Vanilla Layer Cake
Serves : 12 slices
Sweet, fluffy vanilla cake with silky swiss meringue buttercream, its perfect for celebrating birthdays, weddings or any other special occasion.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 175 g Butter Unsalted, Room Temperature
- 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 300 g Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 3 Eggs Medium
- 280 g Self-Raising Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 240 ml Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 Egg Whites Large
- 300 g Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 450 g Butter Unsalted, Room Temperature
- 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
- Rainbow Sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 160C/325F and line a deep 6-inch cake tin with baking parchment. Alternatively, if you have three individual 6-inch cake tins, you can bake the layers separately.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, salt and caster sugar together until soft and creamy. Alternatively, use an electric hand whisk and a large mixing bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each egg until well combined. The mixture should be thick and runny. Then add the vanilla bean paste.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together, and gently fold half of the mixture into the cake batter. Add half of the buttermilk and mix in well. Repeat with the rest of the dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk. The cake batter should be smooth and creamy.
- Split the cake batter between the cake pans, and smooth over.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Make the swiss meringue buttercream: In a large bowl or the stand mixer bowl, add the egg whites, vanilla bean paste and caster sugar, and whisk until combined.
- Add 1-2 inches of water into a pot or saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Then place the bowl over the pot and stir constantly with a balloon whisk until the mixture is hot and the sugar has dissolved, or until a sugar thermometer reads 71C/160F, about 3 minutes.
- Return the bowl to the stand mixer, and whisk the egg whites on medium-high with the balloon whisk attachment, until stiff and the bowl has cooled down. The bowl should feel cool to the touch, about 5-10 minutes.
- Cube the butter, and then switch the stand mixer attached to the paddle. On slow-medium, add the cubed butter a bit at a time with the salt, and mix until the buttercream is smooth.
- Assemble the cake: Using a large serrated knife, level the top of the cake layer and fix the ‘bottom’ layer to a 6-inch cake board with a little of the frosting.
- Using a palette knife or a piping bag and nozzle, spread or pipe buttercream across the bottom layer. Repeat for the next layer.
- Top the cake with the final layer, bottom-side up, and spread the buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Use a palette knife or cake side scraper to take off the excess buttercream and give a smooth finish. Chill the frosted cake for 15 minutes in the fridge, to allow the layer of buttercream to firm up.
- Add another layer of buttercream to the top and sides of the cake, and remove the excess. Chill the frosted cake for another 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Using a star nozzle pipe swirls of buttercream around the top of the cake; then scatter with sprinkles.
Notes
- The cake will keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days, or you can freeze it for up to 1 month, but make sure it is well wrapped before freezing.
- If you have any leftover swiss meringue buttercream, pop it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or the freezer for 3 months.
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature, and if not, you can warm them up by popping them in a bowl of warm tap water for 10 minutes.
- Make sure your butter is softened but not too soft. To test it, press a clean finger in the butter - it should leave an indent but not go all the way through.
- If you can't get buttermilk then add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 200ml (1 cup) of full-fat milk. Pop it to one side for 15 minutes, whilst sorting your ingredients out, by which time the milk will be ready to use.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 691kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 7gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 435mgPotassium: 170mgFiber: 1gSugar: 52gVitamin A: 1394IUCalcium: 75mgIron: 1mg
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
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