Classic Vanilla Cake Recipe | How to Make Birthday Cake
Learn how to make the best vanilla cake – this cake is soft, moist, rich and covered with amazing cream cheese vanilla frosting. This vanilla cake is the best birthday cake ever! Perfect birthday cake for boys and girls, for kids and adults. If you are looking for a recipe for vanilla cake with confetti sprinkles, this is the recipe for you!
Classic Vanilla Cake Recipe | How to Make Birthday Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 â…“ cups 290g Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup 115g Butter, softened
- ½ cup 120ml Oil
- 1½ cups 300g Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup 240ml Buttermilk (more if needed)
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- â…” cup 150g Butter, softened
- ½ cup 120ml Heavy cream, cold
- 1¼ cups 160g Icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups 400g Cream cheese
Decoration:
- Confetti sprinkles
Instructions
- DIRECTIONS
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line two 8-inch (20cm) round cake pans with parchment paper and grease bottom and sides.
- In one bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, add salt, stir and set aside.
- In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Then add eggs, one at the time, beating until combined after each addition. Add oil, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning by adding 1/2 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the buttermilk. Then repeat this process. Beat until fully incorporating after each addition.
- Divide the batter between prepared pans. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then release from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl beat heavy cream to stiff peaks. Then fold into the cream cheese mixture.
- Assembly: Place one cake layer with flat side down. Spread a layer of frosting, place the second layer of cake on top of the frosting, flat side up. Spread evenly the frosting on top and sides of the cake. Decorate the edges of the cake with sprinkles.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Hi, thanks for the awesome recipe…..
For butter…which butter we need to use un salted or normal salted butter for cake and frosting too. If I’m using salted butter can I omitted the salt.
Hi Uma,
I always use unsalted to control the saltiness.
If you using salted butter, then omit the salt from the recipe.
Hello, i have a question- what kind of flour do we use? cake or all purpose? and is this cake sturdy enough to make layers?
Hi Stephanie,
You can use AP flour or cake flour in this recipe.
Yes.
Can you recommend a good replacement for eggs, that would be available in a mainstream North American(Canadian) grocery store?
You can use apple sauce since it makes it fluffy just like the egg would. I would totally recommend it. You can purchase it from Walmart.
You can use apple sauce since it makes it fluffy just like the egg would. I would totally recommend it. You can purchase it from Walmart.
You can use apple sauce since it makes it fluffy just like the egg would. I would totally recommend it. You can purchase it from Walmart.
Hi cooking foodie,
I wanted to ask how would I calculate if I wanted to make a 6 cake using this recipe. Also if I wanted to make a larger cake ie 12″ how would I calculate that please?”
hi, thanks for the recipe. but Can heavy cream be replaced with whipping cream?
Yes, heavy cream and whipped cream it’s the same thing.
can we use a sqaure 8 inch pan?
Hi looks like a great cake. I’ll make it for mu husband’s bd but can i make the frosting one day ahead and store it in the fridge? and i have another question please is it too sweet like butter cream frosting or it’s closer to a cream cheese frosting? Thank you 😊
Hi Cooking Foodie!
What flour is preferred here – cake or AP? I know you said in another comment we can use either, but I am wondering if you think one works best over the other 🙂
Best,
Anna
So I’m going to be making this cake tomorrow and the only pans that I have is 9in and I see you said to multiply the recipe By 1.33 but I have no idea how to do that is there anyway you can help me please
Do you recommend cake flour or All Purpose?
Hi, I’ve just made this cake. I used what we call ‘plain flour’ here in the U.K. and, from what I can tell, all purpose flour is what Americans call plain flour, so you could easily use all purpose. Hope this helps
Hi,
I’ve just baked this cake for my mum’s birthday and am made up with the results. The recipe was so easy to follow, and tastes delicious.
I used a wooden spoon to do all the mixing and beating, as I couldn’t find my electric whisk. Also,I only have one round cake tin (no idea what size it is) so I roughly divided the mixture by eye, and left one half of the mix in the fridge while the first half cooked. I then relined the tin and stuck the other half in the oven. Worked perfectly.
The m
Hi! Awesome recipe, for the oil what did you use?
I made the Vanilla Birthday cake for my Husbands Birthday yesterday. Best cake I have every made thank you for the recipe.Going to make another next week just to practice. 🎂
thanks for the recipe! can it be frozen?!
I froze one-half last night. We might eat it later this week. I can tell you how it tastes. My guess is that it will be great.
made this cake for my dad’s birthday this month. It was tasty! We didn’t put any frosting on it though. We ate one with whip cream and strawberries on it. Now, we have the other pan to think about haha. Thanks for the recipe! Next time, perhaps I can layer it and make it pretty.
Hi, if I put one cake in the oven one at a time should I put it for 20 mins each instead of 40.? Asking because my oven fits only 1
Is it okay If i want to lessen the amount of sugar? Or is it okay if i use half regular sugar and half brown sugar??
Hi,
You can cut the sugar by 10-20% but not more.
I would not recommend using brown sugar in this recipe.
What oil do you use?
Sunflower seed oil
Please help me . Can I put all the batter in one mould instead of using two. And if I do so is there any change in time or temperature.
I forgot to add baking soda but added baking powder.
Can you please help me? How do I adjust the recipe to a 10 and 12 inches size pans?