Let's Make a Golden Vanilla Cake! | Spring Favourites with Anna Olson
Recipe below, including vegan and gluten-free versions - follow along!
There’s vanilla cake, and then there’s *golden* vanilla cake. A buttery yellow colour hints at the moist, rich vanilla cake that isn’t at all crumbly and pairs well with just about any frosting, but a fudgy chocolate frosting has always been my favourite.
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• Recipe •
Makes one 2-layer, 9-inch/23 cm round cake
OR one 3-layer, 8-inch/20 cm roundcake
Serves 16 to 20
Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling & chilling
Cook Time: 40 minutes
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• Ingredients •
(Vegan and gluten-free substitutions listed after directions)
Cake:
2½ cups (325 g) cake and pastry flour
1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in pieces
1¼ cups (310 mL) buttermilk
¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla extract
Frosting:
¾ cup (175 g) unsalted butter, cut in pieces
4 oz (120 g) semisweet couverture/baking chocolate, chopped
3 cups (390 g) icing sugar
½ cup (60 g) cocoa powder
1 cup (250 mL) full-fat sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of fine salt
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• Directions •
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) or three 8-inch (20 cm) cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment and dust sides with flour, tapping out any excess.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix in butter at medium-low speed, until no longer visible.
3. Whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add to flour mixture. Mix at low speed until roughly combined, then increase speed to medium, until batter is creamy. Pour batter into pans, and tap pans to knock out air bubbles. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester inserted in the cake's centre comes out clean.
4. Cool pans on a rack for 20 minutes, then tip the cake onto the rack to cool completely before frosting. Cake layers can be made a day ahead, wrapped individually and left on the counter before assembling, or frozen up to 3 months before thawing on the counter.
5. For the frosting, place butter and chocolate in a metal bowl and set over a pot of gently simmering water, stirring gently until melted. Set aside (but you will want to use it warm).
6. Sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder. Add half of this mixture to melted chocolate if using electric beaters, or transfer the chocolate and half the icing sugar–cocoa mixture to the stand mixer bowl. Beat at medium-low speed to combine (it will be thick). Add sour cream, vanilla and salt and blend at medium speed until smooth. Add remaining icing sugar–cocoa mixture and beat at low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium until frosting holds its shape.
7. Chill frosting for at least 2 hours (or up to 4 days in a refrigerated aiurtight container) before assembling cake.
8. Place one cake layer on a cake platter or wheel and spread a thick, even layer of fudge frosting. Top with the second cake layer, and spread frosting generously across the top and over the edges. Spread frosting on sides so that it meets the edges, and smooth it out (this helps create a precise and even edge). Once frosting is evenly applied, use your palette knife to create swirls, for an inviting look. Chill cake uncovered until ready to serve.
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• Gluten-free and vegan options •
Gluten-free:
Replace the 2½ cups (325 g) cake and pastry flour with 1⅔ cups (220 g) brown rice flour mixed with ½ cup + ⅓ cup (100 g) tapioca starch and 1½ tsp xanthan gum. Bake, assemble and eat the cake within a day of baking (or else bake, cool and freeze layers, thawing on the counter before frosting), as some gluten-free cakes get sticky on the surface after a day. The frosting is gluten-free.
Vegan:
Replace butter with dairy-free margarine, and replace buttermilk with oat or almond milk and add 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice. Replace four eggs and one egg yolk with 9½ oz (270 g) silken tofu, well beaten. The cake will be less golden due to the lack of eggs, but the texture is nice and moist and the flavour, delicious.
For a vegan chocolate frosting option:
1 cup (225 g) vegan “butter”, slightly softened
3½ cups (455 g) icing sugar (certified vegan, if needed)
½ cup (60 g) Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
¼ tsp fine salt
3 Tbsp (45 mL) oat or almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed for 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add half of the icing sugar and beat, starting at low speed and increasing to high, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. Add remaining icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt, and beat again at low speed, then increase to high, scraping the bowl once or twice. Add milk and vanilla and beat at low speed, then increase to high. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy and frosting holds its shape.
There’s vanilla cake, and then there’s *golden* vanilla cake. A buttery yellow colour hints at the moist, rich vanilla cake that isn’t at all crumbly and pairs well with just about any frosting, but a fudgy chocolate frosting has always been my favourite.
--------
• Recipe •
Makes one 2-layer, 9-inch/23 cm round cake
OR one 3-layer, 8-inch/20 cm roundcake
Serves 16 to 20
Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling & chilling
Cook Time: 40 minutes
--------
• Ingredients •
(Vegan and gluten-free substitutions listed after directions)
Cake:
2½ cups (325 g) cake and pastry flour
1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in pieces
1¼ cups (310 mL) buttermilk
¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla extract
Frosting:
¾ cup (175 g) unsalted butter, cut in pieces
4 oz (120 g) semisweet couverture/baking chocolate, chopped
3 cups (390 g) icing sugar
½ cup (60 g) cocoa powder
1 cup (250 mL) full-fat sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of fine salt
--------
• Directions •
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) or three 8-inch (20 cm) cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment and dust sides with flour, tapping out any excess.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix in butter at medium-low speed, until no longer visible.
3. Whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add to flour mixture. Mix at low speed until roughly combined, then increase speed to medium, until batter is creamy. Pour batter into pans, and tap pans to knock out air bubbles. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester inserted in the cake's centre comes out clean.
4. Cool pans on a rack for 20 minutes, then tip the cake onto the rack to cool completely before frosting. Cake layers can be made a day ahead, wrapped individually and left on the counter before assembling, or frozen up to 3 months before thawing on the counter.
5. For the frosting, place butter and chocolate in a metal bowl and set over a pot of gently simmering water, stirring gently until melted. Set aside (but you will want to use it warm).
6. Sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder. Add half of this mixture to melted chocolate if using electric beaters, or transfer the chocolate and half the icing sugar–cocoa mixture to the stand mixer bowl. Beat at medium-low speed to combine (it will be thick). Add sour cream, vanilla and salt and blend at medium speed until smooth. Add remaining icing sugar–cocoa mixture and beat at low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium until frosting holds its shape.
7. Chill frosting for at least 2 hours (or up to 4 days in a refrigerated aiurtight container) before assembling cake.
8. Place one cake layer on a cake platter or wheel and spread a thick, even layer of fudge frosting. Top with the second cake layer, and spread frosting generously across the top and over the edges. Spread frosting on sides so that it meets the edges, and smooth it out (this helps create a precise and even edge). Once frosting is evenly applied, use your palette knife to create swirls, for an inviting look. Chill cake uncovered until ready to serve.
--------
• Gluten-free and vegan options •
Gluten-free:
Replace the 2½ cups (325 g) cake and pastry flour with 1⅔ cups (220 g) brown rice flour mixed with ½ cup + ⅓ cup (100 g) tapioca starch and 1½ tsp xanthan gum. Bake, assemble and eat the cake within a day of baking (or else bake, cool and freeze layers, thawing on the counter before frosting), as some gluten-free cakes get sticky on the surface after a day. The frosting is gluten-free.
Vegan:
Replace butter with dairy-free margarine, and replace buttermilk with oat or almond milk and add 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice. Replace four eggs and one egg yolk with 9½ oz (270 g) silken tofu, well beaten. The cake will be less golden due to the lack of eggs, but the texture is nice and moist and the flavour, delicious.
For a vegan chocolate frosting option:
1 cup (225 g) vegan “butter”, slightly softened
3½ cups (455 g) icing sugar (certified vegan, if needed)
½ cup (60 g) Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
¼ tsp fine salt
3 Tbsp (45 mL) oat or almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed for 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add half of the icing sugar and beat, starting at low speed and increasing to high, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. Add remaining icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt, and beat again at low speed, then increase to high, scraping the bowl once or twice. Add milk and vanilla and beat at low speed, then increase to high. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy and frosting holds its shape.
