Any birthdays coming up? This vanilla birthday cake with (pink) buttercream frosting is calling your name! I chose to make the frosting light pink because I was inspired by the blog I got the recipe from. In the future I am planning to be much more creative! Without time to do a lot of recipe testing, I lean towards recipes that have already been created and take my creative liberty in the appearance and photography. Not only did I do pink frosting on the outside, but I used confetti frosting on the inside! In truth, it is because I ran out of the homemade buttercream frosting, but I like to go with the script that the confetti frosting was my plan all along - because who doesn't love confetti frosting?!
This cake was for a family friend with a big milestone birthday and it was well received by all, but being the critic that I sometimes am, I thought about ways that it could be even better. Personally, I prefer a light and fluffy cake, which was one of the reasons that I chose this recipe. Part of the description included "pillowy soft crumb" which immediately caught my eye. I was hoping that when the cake came out, it would have that lightness to it. Instead, it came out slightly dense and moist, which was a bit of a surprise at first because I had followed the recipe to the best of my ability... or so I thought!
I have been taking an online Food and Science course, and one of the things that we have learned about is the importance of baking soda in the kitchen. In order for it to have the affect of making the end product light and fluffy, it needs to have an acidic ingredient to react with. What I had not considered when making this recipe was that my buttermilk substitution might not have made the cut. The buttermilk in this recipe is key because it is the acidic ingredient that reacts with the baking soda. In my excitement about the aesthetics of the cake, I overlooked the importance of crafting my homemade "buttermilk". To make buttermilk substitute, all you need is one cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. I needed a cup and a half of the buttermilk, so I adjusted, but I did not wait the whole 5 minutes to let the milk slightly curdle. Now I know what I can do to make this cake even better next time - have more patience!
Yields: 1 cake (12-14 servings) Prep Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 4 hours
Ingredients ~
3 and 2/3 cups (440g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
6 cups (720g) confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
(and food coloring!)
Instructions ~
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting.
Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe From: Sallys Baking Addiction
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