Vanilla cake is a classic choice for birthday, anniversary or holiday celebrations. It pairs beautifully with a wide variety of frosting flavors.
Unlike many recipes that “cream butter and sugar”, this recipe is more fail-proof. Using room temperature ingredients helps the 주문제작케이크 batter to incorporate more evenly.
Plain granulated sugar works best — brown sugar would add too much moisture.
Ingredients
There are a lot of different kinds of cake out there, but a vanilla cake is the most basic kind. It can be dressed up with frosting or piled high with fruit and whipped cream for a special occasion, but it also works well just plain.
The key to a good vanilla cake is using high-quality ingredients. Use unsalted butter for baking to keep the cake from being too salty. It’s also important to measure the flour and other dry ingredients accurately. Use liquid measuring cups for the liquid ingredients and dry measuring cups for the dry ingredients. This helps to prevent over- or under-mixing, which can lead to a dense or dry batter.
Another thing that makes this particular recipe extra good is that it uses the creaming method, which helps to incorporate air into the batter and give the cake a light and fluffy texture. It also calls for vinegar and buttermilk, which help to break down the protein in the flour and make it even fluffier.
Preparation
When a vanilla cake is done baking, it should be fluffy and spring back when lightly touched. It should also have an even crumb without large tunnels or any jiggly spots! To check for doneness, poke the center of the cake with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready to be frosted and served!
It is important that all ingredients be at room temperature before beginning to bake. This allows the butter and egg to create a light, fluffy batter and ensures that the eggs are fully emulsified. This prevents dense and dry cakes!
A great tip to prevent a dry cake is to beat the sugar into the butter and oil first. This aerates the butter and oil so it is lighter and fluffier when mixed with the flour! It also allows for a smooth frosting! It is recommended to use plain / all purpose flour for this recipe rather than cake flour.
Baking
The cake is baked until the top springs back to touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. It should be removed from the oven and allowed to cool completely before frosting and decorating.
This recipe uses oil, vinegar and buttermilk to really amp up the softness of the cake. This technique also helps to keep the cakes from being too dry. Dryness is often caused by over-measuring the flour (addressed above) or over-mixing. The vinegar and buttermilk help break down the proteins in the flour, which makes for a lighter, fluffier cake.
Eggs should be brought to room temperature before being added. Doing so helps them emulsify into the batter more evenly. Adding vanilla bean paste and extract adds that special vanilla flavor that sets this cake apart from all the others. It’s worth the extra step! Adding salt is another factor that helps coax out and deepen the flavor of the vanilla.
Cooling
A pillowy vanilla cake is a wonderful dessert for any occasion. It is the ideal base for a variety of fillings and frostings. This particular version is filled with dehydrated berries, a touch of elderflower liqueur and topped with a light mascarpone chantilly frosting. Brushing the cake with a bit of the liqueur gives it lovely floral notes while the berries add tartness and sweetness.
The frosting can be flavored or colored to match the occasion. This makes it a perfect birthday, anniversary or wedding cake.
This recipe uses oil, vinegar and buttermilk to keep it extra moist. The combination of these ingredients also helps to break down the proteins in the flour, which leads to a lighter texture. The cakes can be kept at room temperature for a day or in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for several weeks.