Soft and moist Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting is topped with creamy and perfectly pipeable frosting. Sour Cream in the cake adds extra tenderness to the crumb, try not to sub it with anything else!
Try my Simple Vanilla Cake next! Find All the Easy Cake Recipes on the blog here.
Taste and Texture:
Most, soft and fluffy cake with a tender crumb. Perfectly sweet and topped with a smooth vanilla buttercream frosting. You may also opt for this Chocolate Ganache Frosting for a quick decorating option.
Vanilla Cake Ingredients:
- Butter: Always use room temperature butter for a perfect textured cake. Ig using salted butter than you can skip adding salt to the batter.
- Sugar: We are using granulated sugar in this recipe. Don't be tempted to reduce its quantity.
- Egg Whites: Not using yolks in cake batter will produce a white and not overly dense crumb. Don't worry sour cream will make up for the lost fat.
- Sour Cream: Produces a moist vanilla cake that you will love.
- Milk: To thin the batter out. Use full fat milk for a great homemade vanilla cake flavor.
- Leaveners: You 'll need both baking powder and baking soda for a perfect rise.
How to make Vanilla Cake:
- Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
- Beat in egg whites one at a time and add vanilla
- Beat in sour cream next
- Now alternately add sifted dry ingredients and milk
- Pour in greased and floured/lined pan and bake till done
- Allow to cool down completely at room temperature before frosting
How to make Buttercream Frosting:
You will need a hand/stand mixer for this step. Beat room temperature butter for a minute or two and then add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat for around 3-4 minutes and add whipping cream and salt.
Store buttercream in refrigerator until ready to use. Fluff it up by beating for a minute or so before using.
Which buttercream is best for piping?
American Buttercream frosting, Italian meringue and even swiss meringue frosting. All of these frostings are perfect for piping flowers.
Begin by applying a thin coat of frosting around the cake (this is called a crumb coat). Allow the cake to chill for ½ an hour in the refrigerator. Now it's time for another thin coat of frosting on the cake. Level it off with a spatula.
Then, divide the remaining frosting among 2-3 bowls to tint with different shades of pink. And pipe your favorite swirls and flowers on the cake.
I used wilton #1M piping tip and an Ateco star piping tip #844 to create this look.
What consistency should buttercream be for piping?
Frosting should be forming soft peaks when raised and should be able to hold a curly peak. If you desire to stiffen your frosting you can add a bit more of confectioners' sugar and beat it again till it gets smooth.
How long does a vanilla cake with buttercream last?
Cake topped with vanilla buttercream frosting will last at room temp for 1-2 days covered tightly. You can store the cake in refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To store left overs for a longer period of time, freeze it for about 2 months. Thaw before enjoying!
More Easy Desserts for you:
If you liked this cake, give it a star review. Also, tell me in the comments below, how did this turn out for you! And don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog Also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook!
Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- 8 inch Square Pan
- Hand/stand Mixer
Ingredients
- ⅓ Cup Butter unsalted, at room temp)
- ⅓ Cup Granulated sugar
- 2 large Egg Whites (at room temp)
- 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ Cup Sour cream
- ⅓ Cup Whole Milk
- 1 Cup + 1 Tbsp (133 gms) All purpose flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ⅛ tsp Salt
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- ¾ Cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
- 3 Cups Confectioners' sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Heavy cream
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- A pinch Salt
- Few drops of Gel food coloring (if using)
- ¼ Cup Sprinkles (of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease and flour/spray a 8 inch square pan. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar till it gets light and fluffy. About 3-4 minutes.
- Now beat in the egg whites, one at a time. Add and beat in sour cream and vanilla extract next. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt over wet ingredients. Now add milk and gently fold the batter only till combined.
- The batter will be thick. Do not over mix. Bake for about 25-35 minutes or till the cake is baked thoroughly. The cake is ready when it passes the tooth pick test. Cool it for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Cool down further on a wire rack before frosting.
For Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- In a stand mixer fixed with whipping attachment, beat butter for a minute on medium high speed. Now add and beat in sugar, vanilla and 2 Tbsp of whipping cream and beat on low for about a minute. Then increase the speed to medium high and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes.
- If you find your vanilla buttercream to be too thick, add a little more whipping cream. Frost and pipe as desired on cool cake. Decorate with sprinkles.
To decorate the cake:
- keep some of the frosting white and divide the remaining frosting among 2-3 bowls to tint with different shades of pink, fuchsia and dusty rose.
- Then apply a thin coat of dusty pink frosting around the cake (this is called a crumb coat). Allow the cake to chill for ½ an hour in the refrigerator. Now it's time for another thin coat of same frosting on the cake. Level it off with a spatula. And pipe your favorite swirls and flowers on the cake. Top with sprinkles, enjoy!
Notes
- Any left overs will stay good at room temp (covered tightly) for 2 days.
- For longer storage, keep in refrigerator up to 5 days!
- This Vanilla (frosted/unfrosted) cake can also be frozen for 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on counter top for a few hours before serving.
- Milk and sour cream: Use whole milk and full-fat sour cream for the best taste.
- Everything room temperature: For a light and fluffy cake, always use room temperature ingredients.
- Mix the batter lightly: Take care not to over mix and not to over bake.
- Store frosted/unfrosted cakes covered at all times
That cake looks absolutely delicious. Aside from that it is absolutely stunning!
Buttercream is my favorite icing but I've never made it myself. I'm going to give it a go this weekend!
I've always loved the combination of vanilla and butter. Thanks for the recipe as well as the tips. I'll make this when I get the time to be in the kitchen again.
This is so cute and looks delicious buttercream frosting and thanks for wonderful tips would love to try this someday 🙂
Such a delicious and classic recipe. Thank you for noting what piping tip you used, it's very helpful for decorating so I can achieve the same look!
Wow, that was an adorable-looking cake and it looks yummy too. You know what, it's funny because i actually spent hours watching pastry making and cake decorating on YouTube but i never get a chance to make one my one. Hopefully, i'll try these kinds of recipes soon..