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Vanilla Cake and Vanilla Buttercream

A simple but elegant vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream
Course: Endings
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttercream, cake, vanilla

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2-1/2 cups Sifted Cake Flour
  • 1-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
  • 1-3/4 cups Granulated White Sugar
  • 4 large Egg Whites, room temperature
  • 1 large Whole Egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Whole fat Sour Cream, room temperature
  • 1 Tbs. Pure Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Whole Milk, room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1-1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
  • Pinch table salt
  • 5 cups Confectioners Sugar (about a box)
  • 1/3 cup Whole Milk, may need more
  • Sanding Sugar or Sprinkles

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
    Grease, Flour and line with parchment paper, 2-9" cake pans
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
    In a stand up mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat on high until creamed together. Be sure to wipe down sides.
    Add in egg whites and combine well. Then add in sour cream and vanilla.
    Alternating with the milk, on a slow speed, add in dry ingredients in thirds. DO NOT OVERWORK your batter. Mix until just combined.
  • Divde evenly into prepared pans. I like to use a large ice cream scoop (disher), to get it evenly distributed.
    Bake for 20-25 minutes. You want a tester to come out with just a very few wet crumbs. remember ti will keep cooking as it cools.
    Cool cakes, in pan on wire rack. See notes below for assembly.

Buttercream

  • In the standup mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, Beat the butter until light and fluffly. Add vanilla and salt, then start adding the confectioners sugar, slowly.
    Depending on the weather where you are, you may need to gradually add the milk as you go, or you can add it at the end. Continue beating until you get a thick but light consistency. Keep in mind you may need to add more confectioners sugar or more milk.

Notes

Assembly:  If your cake needs to be leveled, use a serrated knife and a turntable to slice off the top and even up. I like to use this for the bottom of the cake. You can get really nice cake levelers now, from cake supply stores or amazon https://amzn.to/3cosXm7
Now put some frosting on top of bottom layer. Be generous, this is your filling moment. Top with second cake. From here do a light "crumb coat". This is to keep the crumbs from showing up in your perfectly frosted cake later. I was taught to freeze your cake layers for about 10 minutes, at this point. Another trick to keep your final product crumb free.
Take the cake out of the freezer and place on your cake stand or turntable. I highly recommend getting a small turntable. Here's one from Amazon https://amzn.to/2My1nIe
Again I use a disher here to start scooping my buttercream onto the cake. Mound a few scoops of frosting in the center of the top layer and start to spread out as you turn the cake. Start to pull frosting sown the sides and add as you need.
Once completely frosted, I used sanding sugar to sprinkle all over the cake. I like this cause the color is light and it adds just a little crunch.
Store cake, covered, in refrigerator fo up to 5 days. Do you think it will last that long.