Moist Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
A two layer vanilla cake made with butter, milk, and a little oil, frosted with silky vanilla buttercream.
Equipment
- Two 9 inch round cake pans
- Electric mixer
- Saucepan
- Wire racks
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour cake flour works too (for the cake)
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder (for the cake)
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (for the cake)
- 4 large eggs at room temperature (for the cake)
- 1 ½ cup superfine sugar or granulated sugar (for the cake)
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, cut into cubes (for the cake)
- 1 cup whole milk (for the cake)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract (for the cake)
- 3 tsp vegetable or canola oil (for the cake)
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened (for the buttercream)
- 4 cup powdered sugar sifted (for the buttercream)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract (for the buttercream)
- 2 tbsp milk up to 4 tbsp, to adjust thickness (for the buttercream)
Instructions
Cooking
- Prepare. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour two 9 inch round pans.
- Whisk. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat. Beat the eggs with the sugar for several minutes until thick and pale.
- Warm. Heat the butter and milk until the butter melts and the milk steams, then add the vanilla and oil.
- Mix. Stream the warm mixture into the eggs on low speed, then fold in the dry ingredients just until smooth.
- Bake. Divide between the pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool. Rest in the pans 10 minutes, then cool completely on racks.
- Whip the frosting. Beat the butter until creamy, add the sugar gradually, then the vanilla and enough milk to reach a spreadable texture.
- Assemble. Stack the layers with frosting between them and cover the top and sides.
Notes
Substitutions: Use cake flour for a finer crumb or granulated sugar in place of superfine sugar.
Tips: Do not overmix and trim domed tops so the layers stack neatly.
Storage: Keep frosted cake covered at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze unfrosted layers for up to 3 months.