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Home » Cakes Recipes » Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Published August 13, 2021 Last Modified August 16, 2021 By GreedyEats

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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.

Single layer Vanilla Cake with buttercream frosting topped with sprinkles.

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:

Ingredients like flour, eggs, butter, sour cream, mlik and vanilla to make homemade cake.

  • 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:


  1. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
  2. Beat in egg whites one at a time and add vanilla
  3. Beat in sour cream next
  4. Now alternately add sifted dry ingredients and milk
  5. Pour in greased and floured/lined pan and bake till done
  6. Allow to cool down completely at room temperature before frosting

A slice of moist and easy Vanilla cake frosted with piped vanilla buttercream 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.

Soft and fluffy vanilla cake slice topped with pink vanilla frosting and sprinkles.

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.

Best Vanilla Cake recipe baked in an 8 inch square pan frosted with vanilla buttercream.

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.

Soft and moist Vanilla Cake Slice with vanilla buttercream frosting and birthday sprinkles.

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!

Best Vanilla Cake baked in a square pan with vanilla frosting tinted with dusty pink and pink gel food colorings.

More Easy Desserts for you:

Sour Cream Cake

Pistachio Cake

Peach Galette

Cupcakes in Cones

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

Soft and moist Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting is made 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!
 
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
US Customary - Metric
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cooling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 9 Slices
Calories: 476kcal
Author: Neha

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)
US Customary - Metric

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

Storing Information:
  • 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.
Piping Tips and Gel Food Coloring Used:
I used wilton #1M piping tip and an Ateco star piping tip #844 to create this look.
Color your frosting with dusty rose (used as base and for rosettes), A drop of fuchsia and pink to make two more colors. I left some of the frosting white. Add frostings to piping bags fitted with tips and  pipe your favorite swirls and flowers on the cake.
Tips for a perfect Vanilla Cake:
  • 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

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 150mg | Sugar: 47g
Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @greedyeats or tag #Greedyeats!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dr. Elise Ho

    August 15, 2021 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    That cake looks absolutely delicious. Aside from that it is absolutely stunning!

    Reply
  2. Ronnie

    August 15, 2021 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    Buttercream is my favorite icing but I've never made it myself. I'm going to give it a go this weekend!

    Reply
  3. Ivan M. Jose

    August 15, 2021 at 8:54 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  4. Maysz

    August 14, 2021 at 7:26 pm

    5 stars
    This is so cute and looks delicious buttercream frosting and thanks for wonderful tips would love to try this someday 🙂

    Reply
  5. Alice Mola

    August 14, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Milton Coyne

      August 15, 2021 at 4:33 am

      5 stars
      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..

      Reply

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About Neha

I'm Neha, baker, recipe developer, photographer and writer at Greedyeats.com I aim to create kitchen tested and quality recipes, accompanied by helpful process clicks and lots of tips & tricks along the way. I truly hope my recipes give you confidence to bake and cook from scratch! Read More…

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