This is my best vanilla cake recipe. A classic yellow butter cake made with reverse-creaming method. In the reverse-creaming method, dry ingredients and sugar are mixed first. This will make crumbly texture. Then the fats and some portions of the liquid are added into the dry ingredients.
We can combine this moist vanilla cake with creamy vanilla buttercream. You can also pair this with chocolate frosting too or you can just it this as it is. This moist vanilla cake is still sturdy enough to hold its shape. This works as perfect base for any occasion or for a birthday cake!
This is one of the cakes which everyone wants to make it at home. Vanilla is very basic but still most important flavor in all the flavors. I would say, it is important for every baker to have a good vanilla cake recipe in your baking journal and I have made 20-25 recipes by tweaking the ingredients and I finally found the perfect one. This vanilla cake recipe works very well for cupcakes too.
Why is this Best and moist Vanilla cake?
Everyone loves a best vanilla cake and I hope this one will become your favorite. This is made from scratch and combination of different ingredients gives it beautiful texture and most importantly, the flavor! I feel, this is the best moist vanilla cake I have ever had because,
- It has amazing texture and mouthwatering flavors.
- It has perfect buttery flavor and even crumbs.
- Holds its shape very well but just melt in your mouth
What information this blog contains?
- Importance of each ingredient
- Equipments required to make this cake
- Step by step recipe (with images) to make moist Vanilla cake
- Pro tips to make best and moist vanilla cake
- Video representation of the recipe
- Detail recipe card with quantity of ingredients and steps to make
- Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients do you need to make this cake?
Importance of each ingredient
a. Butter : Different brands of salted butter have different percentage of salt in it so skip using salted butter. Use, unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in cake. Make Sure to have your butter room temperature. When you press into butter, it should make a slight indent in it.
b. Sugar: Use caster sugar in this recipe.
c. Eggs : Use free range eggs
d. Flour : I recommend all-purpose flour for this cake. Cake flour will make even lighter crumbs so the cake becomes little dry.
e. Baking Powder: Good quality baking powder is must to rise the cake properly. Please keep replacing your rising agents in six months.
f. Pure Vanilla Extract : I highly recommend using pure vanilla extract instead of imitation as this the main flavor of the cake.
g. Milk : I personally recommend whole milk (3.25%) to have that rich dairy flavor. Please avoid using 1% milk or 2% milk.
h. Salt : Adding salt to your sweet baked goods actually enhance the flavor of your dessert. If you are using unsalted butter then you can skip this ingredient.
Equipments required to make this cake:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups to measure liquid and solid
- Weighing scale
Steps to make the cake (steps with pictures)
- Prepare pan: Prepare your pan by applying butter and sprinkle all purpose flour on top of it.
- Mix dry ingredients: Mix all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda.
3. Sift dry ingredients: Sift all of the dry ingredients together at least once.
4. Combine eggs with wet ingredients: Mix eggs with half of the milk and vanilla extract
5. Combine oil and milk: Now combine oil with remaining milk.
6. Add dry ingredients with butter: In a stand mixer / mixing bowl, add all sifted dry ingredients and softened butter.
7. Mix dry ingredients and butter: Mix dry ingredients and butter until it forms sand like structure.
8. Add milk and oil: Now add oil and milk mixture to it and mix it until it is just combined.
9. Add egg mixture: Now add eggs mixture to it and beat until it is just combined.
10. Pour the batter: Pour the batter in prepared baking pan.
11.Bake: Bake in preheated oven at 350F (180 C) for 30-35 minutes. I have used 6 inch round pan here. Please note that baking time may be less or more based on your oven and type of the pan you are using.
12. Ready: Vanilla cake is ready.
Pro Tips to make best vanilla cake east time
- Read your recipe fully before start
Always read your recipe fully to understand the ingredients, detail steps. Main important thing here is to bring your ingredients to room temperature.
- Room temperature ingredients
Be sure to have all of your ingredients at room temperature.
- Sifting your dry ingredients
Please do not skip this step. Sifting your dry ingredients together will incorporate air into the batter.
- Measure your ingredients properly
Baking is nothing but science so weighing your ingredients is very important step. Please use only same kind of weighing standard. If you are using measuring spoons or cups, use those to measure all of the ingredients and If you are using weighing scale, use that to measure all the ingredients. I will mention both quantities in my recipe card below.
- Keep a watch on baking time
Each oven is different and its temperature. So, keep a watch on your cake and check if it is done or not -10 mins before the actual bake time mentioned in the recipe.
- Preheating your oven
Do not forget to preheat your oven, once baking soda is mixed in liquid, it gets activated. So, it is not a good idea to keep your batter on the kitchen counter for long period of time once it is mixed
- Keep your pans ready
As I told above, it is not a good idea to keep the batter for long period of time, please keep your pans ready by “butter and flour” method.
- Cake Pan Tapping
To remove any large air bubbles from batter, it is always recommended to tap your pan twice on countertop.
Watch the best and Moise Vanilla cake recipe here:
This recipe is very easy and can be made ahead of time. Watch the video tutorial of how to make this vanilla cake below.
FAQS (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)
- What makes this cake so moist and fluffy?
Usually, over mixing of cake batter makes the cake dense. As we are using Reverse creaming method, each step mixes the ingredients until just combined and so it avoids over mixing of batter. So, this process of making cakes makes the cake moist and fluffy
- How long can this stay?
This can stay at room temperature for 4- days in air tight container. If you keep it in fridge, it will stay fresh and moist for 8-10 days. I have not tested it by keeping it in the freezer yet. I will try and will let you know the result.
- Which frosting goes well with this cake?
Various flavors of Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) go really well with this cake.
- Combine it with Vanilla SMBC to make classic birthday cake.
- Combine it with Strawberry SMBC to make shortbread cake
It also goes well with dark chocolate ganache. It also goes well with American buttercream but as American buttercream is sweeter compare to SMBC, reduce 30-35gms of sugar in a cake.
- Does it go well with fondant?
Absolutely! This cake study so it holds it shape under fondant. In fact, you can also use this cake to make structure cakes.
Did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating and tell me how it
Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients :
Recipe
Step By Step Recipe:
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Step 1 - Prepare pan:
Prepare your pan by applying butter and sprinkle all purpose flour on top of it.
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Step 2 - Mix dry ingredients:
Mix all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda.
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Step 3 - Sift dry ingredients:
Sift all of the dry ingredients together at least once.
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Step 4 - Combine eggs + wet ingredients:
Mix eggs with half of the milk and vanilla extract
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Step 5 - Combine oil and milk:
Now combine oil with remaining milk.
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Step 6 - Add dry ingredients with butter:
In a stand mixer / mixing bowl, add all sifted dry ingredients and softened butter.
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Step 7 - Mix dry ingredients and butter:
Mix dry ingredients and butter until it forms sand like structure.
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Step 8 - Add milk and oil:
Now add oil and milk mixture to it and mix it until it is just combined.
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Step 9 - Add egg mixture:
Now add eggs mixture to it and beat until it is just combined.
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Step 10 - Pour the batter:
Pour the batter in prepared baking pan.
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Step 11 - Bake:
Bake in preheated oven at 350F (180 C) for 30-35 minutes. I have used 6 inch round pan here. Please note that baking time may be less or more based on your oven and type of the pan you are using.
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Step 12 - Ready
Vanilla cake is ready.