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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I made this cake for a certain little 8-year-old who is celebrating her birthday and requested a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. It is perfect!
I have been on a quest for years for a white cake …. My quest us over! I think the key was following the advice (i.e., bring eggs to room temperature, add flour in stages, etc.). I am notorious for short-cuts…. I have learned my lesson (at least when baking…. marinades are a different story 🙂
My stepdad loves cake and this was a hit for him. The frosting is soft and creamy, and the cake was nice and moist inside. Definitely worth making again!
Hi Jenn,
I was wondering if you could provide a dairy-free version of your Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old-Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream?
Thanks!
Hi Jill, Unfortunately, this recipe cannot be made dairy-free but I will keep my eye out for a good dairy-free vanilla cake recipe.
Also, you might try yummly.com – it’s a great site for finding recipes with or without specific ingredients.
I was just wondering if you make this birthday cake as a 9 by 13 how long you would need to bake it. Thanks!
Hi Jenni, Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this recipe in a 9 x 13 pan. I’m not sure it would rise evenly. I almost think you’d be better off using two 11 x 7 pans and stacking the layers. Hope that helps!
Hi! First off, my husband LOVES this frosting! Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂 Now for my question…I am making a cake with this frosting and a marshmallow fondant Olaf (not flat, sort of 3-d) and child’s name on it. I know you say we can leave a cake with this frosting out for a few days, right? If I frost this and put the marshmallow fondant character on top, will the colors from the fondant bleed onto the frosting if I leave it out overnight? I had that experience when I kept a frosted cake in the fridge in the past. The party is tomorrow, early afternoon, but I’d love to have this finished tonight, if possible.
Hi Aly, Sounds like a great cake. Would love to see a photo when it’s done! Unfortunately, I do think the colors may bleed onto the buttercream. I’d wait to add the character. Or maybe you could stick it on a base circle of white fondant over the frosting?
Thank you so much for your quick reply! I’m not sure how to upload/send a picture to you, but I did assemble the cake at the last minute. I left the cake out for about 4 hours before serving and the frosting did get a bit soft, but that’s probably because I’m in South Florida and the a/c wasn’t as low as it should’ve been. Regardless, it was a great success. Again, thank you for your help and your wonderful frosting recipe!
Would it change the taste to eliminate the almond extract and use all vanilla extract? Does the cake have an almond hint to it with the almond extract?
Hi Siobhan, It’s absolutely fine to use all vanilla extract, although the almond extract gives this cake spectacular flavor. The almond is very subtle but nice.
I have made soooooo many vanilla cake recipes, trying to find the perfect one that is moist, not too dense, and just plain yummy. I found it with this recipe!!!
I baked this cake and it was AMAZING! It was gone in one sitting. I bake often and my family loved this one. Changed the frosting to a cream cheese one.
How long would you cook these if making cupcakes? Thanks!
Alexia, Bake cupcakes at 350 for 18-20 minutes, and be sure to spray the paper liners w/ nonstick cooking spray. Makes 24. Hope you enjoy!