Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old-Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream
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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.
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
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Whisk well to combine.
Next, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
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.
Next, add one-third of the milk/egg mixture.
Continue alternating adding the flour and milk mixtures, scraping down the bowl as necessary. The batter will look like this.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
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.
While the cake cools, make the frosting. Begin by combining the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Beat until well combined.
Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.
Then beat in the vanilla and salt.
If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream.
When the layers are cool, frost the 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.
Or for a change, try topping the cake with heaps of shredded sweetened coconut — it’s amazing.
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Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old-Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream
This moist and delicious birthday cake recipe is adapted from one of my favorite baking books, Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri.
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
- 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.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- 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.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites and milk by hand in a medium bowl until just combined.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until creamy and well combined.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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
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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I want to make cupcakes for a party using this recipe. Can I make them a few days ahead and how should I store them so they are still moist and fresh and not dry out like some other recipes I have tried before?
Hi Sandy, to ensure freshness, I would make the cupcakes one day ahead at the most. I would suggest waiting until shortly before the party to frost the cupcakes. After removing the cupcakes from the oven, let them cool completely, wrap them in saran and refrigerate. A few hours before serving (you don’t want them to be cold), unwrap the cupcakes and frost them, then keep it at room temperature. Hope that helps!
I made this for my son’s 6th birthday. It was so fun to make, very easy and so yummy! It looked beautiful too!
Hi Jenn! My daughter’s 27th birthday is tomorrow (Dr. Seuss’s Birthday)! This is the third year in a row that she has requested this cake. It is her absolute favorite! I have made this for co-workers and friends as well and always get rave reviews. I was just planning my shopping list so I had to take a moment to thank you for this and all the wonderful recipes on your site. I can’t wait to get your cookbook!! Thank you for making me look good! 🙂
Aww, you’re welcome Laura. So happy you’re enjoying all the recipes! 😊
I plan on making this cake for my husband’s birthday with gluten free AP flour. Would you change anything else in the recipe ( amount of baking powder) if I’m making this substitution?
Also, is it ok to make this a day ahead ? If so, would you store in the fridge ?
Thanks in advance.:)
Lisa
Hi Lisa, I’ve never made this with gluten-free flour, but a number of readers have commented that they have with no additional baking powder and have been happy with the results. Yes, it’s okay to make it a day ahead but I would actually wait to frost it. When the cake layers have cooled completely, wrap them in saran wrap and refrigerate. A few hours before serving (you don’t want the cake to be cold), unwrap the layers and frost the cake, then keep it at room temperature. Hope everyone enjoys!
So helpful! Thank you !
I made a race car cake using this recipe for my son’s 3rd birthday. The cake is fabulous. The kids loved it and adults raved. In fact, my father in law commented that you just can’t buy cakes like this anymore…
Mine, like others, was heavier than I expected, even though I opened a new can of baking powder after reading the reviews and was very careful to follow measurement instructions. It was not as dense as pound cake. Perhaps this is because I used a form pan with all of the batter?
No matter – I will be using this recipe for years to come! Thanks, Jenn!!
Glad you enjoyed the cake, Lynn – I would love to see a photo (send to jennifer@onceuponachef.com if you have one!). And yes, baking all of the batter in one pan can definitely make the cake a bit heavier.
What kind of cake pans are you using in these pictures?
Hi Janice, the recipe calls for two 8-inch cake pans. Hope you enjoy!
How many cupcakes does this make?
Hi Jacqueline, It makes 24 cupcakes. 🙂
I used dark, non-stick pans and probably should have reduced the temp to 325. I ended up with an outside crust that was pretty crispy at 350. Could you make a note to use a lower temp when using dark pans?
Hi Christy, I’m sorry this got a little browner than you would’ve liked. I too use dark pans and have not experienced that issue, but if you find that’s the case for you, I would suggest either reducing the temp or baking time by just a bit.
Hi Jenn,
I would like to use your buttercream recipe to create rosettes on a cake. Will it be stiff enough hold the shape?
Hi Katy, Unfortunately, this won’t be stiff enough to cooperate — But you can replace some or all of the butter with Crisco and it will be more stable.
Love this cake and the frosting! I used a 9 inch and the outside edge was a little brown and crusty so I cut it off. Why do u think this happened? How far in advance can I make the frosting? I would like to make it a few days early. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Hi Lisa, So glad you enjoyed the cake! Was the outside edge burnt or just golden borwn? It’s normal for the exterior to brown, and the frosting will soften that edge right up — but if it was burnt, try reducing the baking time by about 5 minutes.
I would say more brown than burned but definitely a hard edge, next time i will leave it and see if the frosting softens it up. How much in advance can I make the frosting?
Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I would only recommend making the frosting a day or two in advance if you’re going to frost the cake (so, in other words, the whole cake can be prepared 1 to 2 days in advance). If stored in the fridge, on it’s own, it would be hard to get the icing back to the same texture.