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 vanilla buttercream 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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This recipe is amazing! I am a cook but not a baker, this is the first cake that I ever baked because I wanted to bake my son’s first birthday cake and this came out so so delicious! I received SO many compliments from everyone, and I said I had to give credit to the recipe because I have no clue how to bake. The cake itself was moist, and the almond extract gives it an added elevated taste. Guests thought it was from an Italian bakery. The frosting was absolutely delicious I had to hold myself back from eating it all before frosting it.
I baked in three nights ahead of time, wrapped the layers lightly in plastic wrap and tinfoil after cooling and kept it in the fridge. Put the frosting in a glass tupperware in the fridge. I took it out about an hour before putting it together, and it was perfect. Still moist and delicious. After I frosted it, I popped it into the freezer for 10 minutes to harden up the frosting but could do the fridge too. It was truly a huge hit! I will use this recipe every year!
Several years ago, I made this birthday cake for my daughter -and she absolutely loved it. Since then, it’s become a special tradition. I bake it just for her birthday, and only then. I always come back here every year to check if the recipe has changed. Thank you, Jenn, for helping create such wonderful memories.
Worst recipe ever, ruined my day. “Mix dry ingredients” ok scroll down 12 pages to find out what are the dry ingredients, ok done mixing, scroll back up, next step: add sugar to butter. I just added the dry ingredients together so its mixed with the flour. Cake ruined. Birthday over.
Can I add fresh fruit between the layers of this cake? If not, could you recommend another one of your cakes that pairs well with fresh fruit? I’m hoping to bake one for an upcoming birthday (and I’ve never baked a cake before, so I’m very much a novice!). Thank you in advance.
Hi CJ, one fruit that I think you could get away with here is strawberries. After you frost the bottom layer of the cake, arrange thinly sliced strawberries on top. Add the second layer on top of that, and then finish frosting. Hope that helps and that it comes out well!
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes – there are too many to mention! I love your site bc it’s a tremendous resource that I’ve come to implicitly trust.
I’ll cut to the chase. Could I use 3 full eggs in lieu of the 6 egg whites? I’m OK if the color is deeper yellow
Hi Karen, thanks for your kind words – so glad you like the recipes! If you want to use full eggs, I’d recommend this cake instead. You can make it as a layer cake with two 8-inch round pans. Bake time should be 30 to 35 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I had the same question as “Karen” with respect to using whole eggs instead of only using egg whites, so I was excited to see that you had answered the question already!
However, when I clicked on the link that you say to use instead, the link is right back to the “Vanilla Birthday Cake” with using 6 egg whites!!
Can you direct us to recipe to use whole eggs for a birthday cake, at your convenience?? Please and thank you 🙂! (I’ve just been assigned to bake our Grand-daughter’s Birthday cake for her 2nd Birthday!! So a prompt reply would be appreciated, as her birthday is this weekend)!! Last year, I made your Kentucky Pound Cake for her birthday (having previously made it for her parents’ wedding and her Mom’s Baby shower, in 2022 & 2023 respectfully) , and I could bake that again, but thought I’d try a different recipe this year 😊!
Sorry for rattling on, but you are my “Go-to” website for ALL my favourite recipes…..sweet or savoury!!
Cheers,
Mary Paul in BC Canada
Hi Mary, clearly, I hadn’t had my coffee yet when I added that link! This is the cake I intended to link to. Hope your family enjoys (and so glad you like the recipes)!
Ah-ha……………I figured that would be the recipe, so I took a chance & had already measured out the ingredients last evening and will bake this morning🙂🙏🏻!
I plan on baking in 2×8″ round tins (bake for 30-35 mins), which it seems you have addressed this as an option in a previous post.
Thanks again, Jenn, from a loyal fan!! (I’ve sent/referred your website link & talk about you to SO many friends and family over the recent years!
Cheers,
Mary
Thank you, Jenn. God bless
Hi, Jenn
I love your recipe and your instructions is very easy to follow.
According to your recipe, how heavy is your cake (in pounds or grams, approximately).
Thanks
Rosec
Hi Rose, so glad you liked the recipes! While the recipe provides the ability to convert the ingredients to weight in grams, I am unsure of the total weight of the prepared cake. Sorry!
Can I use store-bought egg whites or should I use fresh eggs that I separate? I love all your recipes!!
Hi Lorraine, so glad you like the recipes! I don’t recommend store-bought egg whites for this cake – sorry!
Can I freeze the icing and thaw it in the fridge the day before I plan to ice the cake?
Hi Carolyn, I’ve never frozen it, but I think you can. After you thaw it in the fridge, bring it to room temperature and re-whip it to restore the texture.
Hi Jen!
I absolutely love this recipe. This is my third time making it. Do you think I can add a little bourbon or rum to the batter?
Thank you!
Hi Maria, so glad you like the cake! Sure, you can swap a tablespoon or two of the milk for bourbon or rum. Enjoy!