Mom's Vanilla Cake Recipe

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This vanilla cake recipe is moist, rich with a tender crumb. A butter-based cake made with fresh whipping cream in the batter which makes it absolutely irresistible. Perfect on its own or frosted and decorated as a celebration cake.

A vanilla layer cake with buttercream frosting with a slice cut out. — How to make a Vanilla Cake Recipe from Scratch

I’ve shared with you a few recipes from my childhood I absolutely adore. This vanilla cake recipe is one that really has my mom’s name on it!! We ate it just on its own, fresh outta the oven because we could barely ever wait for it to cool completely.

Table of Contents

Why make this cake?

Unlike classic vanilla cake, this cake uses fresh whipping cream in the batter. The cream adds a very different and rich flavor to the cake as well as keeps the cake moist.
The recipe is simple and easy using the classic creaming method and takes just about 10 minutes to combine.
Today, I’m using whipped cream buttercream for the filling and cake decorators chocolate ganache for frosting. But, the options for filling and frosting are endless
This cake is delicate but has a nice firm structure and can easily be used to cover a cake with fondant as well. Here, I have used this to make this brush embroidery pattern.

Timeline and process for this cake

Prepare cake batter – 10 minutes
Bake cake – 25 minutes
Chill cake – 4 hours at least (preferably overnight)
Prepare buttercream – 15 minutes
Prepare the ganache – 5 mins
Crumb coat cake – 15 minutes
Chill cake – 15 minutes
Second coat – 15 minutes
Chill cake – 15 minutes
Final smoothing – 15 minutes
Finishing touches

Ingredients and substitutes

Flour – My mom used all-purpose flour because that’s what she got at the time. Having said that I do find that cake flour gives a much softer and delicate crumb to this cake.
Whipping cream – This has to be a high-fat minimum of 32% or more, no less. I use a 38% cartoon that I find at my supermarket and the flavor is rich and delicious.
Sugar – I prefer to use white sugar but feel free to experiment with other sugars as well. I have and plan to share a few of those variations with you soon.
Eggs – Sounds like a lot but it’s not..! it really makes the cake light and fluffy.
Vanilla – Always use good quality fresh vanilla. Especially in cakes where vanilla is the only flavoring. Does make a huge difference.

Step by step instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C/Gas Mark 3
Grease and line 2 x 7-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
Dry ingredients – Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Pro tip – we want to add some volume in the batter and the sugar completely dissolved so make sure to cream well.
Next, add eggs one at a time. Followed by the vanilla extract.
Pro tip– ensure the eggs are at room temperature or the batter will curdle. If that happens just add a tablespoon or two of flour and combine well.
Then, add flour mixture and whipping cream alternating in three batches.
Pro tip – since whipping cream is thick the batter looks a bit stiffer than regular vanilla cake but the cream will melt in the oven so don’t add any more milk
Scrape the sides of the bowl, ensure you have a smooth batter. Then, divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans.
Pro tip – use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan so it bakes evenly.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Pro tip – I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely. Always cool cakes completely before you decorate or store them away.
Pro tip – Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for an hour. This will make fewer crumbs when torting and leveling the cake.

Buttercream

In a stand mixer with a paddle the attachment cream butter with salt for a minute. Then gradually add the powdered sugar
Once all the powdered sugar is in – gradually add the whipping cream. Continue to whip until you have a light and fluffy whipped cream consistency ( 2 to 3 minutes)
Pro tip – if you do not whip the consistency will be very soft. The whipping will add volume to the buttercream making it light and fluffy.

Ganache

Combine chopped chocolate and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler
Heat until melted and smooth. Combine well until you have a smooth chocolate mixture
Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the chocolate. Cool in the fridge for a few hours until set or on the counter-top overnight.

Assemble

Prepare simple syrup – cool completely before using.
Pro tip– Simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist.
Using a bread knife or cake leveler cut the domes off the cake layers. Cut each layer in half horizontally giving you a total of four layers. Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup
Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand.
Pro tip -if you plan to move the cake again, it is best to use a cake circle under the cake, so you can pick the cake with its base and without any accidents.
Filling – Top with a big dollop of the whipped cream buttercream – spread evenly with a straight-edged spatula.
Top the second cake layer on top followed by more frosting until you have used up all the layers
Pro tip – it is best to lift individual cake layers on pieces of clean cardboard or cake lifter so you do not break them from table to cake.
Place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes so the layers hold together.
Pro tip – Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don’t move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need.
Frosting – Next, spread ganache on top and around the cake.
Pro tip – A straight-edge spatula for the top, an off-set spatula, and a bench scraper for the sides work better.
Final touches – You can place the remaining frosting in a piping bag with a star or round piping tip and pipe a border or swirls on top.
For this one, I covered it with fondant and piped it with buttercream to create an embroidery effect for a birthday cake.

Tips – cake

Unless using perishable frosting the frosted cake does not need to be refrigerated. It can stay at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Once cut always cover the cut side of the cake with plastic wrap so the cake does not dry out.
It is also a very versatile cake and you can use so many different flavors and combinations for filling and frosting.
- Try filling such as custard, blueberry, strawberry filling to caramel or butterscotch fillings.
- Frost it with whipped cream or buttercream. American, French, German, Swiss, or Italian meringue buttercream.
Unlike classic vanilla cakes, the fresh cream in the cake means the cake cannot be kept for more than two days at room temperature. It can be kept for 4 to 5 days in the fridge and can be frozen in the freezer for up to a month.
If you don’t want to make a layer cake, you can also make this
- into a sheet cake – a ‘vanilla sheet cake’.
- pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted bundt pan for a ‘vanilla cream bundt cake’.
- This recipe can also be baked into 24 beautiful vanilla cream cupcakes

A cut vanilla cake on a cake board. — How to make a Vanilla Cake Recipe from Scratch

More vanilla cakes

Frequently asked questions

How long will this vanilla cake keep?

If properly stored, this cafe latte cake will last for 2 days at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Can I freeze this cake?

Yes. Freeze it on a tray for a few hours then wrap well in cling/plastic wrap, followed by 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.

Can I make this a moist eggless vanilla 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.

Is this vanilla cake the same as white cake?

A white cake is a vanilla cake but without any egg yolks. A vanilla cake uses the whole while some white cake uses more egg whites and no egg yolks this is to prevent the batter from getting the color of the yolks.

49 Comments

Zvez says:

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I tried to make the cake but found the batter extremely thick and very hard to spread in the pan. Im wondering what I could have done wrong

1. Veena Azmanov says:
  
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  The batter is not too loose but not too stiff either. If the whipping cream used is thick the batter can be thick. But, when baked the cream will melt so the consistency in the oven should be ok. Was it ok once baked?
  
  1. Zvez says:
    
    at
    
    The batter was extremely thick. I had a hard time spreading it. I even put extra butter snd whipping cream. I followed directions. When I beat the butter and sugar it never got fluffy. Stayed thick like butter. Looked like I spread it to the sides of bowl…….. all stuck on bowl. it I beat it for about 10 minutes on high.
    I used 3 large eggs maybe they were too small. It rose when baked then fell back.
    
    1. Veena Azmanov says:
      
      at
      
      You much never add extra butter or whipping cream. If ever necessary a few tablespoons of milk would be ok. Also, creaming the butter and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes light and fluffy is very important. It makes the cake light and helps the fat and sugar incorporated into the batter well.
      
Shobha sawant says:

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Nice receipe

Anushri Desai says:

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Can I replace whipping cream with whole milk ? Thanks

1. Veena Azmanov says:
  
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  No Anushri. This cake works best with whipping cream. You can use this Vanilla birthday cake but instead of milk use buttermilk. Just add 1 tsp lemon juice to the milk and let stand for a few minutes before using