Description
Creamy, classic vanilla birthday cake delights guests with layers of moist, tender crumb and silky buttercream frosting. Sweet memories bloom from each carefully crafted slice, inviting you to celebrate life’s special moments.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups (425g/15 ounces) cake flour
- 2 cups (453g/16 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces/227 milliliters) whole milk or full fat buttermilk
- 34 cup (170g/6 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 whole egg, at room temperature
Leavening and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Flavoring Ingredient:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and prepare three 6-inch cake pans by buttering and lining with parchment paper.
- Whisk egg whites, whole egg, milk, and vanilla extract together in a large measuring jug until well combined.
- Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, blend dry ingredients on low speed for 1 minute to ensure even distribution.
- Incorporate cold butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Gradually pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients in two stages, thoroughly mixing after each addition and scraping down the bowl’s sides.
- Continue mixing until batter becomes light, smooth, and fully incorporated.
- Distribute batter evenly among prepared cake pans, ensuring uniform filling.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, checking doneness with a cake tester that should emerge with minimal crumbs.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool on wire racks for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove cakes from pans and completely cool on wire racks.
- Level cake layers using a serrated knife to create even surfaces.
- Stack layers, spreading buttercream between each tier.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream, refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Finish with a final smooth buttercream coat and decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and even cake texture.
- Sifting dry ingredients prevents lumps and creates a lighter, more delicate crumb.
- Avoid overmixing batter to prevent a tough, dense cake; stop mixing once ingredients are just combined.
- For gluten-free option, replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg