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Vanilla Cake
This is our 4-3-2-1 Vanilla cake recipe.
The 4-3-2-1 stands for 4 eggs, 3 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 cup of milk and butter. Easy to remember, right?
If you are baking for under the sea cake remember that the cake should be 5″ in diameter. If you use a larger pan you will have to trim the cake (use a 5″ circle as a template). The cake should be trimmed when froze.
If you are baking for the Food illusions cake, bake a cake at least 8″ round or square. After you freeze the cake you will have to cut the cake into 2 pieces, using the sub template.
Remember to watch the baking essentials video before baking. It will help you understand better the concept. Also, watch the video tutorial on this page before printing out the recipe and baking.
Vanilla Cake Recipe
Serving Size
Two 8" Round Cakes
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Notes
- All ingredients should be at room temperature.
- Use cake flour for light and airy cupcakes.
- Measure everything with measuring spoons and cups.
- Always sift flour, chocolate and confectioner sugar.
- Don't let the batter stand too long as the chemical reaction of the ingredients starts immediately.
- Check the oven temperature and use the clock. Your toothpick should go out dry. Learn your oven.
- Never open the oven while baking unless 2/3 of the baking time has passed.
- It is better to “over” bake than “under” bake. If you are not sure the cake is done, leave it in the oven for a few more minutes.
- Do not keep opening the oven to check on your cake. The repeated changes in temperature will cause it to fall.
- Cutting and leveling the cake is easier when it is frozen.
- When time is up, check with a toothpick. Set the timer again!
Ingredients
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks at room temperature)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (orange juice if making the orange cake)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla imitation
- For lemon cake add the zest of 2 lemons
- For the orange version add the zest of 2 oranges
Instructions
- *** YOU MUST HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION WHILE BAKING ***
- STEP 1
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare the cake pans. Brush bottoms and sides of pans with melted butter or spray with pan release oil and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper, to avoid the cake sticking to the bottom.
- STEP 2
- In a medium bowl(not the mixer bowl), sift the flour, and then add baking powder, and salt.
- STEP 3
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, mix butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Make sure that the mix is fluffy and light and with a light almost white color.
- STEP 4
- Crack one egg into a small bowl and check that there are no eggshells. Add the egg into the mixing bowl (where you have the butter and the sugar) and mix for 30-40 seconds until the egg blend in and you cannot see any egg in the mix. Repeat this step four times for 4 eggs.
- STEP 5
- Add vanilla extract on vanilla imitation and mix for 30 seconds on medium speed. At this point, you may add flavoring touches if desired. (orange zest, lemon zest, almond extract))
- STEP 6
- Add flour mixture and room temperature milk into the mixing bowl - NOT ALL AT ONCE!
- Star with the flour (a third more or less) and for some time on LOW SPEED. Then add half of the milk, more flour, milk again, and finish with the remaining flour.
- All on the slowest speed possible.
- STEP 7
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
- If you are using a 5" pan for the under the sea cake, each pan should have 12oz of batter ( 1 1/2 cups of batter).
- If you are using and 8" pan for food imposters bun, the pan should have 24oz of batter (3 cups of batter)
- You can use the rest of the batter to make more delicious vanilla cake or use the batter for cupcakes,
- Smooth the batter level, then spread it slightly from the center to the edges.
- Before placing the pans in the oven, bang them down on the counter a few times. This will even out the batter and remove any air bubbles.
- STEP 8
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or just until the tops are springy or a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- STEP 9
- Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack for 10 minutes and then invert the cakes onto racks and wait until the cake is completely cool.
- Once the cake is cool, wrap it with saran wrap. Be careful not to distort the shape of the cake.
- Place the wrapped cake in the freezer. Make sure it is not squeezed as it will freeze that way (squashed) and will not get back to its original shape.