Description
This bakery-style vanilla cake uses a combination of butter and oil to achieve the perfect balance of rich flavor and lasting moisture. By employing the reverse creaming method, you can easily create a velvety, professional-grade crumb that pairs beautifully with a cloud-like buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
- Cake flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Canola oil
- Whole milk
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Egg whites
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 335ºF (168ºC) and grease three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop or pan release.
- Combine 4 ounces of milk with the canola oil in one container, and whisk the remaining 6 ounces of milk with the eggs and vanilla in another.
- In a stand mixer, blend the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on the lowest speed.
- Slowly add softened butter chunks to the dry ingredients and mix until the texture looks like coarse sand.
- Pour the milk and oil mixture into the flour mixture and beat on medium speed for exactly 2 minutes, then scrape down the bowl.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly stream in the milk and egg mixture, mixing only until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly into the three pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- For the frosting, whip egg whites and powdered sugar on high for 5 minutes, then add vanilla and salt.
- Add chunks of softened butter and whip on high for 8–10 minutes until the frosting is white and light.
Notes
For the most consistent results, always use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients by weight rather than volume. If your buttercream appears curdled after adding the butter, simply continue whipping on high speed; it will eventually emulsify into a smooth, silky consistency. Using a lower oven temperature of 335ºF helps the cakes bake flat, reducing the need for leveling before frosting.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Reverse Creaming
- Cuisine: American