Bold vanilla flavor with light and fluffy vanilla cake layers. Sweeten vanilla buttercream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
2 hourshours
Total Time 2 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Servings 20people
Author Molly Murphy
Ingredients
For the cake
1cupunsalted butterroom temperature
1 ¾cupsgranulated sugar
⅓cupvegetable oil
3large whole eggsroom temperature
3large egg whitesroom temperature
1Tablespoonvanilla extractI use Nielsen-Massey Madagascar bourbon Vanilla Extract
⅓cupsour creamroom temperature
3cupscake flour
1Tablespoonbaking powder
1teaspoonsalt
1 ¼cupbuttermilkroom temperature
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
2cupsunsalted butterroom temperature
7cupspowdered sugarmeasured and then sifted
¼cupheavy whipping cream
2teaspoonsNielsen-Massey Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste(can use vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla bean paste)
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans. Spray them with cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on high until fluffy and smooth, about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs and the egg whites, one at a time to the bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated. Making sure that you scrape down the sides each time. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beat on medium speed for a minute.
Turn the mixer on low and add ½ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Then add half of the buttermilk and blend well, followed by the rest of the flour mixture, and the rest of the buttermilk while mixing on low.
Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three 8-inch or four 6-inch pans and bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it, or until it starts to get a little golden brown on top.
Remove cakes from the oven and let them cool in pans for 15 minutes before taking them out of the pan and placing them on cooling racks.
When cakes are completely cooled, wrap each cake layer individually with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to frost. If you are a beginner, I recommend putting them the freezer because it is so much easier to frost a slightly frozen cake.
For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low.
Turn the mixer to medium speed and add whipping cream, vanilla bean paste and salt.
Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. The frosting will become lighter in color and texture.
Before spreading the frosting on your cake, spend a couple of minutes mixing the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to push out the air pockets.
Assembly
If the cakes need to be leveled, level each cake layer with a knife or cake leveler.
Place the first cake layer on a cake board top side down and top with ½ or ⅓ of the frosting (depending on whether it's an 8-inch or 6-inch cake).
Repeat step two with the remaining cake layers top side up, but place the final cake layer top-side down.
Apply a thin crumb coat around the cake and chill for 15 minutes in the freezer to set.
Finish frosting the cake with the remaining vanilla bean frosting.