How to Make a Vanilla Cake

Ingredients for cake:

• • 2 cups plain / all purpose flour
• • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• • 1/4 tsp salt
• • 4 large eggs
• • 1 1/2 cups caster / superfine sugar
• • 115g / 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• • 1 cup milk
• • 3 tsp vanilla extract
• • 3 tsp vegetable or canola oil

Ingredients for butter cream:

• • 225g / 2 sticks unsalted butter
• • 500g / 1 lb soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
• • 3 tsp vanilla extract
• • 2 – 4 tbsp milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter.
2. Grease 2 x 20cm / 8” cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
5. With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.
6. Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.
7. While egg is beating, place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter (or use stove). Do not let milk bubble and boil (foam ok). Don’t do this ahead and let the milk cool.
8. When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 – 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can’t see flour, stop straight away.
9. Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about 1 1/2 cups (2 ladles or so) of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter (don't need to be 100% accurate with amount). Use a whisk to mix until smooth – you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy.
10. Turn beater back on Speed 1 then pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
11. Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds – batter should now be smooth and pourable.
12. Pour batter into pans.
13. Bang each cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles.
14. Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
15. Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down – slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.
16. Beat butter with paddle attachment in stand mixer for 3 minutes on high until it changes from yellow to almost white, and it becomes fluffy and creamy.
17. Add icing sugar / powdered sugar gradually in 3 lots, beating slowly (to avoid a powder storm) then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 3 minutes until fluffy.
18. Add vanilla and milk, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use milk only if needed to make it lovely and soft but still holds it's form (eg for piping). Add immediately to the cake.