Vanilla cake is buttery sweet and they are wonderfully soft and tender. They are really good just as they are and even better when you put a vanilla glaze on top. Add all-purpose flour together with white sugar, baking powder and salt in a stand mixer and beat that on low speed until everything is mixed together.
For this recipe, you want your butter at room temperature, add the butter and set your mixer on low speed, you want to beat it until it gets a mealy consistency like wet sand. You are then going to add in three large eggs at room temparature one at a time with the mixture on low speed until nice and smooth.
After everything is smooth, you will want to build the structure in the batter by beating it for about a minute at medium-high speed. It is important not to overmix at this point because if you do what will happen is the cake will rise nicely in the oven and when you take them out the cake will fall.
Add room temperature milk, you can use full fat or reduced fat and then add one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until everything is mixed together. Pour the batter into a greased bundt tin.
For baking, it really depends on the type of pan you use, you will bake the cake for around 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let that cool completely before glazing the cake.
Ingredients;
- 24 tablespoons (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 3/4 cup milk
Clear vanilla glaze;
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 5 teaspoons water
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions;
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat together at medium speed until the mixture lightens in colour and looks fluffy.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the baking powder and salt, mixing just to combine.
- Weigh out the flour, or measure it by gently spooning it into a measuring cup, sweeping off any excess with a straight edge.
- With the mixer running at medium speed, add the first three eggs to the butter/sugar mixture one at a time.
- Wait until each egg is absorbed into the mixture before adding the next.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the measured flour to the bowl after the third egg, and mix until combined.
- Add the fourth egg, mix until absorbed, then mix in another 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Continue in this fashion with the fifth and sixth eggs, alternating the addition of the egg with 2 tablespoons of flour from the recipe.
- Add the vanilla and almond extract (if using) to the milk.
- Add one-third of the remaining flour to the batter, beating gently to combine.
- Gently beat in half the milk. Mix in another third of the flour, then the remaining milk.
- Stir in the remaining flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat until the batter is smooth and fluffy, about 20 to 30 seconds at medium-high speed.
- Thoroughly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, using non-stick vegetable oil spray or shortening.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until it’s starting to brown, appears set on top, and a toothpick or long skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and gently loosen its edges using a heatproof spatula.
- Turn the pan over onto a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, lift the pan off the cake, and allow it to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling in the pan, make the glaze. Combine the sugar, water, and salt.
- Heat briefly, just to dissolve the sugar; a microwave works fine. Stir in the vanilla. Once you’ve turned the cake out of the pan onto a rack to cool, gently brush it all over with the glaze.
- Just before serving, sift a shower of confectioners’ sugar over the top, if desired. A garnish of fresh berries.
