Moist Vanilla Layer Cake Recipe

This vanilla layer cake is the one cake that everybody must know tips on how to make. Three layers of moist, fluffy vanilla cake are stuffed and frosted with wealthy vanilla buttercream. It’s splendidly easy and completely heavenly.

A slice of moist vanilla layer cake on a plate with a fork.

The Finest Vanilla Layer Cake Recipe

I’ve been experimenting with vanilla truffles for years now making an attempt to get the flavour and texture excellent. It’s a little bit of a operating joke. However in an try to fulfill everybody and all of the completely different preferences on the market, I’ve arrived at a number of variations of vanilla cake and cupcakes through the years with a view to please everybody.

This recipe is my most up-to-date and “last” recipe. I’ve taken the entire suggestions through the years included into this cake. It has the entire issues you would need in a vanilla cake. The cake itself is gentle and fluffy however with sufficient substance to chunk into. It’s completely moist and topped with a wealthy buttercream frosting that’s simply to die for. The seek for the right vanilla cake is over. I can’t wait so that you can see (or style, somewhat) what I imply.

Moist vanilla layer cake with a slice taken out of it.

Why You’ll Love This Simple Vanilla Cake

A easy, simple, moist vanilla layer cake? Everybody wants one of their recipe assortment. Listed here are a couple of the explanation why this one, specifically, is 100% essential for each baker to attempt.

Texture. Creaming collectively the butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract till they’re fluffy provides this cake a splendidly ethereal texture. Not like truffles that solely make the most of egg whites, nonetheless, this one makes use of complete eggs. The inclusion of the yolks provides the cake the right quantity of substance and richness. So it’s not too ethereal and never too heavy. It’s good. Plus, the addition of oil makes the vanilla cake completely moist.
Flavorful. I like the refined vanilla taste of this cake. It makes it universally loveable. Using butter along with oil provides the cake further richness and taste as nicely. It’s critically so good.
Easy recipe. Whereas you’ll nonetheless should observe a number of steps to make the batter, this recipe requires a less complicated mixing technique than many different truffles with out compromising texture or taste.
Versatile. Everybody wants a easy vanilla cake of their life. It’s the good canvas for quite a lot of completely different fillings and frostings. I used a vanilla buttercream right here however be at liberty to experiment! Try the part under titled “Adorning Suggestions & Concepts” for inspiration.

Ingredients for vanilla layer cake separated into bowls.

What You’ll Want

Right here’s an inventory of components you will have to make this simple vanilla cake. Be certain that to scroll to the recipe card under for detailed measurements.

Vanilla cake

All-purpose flour – You need to ensure to not over measure your flour, or you would find yourself with dry, dense cake. Be at liberty to make use of your favourite 1:1 gluten-free flour as a substitute.
Baking powder – In the case of vanilla cake, I desire baking powder over baking soda. It provides the cake a pleasant bakery-style texture and retains the colour lighter.
Salt – All the time wanted for taste.
Unsalted butter – The butter have to be at room temperature. In any other case, it won’t cream correctly with the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract.
Vegetable oil – The vegetable oil provides a pleasant moistness to this cake.
Sugar – Sugar provides each sweetness and moisture and impacts the ultimate texture of the cake.
Vanilla extract – A great high quality extract is really helpful for excellent vanilla taste.
Eggs – They need to be giant eggs (not medium or further giant) and it’s best that they’re at room temperature in order that they incorporate extra simply with the opposite components.
Milk – I exploit 2% milk however be at liberty to make use of complete milk. The fats within the milk provides moisture and texture to the cake.

Vanilla frosting

Unsalted butter – The butter must be at room temperature so that you just don’t get a lumpy frosting.
Powdered sugar – This provides quantity to the frosting and impacts the consistency. Much less powdered sugar offers you a thinner frosting that doesn’t maintain up as nicely to issues like piping, and extra powdered sugar offers you a stiffer frosting that stays precisely the place you place it.
Vanilla extract
Heavy cream – This provides an exquisite creaminess to the frosting and can be utilized to skinny it out if it will get too thick.
Salt – For taste. It additionally can assist minimize down on the sweetness.
Sprinkles – I used a combination that’s much like these sprinkles. Be at liberty to make use of your favourite.

Easy methods to Make Vanilla Layer Cake

Right here’s a fast overview of tips on how to make this simple vanilla layer cake. Be sure you scroll to the recipe card under for extra detailed directions.

For the cake

Prep. Line the underside of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles and grease the perimeters. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat collectively the butter, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract till gentle in colour and fluffy.
Add the eggs one after the other, mixing to mix after every addition.

Whisking together dry ingredients for vanilla cake.

Creaming together butter, sugar, olive oil, and vanilla extract fro vanilla cake.

Add. Combine. Add half of the dry components to the batter and blend to mix. Slowly add the milk and blend to mix. Add the remaining dry components and blend till clean.
Bake. Divide the batter between the cake pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
Cool. Take away the truffles from the oven and permit them to chill for 2-3 minutes earlier than transferring them to wire racks to chill utterly.

Adding dry ingredients and milk to vanilla cake batter.

Vanilla cake batter divided between 3 cake pans ready to be baked.

For the frosting

Beat the butter till clean.
Add. Combine. Add half of the powdered sugar. Combine till clean. Add the vanilla extract, 4-5 tablespoons of heavy cream, and salt. Combine till clean. Add the remaining powdered sugar. Combine till clean.
Refine the consistency. If the frosting is just too thick, add extra heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and blend till clean. Try my tutorial on tips on how to get the proper consistency of frosting.

To assemble the cake

Take away the domes from the highest of the truffles with a big serrated knife.
Stack. Place the primary cake on a serving plate and unfold 1 cup of frosting excessive. Repeat with the second layer and the third.
Frost the skin of the cake. Discuss with my tutorial for frosting a clean cake, if wanted.
Adorn. Press sprinkles into the perimeters of the cake and pipe swirls of frosting across the high edge. Add a couple of extra sprinkles to the highest of the cake.

A slice of moist vanilla layer cake on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

Suggestions for Success

Are you feeling intimidated by the thought of constructing a layer cake? Don’t be. You are able to do this! Simply observe these easy suggestions and methods to get the perfect outcomes doable.

Measure flour appropriately. One of many greatest errors folks make is over or below measuring flour. Most frequently the flour is over measured and it provides you a dry cake. I extremely suggest utilizing a meals scale and weighing your flour to keep away from this. When you desire to not use a meals scale, I like to recommend the spoon and degree technique.
Room temperature components. The butter within the batter must be at room temperature. In any other case, it won’t cream correctly with the sugar, oil, and vanilla and you will see your self with an excessively dense cake. The eggs must also be at room temperature. They’ll incorporate extra simply with the opposite components which can assist to stop over-mixing. The butter within the buttercream must be at room temperature as nicely. Whether it is too chilly, you’ll find yourself with a lumpy frosting.
Don’t skimp on creaming time. When beating collectively the butter, sugar, oil, and vanilla, achieve this till the combination is gentle in colour and good and fluffy. This could take 2-3 minutes. This may assist make the cake itself gentle and fluffy.
Don’t over combine. Over mixing the cake batter after you add the flour will trigger the glutens within the flour to overdevelop. This offers you a troublesome, dense cake.
Scrape the bowl. As you’re including components to the batter and mixing to include them, make sure you scrape the perimeters of the bowl periodically. This may carry any components caught to the bowl again into the batter.
Cool earlier than frosting. It’s important that you just enable the truffles to chill utterly earlier than stacking, filling, and frosting. If they’re too heat, the frosting will soften proper off the cake.

Moist vanilla layer cake on a cake stand near a bowl of sprinkles.

Adorning Suggestions & Concepts

I lined this moist, fluffy vanilla cake with white buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles however one of many nice issues about this recipe is that it’s so versatile. Listed here are a couple of enjoyable methods to make it your personal.

Colour your frosting. Add a few drops of gel meals coloring to the buttercream so as to add colour to this dessert. You may colour the entire cake or simply pipe some coloured swirls on high.
Add a drip. Elevate your cake and use my tutorial for including a chocolate (or white chocolate) drip.
Adorn with buttercream rosettes. Just like this ice cream cake tutorial, you should utilize buttercream to high your cake with stunning and simple rosettes.
Sprinkles. I like including sprinkles to my truffles. Maintain it a bit of extra reserved, just like the cake within the pictures, or press sprinkles all the way in which up the perimeters. There are a lot of enjoyable choices.
Use different meals. I like utilizing different meals for adorning! Organize recent fruit on high, add some toasted coconut or cookie crumbs, or high together with your favourite sweet. All would look nice!

Can I Use This Recipe To Make Cupcakes?

Sure! You may really discover that recipe in my Simple Do-it-yourself Vanilla Cupcakes. The recipe is minimize in half and makes about 12-14 cupcakes. You’ll make the cake batter and buttercream as regular (simply much less of it), add the batter to cupcake liners after which bake for 15-18 minutes.

Easy methods to Retailer a Frosted Layer Cake

After cooling and frosting, switch the cake to an hermetic cake provider or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. When you go the plastic wrap route, I recommend utilizing toothpicks to prop the plastic wrap away from the buttercream swirls.

Alternatively, you may slice the cake and prepare the slices in a single layer in an hermetic container. In any case, retailer the cake at room temperature for as much as 24 hours or within the fridge for as much as 4 days. This cake is finest loved at room temperature, so when you select to refrigerate it, let it sit on the counter for an hour or so earlier than diving it.

Can I Freeze Layer Cake?

You may! I usually suggest freezing the layers previous to frosting. Wrap them nicely in clear wrap and aluminum foil previous to freezing. Thaw the cake layers in fridge previous to frosting. When you’d like, you would attempt freezing the complete cake. In that case, pop the absolutely frosted cake within the freezer for a few hours to agency up earlier than wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. You may also slice the cake and wrap the person slices in clear wrap and foil. Retailer the cake within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Thaw the cake within the fridge in a single day earlier than permitting it to come back to room temperature earlier than serving.

Extra Vanilla Cake Recipes:

Vanilla truffles are the king of all truffles and as I discussed earlier than, I’ve obtained many to attempt. This moist vanilla layer cake is my absolute favourite however listed below are another fabulous recipes so that you can attempt.

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