Delicious Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe
“Let Them Eat Cake!” What a wonderful phrase to be uttered from someones lips!
Also the words moist and decadent gets me going too! :-D
I’ve been a picky cake person since I was a kid. If I knew someone made a cake from a box and slabbed some canned frosting on top. I was appalled that someone would bring it around me!
I’m serious, as a kid I was spoiled because my mother and grandmother SPOILED me with homemade cakes that were moist with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Those “boxed cakes” that people around me would make were dry and so sweet, I knew from the first bite that, that was all I needed to set it a side.
This went for store bought cakes as well when I was younger. Those cake batters were dry and extra sweet as well. Topped with all the icing that was piled on top. Bleh! I will say that the frosting on store bought cakes got WAY better about 10 years ago. Thank goodness for all the other people buying those newer versions out there.
Getting back to me being spoiled. People who had my mothers cakes would feel like they died and went to heaven. People who didn’t like cake, all of a sudden LOVED cake!
This began to be a problem for me, because people started to pay my mom for her cakes. Then she would be too worn out from making cakes, she stopped making them for OUR home! “How could this be happening!?” I thought.
I needed to learn how to make those cakes and quick! Low and behold, I did!
When she had to make a cake for someone, I sat there and watched. Every time, without asking any questions.
I watched her cream together sugar and butter for every batter,
Then came the eggs.
In a separate bowl she mixed together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder/soda, and salt).
Alternating between the liquid (my mother used buttermilk for every cake, no exception) and the flour mixture. Carefully added everything into the wet mixture.
At the end of all those steps, she added in what she called the secrets to the batter. My moms secret was Vanilla & Coconut extracts. This is what I thought a cake was. Overtime, I learned to love coconut milk and the texture it gives a cake batter (instead of buttermilk that my mom swears by). I switch it out for vanilla coconut milk. Vanilla coconut milk is important, for the extra vanilla flavoring in the batter.
Sometimes in life I know it can feel like you don't have time to make a cake from scratch, but you totally can, its really worth it! It’s also more impressive, those couple extra steps make a difference. Keep this cake batter recipe in your pocket and add whatever frosting topping of your choice and you’ll never have to use a box again!
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup Sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 eggs, room temperature
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ cup coconut milk (milk can be substituted)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
5. Alternate the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture and mix well.
6. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
7. Bake 35-40 minutes. When toothpick is inserted it should come out clean.
8. Allow to cool fully before removing from cake pan. Top with Frosting
This is my go to yellow batter/vanilla batter cake, so frosting options are endless!
Here are some different frosting to choose from below:
- Caramel Frosting
- Candy Coated Chocolate Frosting (this is no ganache!)
- Vanilla Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Ganache