Vanilla Cake – Back To Basics!
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A delicious two layer vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and strawberry jam!
Back to basics
Back in 2018, I thought I would start a new series on my blog – ‘back to basics’. As much as I hope that all my recipes are simple and doable by anyone of any baking ability, I know that some are not! Or, some people do just want to learn the basics – and I want to help with that!
Vanilla cake
I thought that I would go for an absolute classic for my fourth instalment, a vanilla cake. This beauty is a two layer vanilla sponge cake, with vanilla buttercream frosting, and one of my favourite jam flavours… strawberry!
Okay, so back to basics has potentially gone a little bit too basic now, with a vanilla cake.. but I’ve had endless requests. I do have a Victoria sponge recipe on my blog already, but this a two layer beauty and potentially explained in a much better way. I hope.
Other ‘back to basics’ recipes
My first part of the back to basics series was my triple chocolate brownies, followed by my no-bake vanilla cheesecake, and then thirdly the chocolate cake. I figured doing a vanilla recipe would fit with the system and alternating between the two flavours!
Its all in the science
But anyway… this is basically the most simple yet most scientific of cakes. It only really takes four ingredients to make something DELICIOUS, but you have to get it right. It doesn’t really matter whether you use a two egg recipe, three egg, four egg etc… as long as the ratios are equal.
There are obviously other factors that are involved with getting the perfect cake – but really the ratio, how you mix it, and the oven being the correct temperature is so important! I use a Fan oven, so I bake my cake at 160 degrees! As my oven is new, it helps so much, but with other ovens I have used an oven thermometer to make sure my oven is correct before baking – as ovens can be drastically out!
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve heard (this could be incorrect), that the ovens on The Great British Bake off are tested each day before the contestants start by baking a Victoria sponge – as it’s the most classic and scientifically easy bake! If the bake doesn’t bake correctly, but you know its weighed and mixed correctly, then usually it means it’s the oven.
Method/mix
If you know your oven is at the right temperature – just make sure you mix it correctly. I personally switch between the all in one method, and the beating sugar and butter first method – but in general, I find the beating the sugar and butter together method is better for the most.
Butter
If the butter is too cold for the cake, it can make the cake mixture a little lumpy. I usually use room temperature unsalted butter (the kind you get in foil), or Stork for cake sponges. Either work absolutely fantastically! However, for the buttercream, you must NOT use Stork. Only use unsalted butter for the buttercream – otherwise it can split or taste horrible!
Handy equipment!
I personally use my Kitchenaid mixer with the scraper paddle attachment for a majority of my baking – and all my cake mixes and buttercreams. I don’t use a whisk, as that creates too much air, and can be quite faffy – but if you have just a handheld mixer, then the whisk attachments for those are fine.
You can easily make a cake mix and such with just your hand, a bowl and a spatula, but for buttercream it does take a bit more welly to get it just perfect! You could go the whole hog and make your own homemade jam if you want, but I just thought I would stick with this recipe being about the actual cake!
I hope you all love this recipe, and no I am not claiming I created it, because it’s been around for centuries and centuries – it’s just science! But honestly, enjoy! x
Vanilla Cake - Back To Basics!
Ingredients
Cake!
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 250 g caster sugar
- 250 g self raising flour
- 5 medium eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream!
- 200 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 400 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Extras!
- 200 g strawberry jam
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan and line two 8"/20cm tins with parchment paper, and leave to the side.
- Beat together your butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy!
- Add in your self raising flour, eggs and vanilla and beat again for a a couple of minutes until smooth.
- Try not to over beat - mix until it comes together and is smooth
- Split the cake mix between the two tins. I weigh it to make sure its even - each mix should weigh 500g each (roughly)
- Once in the tins, bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until baked through. I check my cake is baked by using a skewer, and listening carefully to see if it bubbles!
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- To make the buttercream, make sure your butter is at room temperature.
- Beat the butter on its own for 3-4 minutes, I use the paddle attachment.
- Once the butter is nice and supple, add the icing sugar in 1/2 at a time, and beat fully before adding any more in.
- Add in the vanilla, and beat again for 3-4 minutes until it's all come together.
- Carefully pipe or spread half of your buttercream onto the first cake, and then top with some jam.
- Add the second sponge on, and then spread the rest of the buttercream on top.
- Decorate with your favourite sprinkles, and enjoy!
Notes
- This cake will last for 3 days at room temperature, in a cake box.
- You don't have to use the vanilla, but obviously that is the theme of the cake!
- You could always use vanilla beans/paste/extract over essence as its much more natural!
- The jam is optional - or you can swap to whatever flavour you prefer!
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J x
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If I half the recipe to use only one tin would I need 2 eggs or 3 eggs?
It depends on the depth of your tin. Try 2/5 of the recipe with 2 eggs first and see how you get on.
Hi can I half the ingredients and just bake in one tin, as I want to only make one cake =) thanks and any idea on the baking time for that if so please .
Could I change the amount to 175g and use 3 eggs? Ae I don’t want such a large cake and will be using one pan =) thanks
It is basic maths – use one egg for every 50g of flour/butter/sugar. So three eggs would be 150g of each.
Absolutely scrumptious! I halved the buttercream to just fill the inside of the cake and dusted the top with icing sugar. This cake is absolutely delicious, thank you for the amazing recipe Jane!
Hello Jane ! If i wanted to make this dairy free, along with the back to basics chocolate cake would I just swap the butter in the recipe for diary free ? Thankyou
Hi, I have just mad you back to basics vanilla cake, it was so easy and delicious thank you as always.
Hi Jane I am making a number 1 cake for my grandsons 1st birthday, how would I adapt this recipe. Thank you. \1
Hi this is my go to recipe can anyone help to covert the ing to a two layer 10 inch round cake with baking times etc ?
Many thanks
Does anyone know what the baking time would be if I made this in just one tin =)
Hi Jane,
Thank you for the amazing recipe, I used this to bake my first-ever 2-layered Victoria sponge cake. As advised I also weighed the eggs and used 3 mediums and 1 large at the end to roughly match to the rest of the recipe. However,
I felt that the cake was quite sweet, is there anyway I could still get a 2 layered Victoria sponge but with less sugar perhaps?
Hi Jane I love love your recipes I am always baking them. I even bought your recipe books too. I was wondering if you could help and give some expert advice. I am quite new to baking and I have taken on a challenge to bake and create a letter cake. Would your victoria sponge recipe work for 39x 26 pan. I’m not sure how to adapt the recipe too. Any help would be grateful ☺️ x
What cake tins do you use please
Hiya! Take a look at my ‘favourite tins’ post – I list and link all the tins I use there! Hope this helps! x
I want to use this recipe to make 3, 4″ cakes as a cake topper for my sons wedding. They’re having a brownie and blondie stack. All made by myself, using Janes recipes. How would I work out how much cake mix to make for this please. TIA. X
Hi Jane, how do you get a flat bottomed cake please? 🥴😃.
Mine was like a leaning tower of cakeness lol.
Thank you!
Your cakes are amazing ❤️.
Hi Jane. Love your recipes. Are you able to tell me how to stop the tops of the cakes from bubbling and going into a dome please. Thank you
HIya! Try baking lower and slower, and cool them upside down on a rack. Hope this helps! x
Hi my love i use baking strips wilton ones or you czn use another brand
you can look them up on amazon very easy to use xx
Hey. I want to make this next week but I’ll be using x2 6 inch tins instead. Do I need to bake for longer? X
Note for smaller tin;
Made as 6 inch cake at 160 F for 15 mins which came out really well.
Thank you for another amazing recipe ✨
did you reduce ingredients size?