With its pillowy soft crumb and the sweet vanilla frosting, this is the Best Vanilla Cake you will ever taste. And after one bite, I am 100% sure that you will agree with this. 

Vanilla cake is one of those dessert that is loved by all. Whether it’s a birthday party or a baby shower party, this cake is perfect for any party theme that you have decided.

This cake is so tasty that it can lift your spirit or brighten your gloomy day. This cake has a soft, tender and fluffy texture that gives us a luxurious feeling when you take a bite. And the frosting is a cherry on top. 

The combination of these two is out of the world, making it my absolute favourite vanilla cake ever. This cake tastes better and looks gorgeous, too, with the pink drip and rainbow sprinkles. It consists of a meringue that gives it its fluffy and pillowy soft texture. And very little fat, so what more can you ask for?

Why You Will Love This Recipe?

• Flavor: The beauty of this vanilla cake lies in the flavor. The perfect combination of vanilla sponge and not-too-sweet frosting makes the cake perfect for any craving or occasion. It’s a comfort dessert that satisfies many people with a sweet tooth. 
• Texture: Apart from the flavor, the texture is the best thing about loving this cake. Its plushie, pillowy soft with tender crumbs, makes the cake extra lovable. Make this cake for your kids or any special one’s birthday, and it will not disappoint you. The velvety texture of the frosting complements the cake perfectly, which takes it to another level. 
• Easy: Making vanilla cake has always been easy with simple steps. And this recipe is no exception. The sponge and the frosting require simple and easy-to-follow steps, which are already given in this recipe through the blog post. 
• Classic: Vanilla cake is a classic dessert, and you probably already know it, but classic never goes out of style. Its simplicity can turn any non-dessert lover into a dessert lover. 
• Versatile: This cake is quite versatile. You can pair this cake with endless possible varieties of flavours. From coconut flavour to classic pineapple cake, yuan, be creative and make your version with this recipe.

Important Ingredients Used In The Recipe

• Eggs: Eggs act as a primary rising agent for this recipe. Both the egg whites and egg yolks have been used for this recipe. When egg whites are beaten with sugar to make a meringue, it entraps air, creating a stable foam that expands during baking, causing the cake to rise and become light and airy. And egg yolk adds a subtle richness and contributes to the cake’s soft and tender texture.
• Cream of tartar: This ingredient helps in stabilizing the meringue. It also helps in achieving volume in the meringue. Since cream of tartar is acidic, if you do not have cream of tartar, you can add lemon juice instead of it. 
• Sugar: Apart from sweetness, it adds airiness and fluffiness to the cake when whipped with egg white and egg yolk. It also makes the sponge tender by attracting and holding moisture. 
• Salt: Salt enhances the overall taste of the cake. It helps in highlighting the sweetness and richness of the cake. 
• Oil: Vegetable oil has been used as the primary fat for this cake. It helps the cake to stay tender with soft crumbs. You can also use melted butter instead of oil if you want to. But the texter may be on the denser side.

How To Make Vanilla Cake

Preparations: Gather all the ingredients that you need for the recipe. Weigh them through the kitchen weighing scale, grease two 6-inch round baking tins with oil, and place butter paper at the bottom. Also, preheat your oven to 180° C or 350° F (upper rod + lower rod + fan). Make sure that each ingredient is at room temperature.

For Batter

Make egg yolk mixture: Separate egg whites and egg yolk in different bowls. Add salt and vanilla essence to the egg yolk, then give it a nice mix. After mixing, keep it aside for further use.

Make the meringue: In a clean bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Then add the cream of tartar and beat again while gradually adding sugar. Beat until you have a glossy and soft, peaked meringue. Do not overbeat the meringue, or the meringue will deflate. Also, keep a clean bowl in the fridge for a few minutes before beating it. 

Mix milk and oil: In a different bowl, mix oil and milk. You can add them to the meringue mixture separately, but mixing too many times may deflate the airiness of the batter.

Mix egg yolk and meringue: Add the egg yolk mixture to the meringue and mix very gently until both properly incorporate. Do not mix vigorously.

Make the batter: Now fold in the milk and oil mixture. Lastly, sift in all-purpose flour and mix using the cut-and-fold method. And make a smooth and airy batter. Using the cut-and-fold method won’t deflate the batter.

Baking: Pour the batter into the prepared baking tins equally. Bake them at 180° C or 350° F (OTG mode: upper rod + lower rod + fan) for 30 – 35 minutes. 

For Frosting

Beat whipping cream and icing sugar: In a bowl, add whipping cream and icing together, and with an electric hand beater, whip it until you get soft, peaked whipped cream. Since we use dairy whipping cream here, it tends to curdle sooner than non-dairy. So, do not overbeat it.

Add flavour: Add in vanilla essence and beat again. Once it is done, transfer it to a piping bag and keep it aside until the assembly.

For Soaking Syrup

Mix the ingredients: To make the soaking syrup, mix vanilla essence and water and keep it aside. You also use any flavour besides vanilla essence to make the soaking syrup.

For Colored Drip

Melt chocolate & add warm cream: Melt white chocolate and warm fresh cream separately. Now, mix both of them to make a liquid mixture. Now add pink powder chocolate colour and mix to get ink chocolate drip.

For Assembly

De moulding and dividing: After the sponges have baked properly, let them cool down at room temperature. Now divide them equally with the help of a cake leveller or a serrated knife.

Layering: On a cake base, apply some of the frosting and place a layer of sponge on top. Soak it with soaking syrup through a pastry brush. Apply frosting on top, smooth out using a bent palette knife, and place another sponge layer on top. Repeat the same process as before until you get a 4 layered cake without frosting. 

Crumb coating: Now for crumb coating, pipe thin layers of frosting all over the cake and smooth out. Remove excess frosting as well with a scrapper. Crumb coating will help the stray crumbs to stay in place. Keep it in the refrigerator for 15 – 20 minutes so the frosting sets a little.

Final frosting: After 15 – 20 minutes, remove it from the refrigerator, pipe thick layers of frosting all over the cake, and smooth it out. Make sure that the top edge is sharp. Remove the excess gently, or the frosting may come off. 

Decorating: Now, for decorating the cake, give a drip effect around the cake on top. Then, the pipe swirls on top using a 1M nozzle on top as well. Lastly, stick a rainbow sprinkle on the base of the cake and sprinkle on top of the swirls as well. And you are done with one of the most delicious vanilla cakes.

Chef’s Tips For The Recipe

For Batter

Use clean utensils for making the meringue, and ensure there are no traces of egg yolk in the egg white. Otherwise, the meringue won’t be whipped to perfection.
Do not overbeat the meringue, or the air trapped in it will deflate.
Use the cut-and-fold method only for mixing all-purpose flour. Do not mix vigorously.

For Frosting

Do not overbeat the whipping cream, or it may curdle.

How to Store Vanilla Cake

To store vanilla cake in a refrigerator, keep it in an airtight container that lasts up to 1 week.
In the freezer, it can stay for at least 14 – 15 days if you keep it in an airtight container.
Both the sponge and frosting can be stored separately. The sponge can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 month, while the frosting can be stored for 3 – 4 days.

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Frequently Asked Questions