Vanilla Bean Cake - Naked Cake
This moist vanilla bean cake is my butter-based cake batter flavored with wonderful vanilla bean paste. Delicious on its own and can also be accompanied with many different fillings and frostings. Today, I make it a naked cake so the rich vanilla flavor can shine through.
About this vanilla bean cake
The batter is a classic butter-based vanilla cake batter made with eggs, white sugar and all-purpose flour using the creaming method. A surprisingly simple and easy recipe to make from start to finish.
To keep it classic and bring the vanilla flavor out, I decided to use as little frosting as possible, keeping it naked. This is my vanilla buttercream frosting, which is very popular because it's easy and simple to make.
Having said that, you can try many different frosting options I have here on the blog such as:
Swiss or Italian Meringue Buttercream
French or German Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
I have over 30 plus frosting recipes on this blog. And I highly recommend checking them out.
Useful Tips and Tools
- If you bake often, it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer. Because, often, we try to mix by hand and then we are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So, if you are making this cake go ahead and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from your kitchen cabinet. You don’t have to buy an expensive stand mixer, a simple hand mixer also works great.
- I believe in measuring ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scale one of the most valuable items when baking.
- And the same goes for my measuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
- Also, I think one set of baking pans is a must for anyone a home baker. I often use three 6-inch round cakes, which I often split into 4 layers for a tall display. Some times, I use three 8-inch round pans or three 7-inch cakes.
- Once baked, always invert your cakes on a cooling rack. This enables air circulation and prevents the steam from pooling at the bottom of the pan.
- Lastly, every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of cakes, a skewer inserted in the center is a great indication. If the cake bakes too fast or too slow compared to the time given, it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration.
- An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do then is adjust the temperature accordingly.
Ingredients and Substitutes (Save/Pin)
- All-purpose flour - Yes, regular all-purpose flour works great. No need to look for anything else. And if you have only self-raising flour on hand use it but reduce the baking powder by half.
- Unsalted butter - I always use unsalted so I can control the amount of salt. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, use it and omit salt in the recipe.
- Sugar - I'm using white sugar so I can have a white cake. It's always best to use fine-grain white sugar, so it dissolves easily in the butter.
- Buttermilk - If you don't buttermilk on hand, don't worry. It takes just 5 minutes to make homemade buttermilk for baking.
- Vanilla bean paste - A good quality vanilla is very important especially in a vanilla cake. I'm using vanilla bean paste, but you can use vanilla bean scrapings as well as a good quality vanilla extract.
Vanilla Bean Cake Recipe (Save/Pin)
- Preheat the oven at 160 C / 320 F.
- Grease and line three 7-inch baking pans or two 9-inch baking pans.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time.
- Followed by the vanilla bean paste.
- Lastly, add the flour and buttermilk in three batches.
- Scrape the sides and bottom to ensure you have a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
- When done, cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely before decorating.
Assemble the cake
- Prepare simple syrup – cool completely before using.
- Once cooled, cut the domes off the cake layers.
- Brush each layer with the cooled, simple syrup.
- Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand.
- Top with a big dollop of buttercream – spread evenly.
- Then, top the second cake layer on top followed by buttercream and the last cake.
- Place the cake in the fridge if necessary, so the layers hold together.
- Spread more buttercream around and top of the cake.
- Use a bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake and an offset spatula to smooth the top.
- Remove as much of the frosting, so the cake is barely coated but the naked cake can still be seen through.
- Decorate with strawberries or similar garnish.
Description
Ingredients
Cake
- 500 grams (4 cups) All-purpose flour
- 450 grams (2.25 cups) White sugar
- 400 grams (1.75 cups) Butter (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted
- 4 Eggs large about 60 grams each
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 370 ml (1.50 cups) Buttermilk
- 2 tsp Vanilla bean paste
Vanilla buttercream
- 228 grams (1 cups) Butter unsalted
- 430 grams (3.50 cups) Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) Whipping cream (4 tbsp)or more for consistency
Plus
- 120 ml (0.50 cups) Simple syrup
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven at 160 C / 320 F.
- Grease and line three 7-inch baking pans or two 9-inch baking pans.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time.
- Followed by the vanilla bean paste.
- Lastly, add the flour and buttermilk in three batches.
- Scrape the sides and bottom to ensure you have a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
- When done, cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely before decorating.
Buttercream
- Cream butter and powdered sugar until well combined
- Add the cream and vanilla and whip some more until light and airy - at least 2 to 3 minutes
Assemble
- Prepare simple syrup – cool completely before using.
- Once cooled, cut the domes off the cake layers.
- Brush each layer with the cooled, simple syrup.
- Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand.
- Top with a big dollop of buttercream – spread evenly.
- Then, top the second cake layer on top followed by buttercream and the last cake.
- Place the cake in the fridge if necessary, so the layers hold together.
- Spread more buttercream around and top of the cake.
- Use a bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake and an offset spatula to smooth the top.
- Remove as much of the frosting, so the cake is barely coated but the naked cake can still be seen through.
- Decorate with strawberries or similar garnish.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Frequently asked questions
If stored properly, this cake will last for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days.
Yes. Freeze it on a tray for a few hours then wrap well in cling/plastic wrap, followed by a parchment paper and then aluminum foil. Thaw wrapped in the fridge for 24 hours so the condensation will stay on the papers, not the cake.
No, this recipe works best with eggs. But, you can use my Eggless Vanilla Cake or Eggless Chocolate Cake to make a birthday cake.
Yes, you can. But brown sugar is more coarse, so make sure to cream it well. Having said that, brown sugar will also add a caramel color and molasses flavor to the vanilla cake.
I have not tried this recipe with either almond or coconut flour, but I do have a gluten-free chocolate cake recipe that is very popular.
If you don't want to make a layer cake like this, you can make this into a sheet cake - a 'Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake'.
You can also pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted bundt pan for a 'Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake'.
This recipe can also be baked into 36 beautiful cupcakes.
I have many chocolate cake recipes for you to try:
One bowl chocolate cake, Devil's food chocolate cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Death by chocolate cake, Classic, chocolate cake, chocolate birthday cake, chocolate ganache cake, chocolate mud cake, Simple Moist Chocolate Cake chocolate chiffon cake, Chocolate cake with whipped cream
Gluten-free Chocolate Cake.
This is a fairly simple recipe, and yet, I do have a one-bowl vanilla cake recipe decorated as a naked-cake as well. Perhaps you can try using that recipe as a base.
Yes, you can whip the eggs separately to make the cake light and fluffy just as I have done in my recipe for light and fluffy vanilla cake.
Yes, I've decorated this cake with fondant on many occasions.
Yes, this is a butter-based cake and works beautifully in tiered wedding cakes.
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K. Stanford
I made this cake for my birthday (celebrating myself) yesterday and it is the amazing! I have made cakes from scratch before and they are usually dry and crumbly, but not this one! It is moist and buttery. I used fresh vanilla bean (2 pods) and added strawberries in between the layers and on top for decoration. Your recipe is a keeper
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Kenyatta, for the lovely feedback. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe
Jennifer
Do you have to have the simple syrup? I was asked to make a small wedding cake for a friend and I wanted to make sure the cake I made was fluffy and moist. I don't have much background in baking but I have heard people use the simple syrup for cakes that are a little more on the dry side. I have explained more here for simple syrup
Veena Azmanov
Jennifer. You don't have to but simple syrup keeps the cake moist. I don't drown mine in simple syrup as some people do but I do like to add a few tablespoons on each layer.
Aline
Looks perfect!! Thank you for the detailed step by step instructions - so helpful!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Aline
Debbie
This Moist Vanilla Bean Cake is my kind of cake.. I love simple and elegant cakes and this is it. I love all of your step by step photos , it is great for someone that isn't a pro baker. I am making this for a small baby shower we are having next week, I can't wait!!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Debbie. So happy to hear you find this useful.
Tara
The naked frosting look is perfect for this cake. The color pops and you can tell how fluffy and moist it is.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Tara. Yes, it sure is light and airy inside.
Rebecca
Delicious, delicious, delicious! This is such a lovely, simple recipe. I love the use of vanilla bean paste which adds just enough vanilla flavor. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Rebecca.
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
I love the look of naked cakes! To me, they are the best. This cake is beautiful and being a basic vanilla bean cake, you can customize it as you wish. Thank you!
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Nicoletta. I hope you try this one
Amanda
What a delicious vanilla cake! It's so simple to make, and I love how you can dress it up in so many different ways.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Amanda
Tammy
The cakes look moist and wonderful...lots of fabulous tips here for baking cakes which is still a challenge for me at times especially layer cakes. A perfect classic recipe to keep on hand 🙂
Veena Azmanov
This is very easy Tammy, you must try. Layer cakes are fun.
Shannon
I love everything about this cake, the simplicity, the flavor, and the fact that it's "naked." I've never been a fan of having a lot of icing on my cake so this is absolutely perfect for my taste!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Shannon. I hope you try this.
LaKita
This vanilla cake looks beautiful! I am not the best at making layer cakes, but your step by step instructions breaks it down and makes it look simple to follow.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, LaKita. This is so easy even a novice can make it. I hope you try.
Bernice Hill
Sometimes simple flavours really are the best. There's really no replacement for a delicious, well textured vanilla layer cake.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Bernice. I hope you try this recipe. Thanks
Kay
What a fantastic tutorial for such an impressive looking cake! I have never made a 3 layer cake before but after seeing this I feel like maybe I could (well at least try)?! Have pinned and will give it a go for my son's birthday.
Veena Azmanov
Kay, a three-layer is not so different than a two-layer to make. But, it does look more impressive. I do hope you try this recipe. Thanks
Katie
Is the batter supposed to be super thick? It’s almost like a dough, and I followed the instructions to the T. It’s in the oven now so I’m just waiting to see how it comes out.
Veena Azmanov
Katie, Every flour absorbs moisture differently but you can add a few tablespoons of milk or water. This one is supposed to be a pouring consistency
Tami Price
Vanilla is my favorite cake recipe! I was eager to try this recipe because it's hard to find one that really hits the spot! This recipe was absolutely delicious and moist! Thanks so much for sharing!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Tami. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback.