Perfect Vanilla Cake (Print version)

Light and fluffy vanilla cake topped with creamy buttercream frosting. Ideal for celebrations or everyday treats.

# What you'll need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ For the Vanilla Buttercream

09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 tablespoons whole milk
12 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt; beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
09 - Spread buttercream between cake layers. Frost top and sides with remaining buttercream.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • This cake stays impossibly moist for days thanks to the perfect butter to flour ratio I finally nailed after testing many variations
  • The buttercream is silky smooth without being cloyingly sweet the kind of frosting people actually finish instead of scraping to the side
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non negotiable for this recipe to work properly
  • Overmixing once the flour is added will make your cake tough instead of tender
03 -
  • Use vanilla bean seeds in addition to extract for those beautiful flecks throughout the cake
  • Chill the frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing to get cleaner cuts

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