Moist French Vanilla Cake From Scratch Food

MOIST VANILLA CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease and line 2 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, egg whites and sour cream until mostly smooth.
• In another bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Combine the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a third bowl, or large measuring cup.
• Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the sugar mixture in 3 batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. So addition 1 would be 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the wet, the second could be the same, and the final addition would be the last 1/3 of the wet ingredients and then the last 1/3 of the dry. Stir each until just combined and scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Divide batter evenly between your cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If baking in 3 6-inch pans, the bake time will be closer to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pans 5-10 minutes before turning out for wrapping or cooling.
• Frost and decorate as desired once cool.

BASIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.) Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

MOIST FRENCH VANILLA CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and small package of dry instant french vanilla pudding. Whisk well and set aside.
• In another bowl, add the french vanilla coffee creamer, milk, oil and french vanilla (or regular vanilla) extract. Whisk well and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter and mix on medium until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix on medium and then on medium high for several minutes until light and fluffy.
• Add in the eggs one at a time and mix on medium just until combined. Only mix until the egg is just incorporated. Try not to over mix. If your eggs are super cold, your batter may look a little curdled at this point, but just keep going.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on medium, just until everything is incorporated.
• Alternately add in the flour mixture and the liquid mixture. Starting and ending with the flour mixture. (Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on medium just until combined. Add in 1/2 the liquid mixture, mixing only until combined. Add in another 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing only until combined. Add in the last of the liquid mixture, mixing only until combined, then the last of the flour mixture and mix until combined.)
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until well combined. You only want to mix until well combined, which is about 15 seconds. Mixing for several minutes is too long for a scratch cake.
• Divide batter into the prepared pans. Batter will be quite thick so just spread it around evenly in your pans.
• Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 55 - 60 minutes. The cake will be a little darker than the normal golden brown. Insert a toothpick somewhere in the middle and a few moist crumbs should stick to the toothpick.
• Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before adding buttercream.
• In a small bowl, add the milk and the two tablespoons of dry french vanilla pudding mix. Whisk well and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter well for a minute or two on medium/low to medium speed.
• Add in three cups of confectioner's sugar and the salt and mix on low until incorporated and then medium until well mixed.
• Add one tablespoon of french vanilla creamer and mix on low, then medium until incorporated.
• Add the last four cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on low until incorporated and then medium until well mixed.
• Add in the milk and pudding mixture plus the vanilla extract and mix on low until incorporated, then on medium until well mixed.
• Check the consistency. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon of the french vanilla coffee creamer and mix again. You may need to add more cream, or milk to get the correct spreading consistency.
• Once you reach the consistency desired, beat on medium speed for a couple minutes until fluffy, then spread onto cake.

CLASSIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until combined.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through if they seem to be browning unevenly. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny).
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.