This vanilla cake is the perfect canvas. It’s not too sweet, but it’s full of vanilla flavor. I firmly believe that everyone should have that one classic recipe that they make for any occasion, and for me it is this vanilla cake. I have a vivid image of baking with my mother when I was a kid, watching her pour the vanilla extract into the spoon and letting it overflow into the bowl. Now when I bake, I do the same thing and my girls watch me.
Pro Tip: For best results, have all of your ingredients at room temperature.
Ingredients
2 sticks of Unsalted Butter (plus more for greasing the cake pans)
2 cups of Sugar
3 cups of All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons of pure Vanilla Extract
4 large Eggs
2 teaspoons of Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt
1 ¾ cups of Whole Milk
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Butter your cake pans or line them with parchment. (I recommend buttering the parchment paper, too. It makes lift-off way easier.)
With your hand-mixer or electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add your sugar. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add in the vanilla extract. Mix at medium-low speed and add eggs one at a time. Make sure to reincorporate anything on the side of the bowl every so often.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sea salt, and baking powder.
Use the lowest speed setting to combine 1/2 of the flour mixture. (Any faster and you’ll get a blowback of flour all over yourself.) When that’s incorporated, add 1/2 of the milk and the rest of your wet & dry ingredients. Mix until you have a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the middle of the cake feels springy when you gently press your finger against it.
