beat whites? Cake was moist but quite dense. I also wondered about altitude, as I live in New Zealand in a coastal town so pretty low altitude and apparently that makes a difference? Any tips would be great!
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Hi Stacy! I love hearing from people on the other side of the world. 🙂 This is a pretty thick batter and is meant to make a fairly sturdy cake that will stand up well to a variety of fillings and buttercream. Having said that, altitude might play into this a bit… A couple of tips: Make sure to use real butter that’s high quality. Some lesser quality butters have a higher water content, which can affect the texture of the cake. You might try whisking your flour before you measure it. If your flour is kind of packed down, you might be getting a bit too much. Make sure to beat the butter and sugar on high speed for at least 6 minutes – you want to beat enough air in there that the mixture looks quite fluffy. Over beating the egg whites might have also made a difference… but, I’d guess that some of the other suggestions I just listed will probably make a bigger difference. Does that help?
Thanks for the tips Rebecca – I’m going to make the birthday one soon and freeze it ready for when I need it, so I will perfect my batter making a bit more then. I did use just butter as well without the shortening, but I suspect it was probably over beating the whites as they were quite hard to mix in. I am going to make the champagne cake as well, so the lady will have a vanilla and lemon cake with SMB for her high tea, and champagne cake with strawberries and white chocolate ganache for the family dinner (at least in my mind that is how it is going to go lol). I’ll let you know how I get on!
In the meantime it might be a side adventure making your cheesy sloppy joes so I can test them for school lunches 🙂
How wonderful that your friend has someone like you to bake cakes for her birthday! I love the idea of having vanilla and lemon cake for high tea (how fun!) and champagne cake for dinner. The white chocolate ganache will be DELICIOUS! Yes – please let me know how they come out! I would LOVE to see pictures, if you’re so inclined. You can send them to rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com or follow the links at the bottom of the recipes to post them to instagram.
I’m also excited you’re thinking about making the sloppy Joe hand pies. Another, quite similar favorite, is published to my other blog – Cheesy Sloppy Joe Egg Rolls. Both recipes use the same filling and reheat well.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Baking! xoxo
Hi. I have a large heart shape,pan. What temperature and how long do you think I should cook it for? It’s my daughter’s birthday and I want to put it in a heart thank you I’m excited to make it
Hi Polly! I’d suggest baking your cake at 325 degrees, which should help the cake bake up into a nice, flat hear-shaped layer. As for how long the cake should bake, it really depends on how big the pan is. Approximately how big is your pan?
I agree I don’t care if my vanilla cake is white white it has to be super tasty! And love the idea of adding a hint of nutmeg and lemon to bring out the vanilla flavor – never would have thought of that! Can’t wait to try!
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This cake looks beautiful! I love all the sprinkles. The vanilla cakes I’ve made in the past have been kind of hum-drum, so I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds delicious!
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Can’t beat a meringue frosting like the one you have here. It really steps up a traditional vanilla cake. I will be making this for my little ones birthday in July.
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That’s the problem with most vanilla cake — lacking in flavor!! So glad you solved the conundrum for us 😉 Seriously, it’s why I always go for chocolate, but I’m pinning this for later! Can’t wait to try it!
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I definitely prefer a vanilla cake over a white cake any day, so much flavor and still pretty. The sprinkle mix and frosting make this the perfect birthday treat.
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This cake is beautiful! I don’t typically eat cake, but I’m wishing right now that I had a big slice of it!
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I wish I could pass you a slice through the screen. xo
This cake looks so soft and moist! Great base for any frosting and decorations! I love mine with fresh berries but sprinkles look awesome too! So festive!
Fresh berries and vanilla cake are the BEST! xo
Your cakes are always so stunning and this one is no different! Absolutely beautiful! I just printed this out because I know my kids will love this! And thank you for breaking down the details! So helpful to know all this information before making a cake.
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Thank you so much Amanda! Please let me know if you have any questions and, after you bake it, do let me know what you think! xo
This cake looks so beautiful. So fluffy and amazing. It’s perfect for family gatherings and summer garden parties. I will definitely save tis recipe and give it a try.
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This looks like a phenomenal vanilla cake recipe. I agree that a tiny bit of lemon always brings out the best flavors, but when used in such a small amount no one will ever mistake it for a lemon cake. This sounds scrumptious for any special event and super adaptable for lots of great filling and icing pairings.
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The layers on this cake!!! I am so impressed. This really does look like the best vanilla cake! I wish I saw this earlier. The cake I made for my wedding was kinda bleh.
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Thanks Cathleen! If something was going to be “bleh” at your wedding, I suppose it’s good it was the cake and not the groom. 😂 Thanks so much for taking the time to drop me a line! ❤️
I made this ahead of time and the cakes seemed to have come out perfectly. I wrapped them in plastic wrap and stuck them in the freezer and I’m thinking this was my downfall. I made a fresh strawberry purée for the buttercream and it was amazing! But the cakes were pretty dry. I’m going to try it again because I think it was the freezing. Had I known, I would have brushed them with a generous helping of limoncello! 😉 I love your bakes and recipes, so I’m sure if I do it again, it’ll be even better!
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Hi Suzanne! What a bummer that the cakes were dry. Freezing doesn’t generally dry them out, so I wonder if they might have been slightly over baked? Brushing them with limoncello certainly would add moisture (also, YUM!). You can also brush cakes with simple syrup to keep them moist. Just bring equal amounts of water and sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved (about 1-2 minutes). Once cool, brush a couple of tablespoons of the syrup over each layer before wrapping and freezing. Incidentally, dousing cakes with a bit of simple syrup works wonders if you suspect a cake is slightly over baked. It’s kind of an insurance policy. 🙂 If you make this cake again, I’d love to know if it comes out differently! Always love to hear from you! xo
My new favorite vanilla cake! I spread the love with this cake and sent it around to a bunch of friends to taste test and everybody gave it rave reviews! I love the subtle lemon in the background and its such a smooth, moist cake! Now I just need to get those fun sprinkles and I’ll be all set.
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I am so glad to hear that you and your friends liked this cake! Aren’t those sprinkles the best??? I’ve been acquiring quite the collection over the past several months so that every time I want to add sprinkles to something I have plenty of options. I’m not sure when I’ll decide I have “enough”… is there even such thing as having “enough” sprinkles? Probably not. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! xo
Hi, I have just put my cake in the oven and realised I should have put it in3 tiins rather than 1 large one but it’s too late now. How long would you recommend to bake it for?
Oh no! It’s a bit late for me to answer you about the timing for your bake… how did it come out?
This cake is divine! Just look at the ingredients, so decadent and delicious. Will definitely be making this again!
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I’m so glad you liked this cake Nancy! It’s always a big hit around my house too. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me letting me know! xo
Would this recipe make enough batter for an 11×15 pan? I need to make this in a slab cake and not sure if 1 batch would be enough or if I should double it. Thanks!
Hi Leanne! One batch should be plenty. You might even have a bit of batter left over – if so, make a few cupcakes. Let me know if you have any more questions. And, I’d love to know what you think of this cake! xo
Hello:
This cake recipe looks very light, fluffy and luscious! Is it sturdy enough for fondant?
Hi Felicia! Absolutely! One of the things I love about it is that it has a super tender crumb while maintaining a structure sturdy enough for any kind of frosting or fondant. Over the years, I’ve had many readers send pictures of cakes made with this recipe that are covered in fondant, stacked, layered in all sorts of ways. 🙂 Please let me know if you have any more questions! And, if you make this cake, I’d love to hear what you think if it! xo
Hello, I wss just looking over the recipe for the vanilla cake. Do you use corn starch with the cake flour or only when you are making cake flour from regular flour? Thank you in advance.
Hi Jackie! Yes, exactly. Either use 3 cups of cake flour OR substitute 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for each cup of regular flour. Please let me know if you have any more questions! xo
I am so glad I found this recipe however I need to make this now and do not have buttermilk. Have you ever substituted whole milk with a tbsp of distilled vinegar? I have in other recipes when in a pinch but after reading about the buttermilk being crucial to the taste, that is very important for this person, so I don’t want to mess it up! Thank you!
Laura
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Hi Laura! Yes – adding vinegar to milk to make buttermilk will work just fine. I might actually use lemon juice instead of vinegar if you have it. The effect will be the same and I think the flavor will work a bit better in this cake. But, if you don’t have lemon juice, vinegar will be just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And I’d love to hear how the cake comes out for you! xo
Ma’am, I am an 18 year old aspiring baker, and I have been searching for years to find the perfect vanilla cake. I popped these out of their pans and I almost cried! They slid out with ease, didn’t fall apart, smelled outrageously good, and had a gorgeous color! I am writing this currently as they cool! I tasted the batter and the flavor was sooo rich! I couldnt beleive it! I am never ever using any other vanilla cake recipe, this one is mind blowing. My grandpa is going to have a good birthday cake tomorrow! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I can’t wait to see your other recipes!
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Lilly, this comment just made my whole week. I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that this cake baked up nicely for you. And, how wonderful that you’re making it for your grandpa! Some of my fondest memories are baking birthday cakes for my own grandpa. 🙂 Take lots of pictures so you have those memories forever! Keep in touch and please let me know if you ever have any questions or if there is anything I can do for you as you continue to bake. xo
I am making a two tier cake for a baby shower next week and would like to use your Best Vanilla Cake for the second tier.. My question is whether or not I could use four 6 x 2″ pans as I want to get some hight. If so, how much batter would I use to fill each pan and approximately how much time should I give it before checking to see if it is done. I appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you
Hi Pam! Yes – you can bake this cake in 6-inch cake pans. I’d suggest filling a little bit more than halfway with batter – so that they are approximately 60% full. My guess is that the cakes will take about 25-30 minutes to bake, but I’d take a super quick peak at them after they’ve been baking for 20 minutes (don’t leave the oven open for very long because if the cakes are still super undone in the center, they might fall). Then check them every 5 minutes until they are done. If the tops look set and the sides of the cake are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, stick a toothpick in the center of one of them. If it comes away without any signs of raw batter, they’re done. Please let me know if you have any more questions! And, I’d love to hear how your cake comes out! xo
Wow! The lemon and nutmeg really add a punch to this cake!!! I’m not huge nutmeg fan but I decided to try it out. I’m glad I did.
My question about baking. If I was to make 3 layers as shown in your pictures. How do you get them even? Do you measure out the same amount of batter in each pan with a measuring cup?
Thank you. This website and recipes are fabulous!!!
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Hi Antoinette! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and went ahead and added the nutmeg. I just love how lemon and nutmeg accentuate the vanilla flavor in this cake. 🙂 Honestly, I usually just eyeball it when adding batter to cake pans. I think after decades of baking cakes (especially in my professional cake decorator days), I can usually get it right. But, you could certainly measure the batter out or, if you have a scale, weigh your pans to make sure you’ve added equally amounts of batter to each. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo
Dear Rebecca !
My heartfelt thanks and congratulations to you for sharing such a wonderful, perfect and awesome recipe of vanilla cake . The balance , texture , flavor of the recipe is commendable . I hope you have touched the hearts of all those by sharing your views, advice and sharing your recipes with all who have been craving for a perfect recipe like this one .
Have a wonderful holidays and hope your blog and your success double folds with loads of wonderful baking and recipes to share .
Thanks once again
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year 🎊
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Thank you so much Monika! I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe. I appreciate your taking the time to leave a comment for me so very much! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you! xoxo