Description
Ina Garten’s vanilla cake recipe delivers pure dessert elegance with classic American baking charm. Moist layers promise delightful sweetness for home bakers seeking simple yet sophisticated indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups (360ml) buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 3.67 cups (433g) cake flour
- 2 tsps (10g) baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5.5 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
- ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream
- 1.5 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Ignite the oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare cake pans by generously coating with butter, lining with parchment, and re-greasing to guarantee seamless cake extraction.
- Batter Composition: Whisk cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate vessel. Utilize a stand mixer to cream butter and sugar until luxuriously smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Integrate eggs and vanilla extract, beating vigorously for 2 minutes. Gradually fold in dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until harmoniously combined. Manually eliminate any lingering dry pockets.
- Baking Process: Allocate batter meticulously across prepared pans, ensuring uniform distribution. Bake for 23-26 minutes, verifying doneness through a clean toothpick test. Allow cakes to cool completely within pans atop a wire rack.
- Frosting Fabrication: Whip butter until ultra-creamy. Gradually introduce confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Elevate mixer speed, beating for an additional 2 minutes. Adjust consistency by incorporating more sugar or milk as needed.
- Assembly and Finishing: Trim cake layers with a serrated knife for precise leveling. Position first layer on a cake stand, spreading frosting evenly. Repeat with subsequent layers, enrobing the entire cake in remaining frosting using an offset spatula for a polished finish.
- Preservation and Serving: Refrigerate the assembled masterpiece for one hour to stabilize structure and set frosting. This technique ensures immaculate slicing. Preserve leftover cake in an airtight container within the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Precision Matters: Use a kitchen scale for exact batter distribution across cake pans, ensuring uniform layers and consistent baking.
- Temperature is Key: Allow butter and eggs to reach room temperature before mixing to create a smoother, more homogeneous batter with better volume.
- Prevent Dry Cake: Do not overmix the batter after adding dry ingredients, as this can develop gluten and result in a tough, dense texture.
- Cooling Technique: Let cakes cool completely in pans on a wire rack to maintain structural integrity and prevent potential cracking or breaking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 51g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 100mg