Tried and true. My go-to vanilla cake. Like most vanilla cakes this one also has the standard ingredients. The difference though is the ” how to” with bringing the ingredients together.
Science is so fascinating in how ingredients work together and with how they are added. It is not uncommon to see recipes call for room temperature eggs, the use of egg whites only, and maybe how and when they are added.
How to Make the Beloved Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at rom temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 6 egg whites eggs whites in the carton can be used
- 1 1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare baking pans
- Gather needed supplies: 3 large mixing bowls, stand mixer or hand mixer, food processor, measuring cups, measuring spoons and spacula
- In the large food processor bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder,and salt. Give a few pulses to mix the dry ingredients.
- In large bowl # 1, using either a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the 6 egg whites until soft peaks are formed. If using a stand mixer, continue with instructions ( adding butter) while the mixer beats the egg white. If using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks forms and then set the bowl aside and continue the instructions.
- Cube the butter and add to dry ingredients. Pulse until the butter is mixed into the flour mixture. It will look like crumbs. Place flour and butter mixture into bowl #2.
- Pour the beaten egg whites that have soft peaks into bowl #3. Set the bowl aside. Reusing bowl #1 ( the one that had the egg whites) pour the flour and butter mixture from food processor into the bowl.
- Place the bowl back onto stand mixer if using a stand mixer. Otherwise, prepare to use your hand mixer again
- Add buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract, and oil to the flour and butter mixture. Mix on low speed. Mix until just incorporated.
- Fold in egg whites first by hand with a spatula and then slowly mix with the mixer until just incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans. A kitchen scale will ensure that the same amount of batter is in each pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Use a toothpick to test for donest. Watch closely if additional time is needed. You do not want to over bake the cake. The cake is done when there is slight browning on the edges, the edges are slightly pulling away from the pan, and the toothpick comes out clean.Cool the cake in the cake pan. Remove the cake from the pans when they are just slight warm to the touch. Cool cake completely before frosting and decorating. To accelerate the cooling process, the cake can be popped into the freezer for about 30-45 minutes.
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