Vanity Cakes Recipes

THE BEST VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds; lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl until combined. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl until the batter is completely combined, smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans from left to right halfway through, until the cakes are a light golden brown and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar until completely smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake, domed-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake, domed-side up, on top. Spread the top with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, smoothing it out.

BASIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.) Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

HOMEMADE VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9-inch pan.
• Beat sugar and butter together in a medium bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; stir in vanilla extract and almond extract.
• Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until it springs back to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes.

EASY VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake tin with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Add eggs, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix by hand or use an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add more flour if batter is too runny. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and let cool, 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill slightly, 15 to 30 minutes more. Slice the cooled cake through the middle to make 2 layers.

VANITY CAKES

Steps:

• Use large fryer to produce depth of 3", heat lard to 350* F.
• In bowl beat egg & salt for a full minute.
• Beat in 1/4 cup flour, a tablespoon at a time, until batter is too stiff for beating but too soft to roll out.
• Cover a dinner plate with flour.
• With a teaspoon, spoon batter onto plate in 6 separate portions. With knife turn each over to flour, then drop into hot fat. Aim for limp but compact dough mass that will not string out when it leaves the knife.
• Cook each cake for at least 3 1/2 minutes, during which time it may need help in turning. If it darkens too quickly, fat is too hot.
• Drain cakes on paper & dust with sugar.