Description
This Soft Vanilla Cake recipe yields a light, fluffy, and tender cake with a rich vanilla flavor, perfect for celebrations or any dessert craving. Paired with a creamy American-style vanilla buttercream frosting, this cake is a delightfully sweet treat that combines the perfect balance of texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Vanilla Cake
- 2¼ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavored vegetable oil (canola)
- 1⅔ cups (332 g) white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1¼ tbsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1½ cups (337 g) buttermilk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar (icing/confectioners’ sugar)
- 1½ tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1½ tbsp milk (heavy cream or whipping cream also acceptable)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 165 °C (330°F) with the fan on. Grease and/or line two 8-inch cake tins with your preferred method such as homemade cake release.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk or stir to combine, then set aside.
- Cream Butter, Oil, and Sugar: In another bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and sugar together for 2 minutes until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Add Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, mixing well for about 10-15 seconds after each addition to ensure proper incorporation.
- Add Vanilla, Vinegar, and Buttermilk: Mix in vanilla essence, white vinegar, and half a cup of buttermilk until well combined. Then set your mixer aside.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Remaining Buttermilk: Gently fold in half of the dry ingredients using a spatula until just combined. Next, fold in the remaining 1 cup of buttermilk until just combined. Finally, fold in the remaining dry ingredients gently until the batter is uniform and no flour streaks remain. Avoid overmixing to maintain cake softness.
- Bake the Cake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared 8-inch cake tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Allow the cake layers to cool in their tins for 15-20 minutes, then invert onto wire racks and cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: In a stand mixer bowl, combine unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla essence, and milk. Using the paddle attachment, start mixing on the lowest speed until combined (about 1 minute). Increase to medium-high speed and beat for a full 10 minutes, scraping the bowl down halfway through for even mixing.
- Frost the Cake: Use the prepared vanilla buttercream frosting to frost the cooled cake layers as desired.
Notes
- You can substitute the all-purpose flour and cornstarch with 325 g of cake flour for a lighter texture.
- If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for creaming but finish folding the batter by hand to avoid overmixing.
- Gentle folding prevents excessive gluten formation, ensuring a softer cake texture; mix only until flour streaks disappear.
- This vanilla buttercream is a sweeter, American-style frosting but uses less powdered sugar than traditional recipes. For less sweetness, consider Swiss meringue or French buttercream alternatives.
- If your oven lacks a fan function, increase baking temperature to 175°C (347°F) to achieve similar results.
- Store-bought buttermilk is thicker than homemade substitutes. If using homemade, reduce the quantity to about 1¼ cups (275g) for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12th cake)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
