Vanilla Cake – Back To Basics!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details!*
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!
Find my other recipes on my Recipes Page!
You can find me on:
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Youtube
J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Hi, I want to make this into a 12” two layer cake and was wondering how much ingredients I’d have to use instead? I love this recipe!
Hi Jane. Would this work as a gluten free? Simple flour swap?
I only have one cake tin so going to make each of half of the cake at separate times. I’m going to half the ingredients how many eggs should I use of each half of the cake?
Hi, I was wondering if you would ever dye this cake? And if so how much sugarflair paste would you use?
Thanks 🙂
Hi,
I want to dye this cake using the sugarflair paste. Would this work and how much dye would you recommend I added to this recipe?
Thanks,
H
What quantities do I need to make a 3 tiered cake?
Do you mean 3 tiers or 3 layers. If it’s an extra layer I use a calculator to divide the mix into 3 and add an extra 3rd. I
also weigh the mix and divide evenly between tins.
What I should have said is you can calculate what half the mix would be and use an extra half for one extra layer
Hello,
Can I make this cake with 2 6 inch pans?
Thanks Claire
Hi Jane, I’m planning on making this cake as my daughters birthday cake, planning to fill the inside with smarties and also cover the cake with buttercream. can I store in fridge overnight?
As long as the cake is completely covered in buttercream it should be fine to store in the fridge overnight, but as soon as it’s cut into the cake will start to dry out. It’s also best to bring back to room temperature before eating x
Hi Jane I would like to adapt this cake to a 10inch, how much ingredients would I need…. thank you
1.25 x so times everything by 1.25. I did this for her cookie cake recipe x
I want to make a 3 layer cake was going to do it in 2 batches can I use the rest of the batter to make cupcakes?
Hello
Are you able to tell me how I would convert this into a
10 inch cake please?
Hi Jane,
Can I divide these ingredients in half to make 2 6in cakes?
Want to make this for my son’s 1st birthday 🎂
Absolutely I split between 2 tins and it works really well 😊
Hi Jane, I used fresh bags of ingredients, temp was perfect on the oven and as far as I know I didn’t over beat the mixture. Somehow I can’t seem to get it to rise 🫣 any advice?
Try the coronation Victoria sponge recipe as that is a deeper sponge, as this cake isn’t meant to rise loads. It can be your oven setting is wrong, or there isn’t enough air in the mix x
This is the recipe my Nan gave me which I’ve been using for the last 35 years, and my most requested cake 😍 tried so many sponge recipes and I always come back to this one. Lovely with whipped cream too
Hi How do you make your whipped cream and how much do you use?
Baking this with my daughter so she can earn her baking girl guides badge. Adding green food colouring to the buttercream to represent the musical “Wicked” which we are going to watch in October.
Thankyou
How fun!
Hi Jane, if I want to half the recipe what should I do about the eggs? Thanks
I make it with either 3 eggs (3/5 of the ingredients) or 2 (2/5 of the ingredients) eggs. It’s hard to figure out 2.5 eggs.
Hi Jane
I made your carrot cake and it was the first time I’d ever successfully made a cake so I got cocky and thought id nailed baking.. I’ve tried this recipe twice and both times the cakes come out so wet and undercooked . I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong . I wonder if 5 eggs is too much ? My eggs aren’t as medium as they should be ??
This is purely that it has not been baked long enough. Weigh the eggs in shells, to match the butter/sugar/flour and then bake for longer x
Hi Jane
I would like to make this for my nieces wedding cake, can you please advise the weights and baking times for 7 and 8” square cakes?
Thank you
Jo x
I’ve made this a few times but not for a while. Would this sponge work with a chocolate buttercream filling and topping, or do you think it may be too sweet? I didn’t want an all chocolate cake, so thought this could be the best option.
I think that would be lovely!