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Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old-Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream

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By Jenn Segal
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This moist and delicious birthday cake recipe is adapted from one of my favorite baking books, Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri.

vanilla birthday cake

My daughter is turning eight years old this week, and she’s been begging me for two things: a puppy and her favorite vanilla birthday cake. The puppy is definitely not going to happen – we already have one crazy dog – but the cake’s easy. I’ve been making this simple vanilla cake every year on her birthday since she was two. The cake portion of recipe is adapted from one of my favorite baking books, Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri, and the frosting recipe was handed down from my great-grandmother.

What you’ll need to make vanilla birthday cake

Cake ingredients including eggs, vanilla, and cream cheese.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To begin, combine the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Dry cake ingredients in a glass bowl.

Whisk well to combine.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Next, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Butter and sugar creamed in a stand mixer.

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites and milk. Be sure the eggs are at room temperature, otherwise your batter may curdle. To warm them up quickly, place them in a bowl of hot water before cracking them. When the butter and sugar are creamed, beat in the vanilla and almond extract, then add one-quarter of the flour mixture and beat on low speed.

Flour in a stand mixer with creamed butter and sugar.

Next, add one-third of the milk/egg mixture.

Milk mixture added to a stand mixer.

Continue alternating adding the flour and milk mixtures, scraping down the bowl as necessary. The batter will look like this.

Smooth, light cake batter in a stand mixer.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.

Round cake pans filled with batter.

Bake the layers for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are set and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the layers in the pans for five minutes, then unmold onto racks to finish cooling.

Two round cakes on a wire rack.

While the cake cools, make the frosting. Begin by combining the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Unmixed butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Beat until well combined.

Cream cheese and butter mixture in a stand mixer.

Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Sugar in a stand mixer with a cream cheese and butter mixture.

Then beat in the vanilla and salt.

Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat in the vanilla and salt. If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream.

If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream.

Vanilla buttercream in the bowl of a stand mixer.

When the layers are cool, frost the cake.

how to make vanilla cake

You can spread the frosting smooth, or swirl it casually with a butter knife. Since it’s an all white cake, I like to scatter some festive nonpareils or confetti sprinkles on the edges for color.

how to make vanilla cake

Or for a change, try topping the cake with heaps of shredded sweetened coconut — it’s amazing.

vanilla birthday cake

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Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old-Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal
Cake portion adapted from Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri

This moist and delicious birthday cake recipe is adapted from one of my favorite baking books, Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri.

Servings: Makes one 8-inch 2-layer cake, or 24 cupcakes
Total Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

For the Cake Layers

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup whole milk, at room temperature
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract

For the Buttercream

  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 6 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt

Instructions

For the Cake

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut two 8-inch rounds of parchment paper and line the bottom of each pan; spray the paper with nonstick spray. (To measure the parchment paper, just trace the bottom of the pan.)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  4. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites and milk by hand in a medium bowl until just combined.
  5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the milk mixture, stopping and scraping down the bowl and beater after each addition. Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the milk mixture. Scrape again. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining milk mixture; scrape. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture.
  6. Scrape the bowl with a large rubber spatula. Don't worry if the the batter looks a little grainy. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
  7. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are set and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on rack for 5 minutes, then unmold onto rack to finish cooling right side up (keep parchment paper underneath cake layers so they don't stick to rack). When cake layers are completely cool, transfer to cake plate and frost with vanilla buttercream. (I always flip the bottom layer of the cake so that the domed side is facing down and touching the plate. That way, the surface that you're icing is flat and will minimize any separating between the two layers when you put the other layer on top of it.)

For the Vanilla Buttercream

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until creamy and well combined.
  2. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat in the vanilla and salt. If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream.
  3. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake layers can be frozen, without frosting, for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop and then frost before serving.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (12 - 14 servings)
  • Calories: 571
  • Fat: 23 g
  • Saturated fat: 14 g
  • Carbohydrates: 88g
  • Sugar: 73 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Sodium: 167 mg
  • Cholesterol: 63 mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

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  • Jenn,

    I know you recommend the spoon and scrape method for measuring flour, but would it be possible for you to list weights as well (oz and/or grams) for future recipes?

    • Hi Steve, I have gradually started to add metric conversions to my recipes. This one doesn’t have the conversions yet, but 2 cups of all purpose flour is the equivalent of 250 grams. Hope that helps!

  • This recipe is the AMAZING! My 10-year old daughter, who has never eaten a slice of birthday cake since she does not like pastry cream, frosting, chocolate or virtually any type of dessert, absolutely adored this cake. I followed the recipe exactly as written and the cake came out perfectly. It’s soft, has a delicate taste and isn’t too sweet. Now if I can only find a recipe for a very light and not too sweet vanilla frosting (NOT buttercream!), I think I have found the perfect birthday cake.Thank you Jenn for helping me decipher my daughter’s taste buds 🙂

    • I would try a white chocolate ganache for the anti-frosting princess. Use really high quality white chocolate for a good result. I have an anti-frosting prince and ganache has been the only thing he’s approved of. 🙂

  • Hi, I am very excited to try this recipe for my niece’s birthday party next weekend. I have 2 questions.
    1) what size pan would be good to use for half the recipe (only 12 guests are invited). Would 6inch by 2 work.
    2) would this frosting be okay to use with a fondant. Planning to decorate with it.
    TIA

    • Hi Parshadi, I do think the 6 inch pans would work, although you might end up a little short. I’d go ahead and make the full recipe for 12 guests. And the fondant will work well over the frosting. Hope everyone enjoys it!

  • How do you think this cake would fare if I added chocolate chips?

    • Bernadette, I think it would work, but I’d probably use mini chocolate chips. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out — sounds like something my kids would like 🙂

  • I have a child with a nut allergy – can this cake be made (and still be delicious) without the almond extract?
    Thanks

    • Definitely– you can replace the almond extract with more vanilla.

  • Thanks Jen. Will be trying this recipe over the weekend.

    Thanks again.

    • This was super delicious. Made half the recipe for a small cake!!wow!

  • Jen,

    what is the equivalent of 1/2 cup sour cream in ounces?

    Thanks

    • Hi, the equivalent measurement would be 4 ounces. Thanks!

  • This recipe looks delicious! I am going to use your recipe to make my daughter’s “bowling alley” cake, using a double layer 9 x 13 cake pan. Do I need to do anything differently? Double the ingredients, bake longer, different temperature? Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! 🙂

    • Hi Kym, I haven’t tried this recipe in a 9 x 13 pan. I’m not certain it would rise evenly. I almost think you’d be better off using two 11 x 7 pans and laying them next to each other (to achieve the look of a bowling alley). Hope that helps!

  • I baked this cake today for my daughters 3rd birthday and it was honestly the best cake I have ever made, thank you so much! (Sydney, Australia)

  • Could you use one springfoam pan and cook for longer and then cut the cake in two?

    • Hi, Unfortunately, I can’t advise baking the cake in a different pan. I’m afraid it won’t bake properly. It’s fine to use the inexpensive metal cake pans sold at the grocery store if you don’t have the right pan at home.

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