This is really good...Cake Recipe!

Cake...Glorious Cake!

Whats not to love about a rich delicious vanilla cake. I made this for my sons 9th birthday, it was a huge success! I thought why not blog about this delicious cake everyone at the party could not stop complimenting me on making. Several said its 10 times better than a cake you buy and 300 times better than a box cake.

This cake is made using the creaming method, in order for it to work, your milk, butter, and eggs need to be room temp. If you have no time to painstakingly wait for those reach room temp. Put in eggs into a bowl, add warm NOT hot water and let sit until no longer cool to the touch, pour milk in a small measuring cup, one with a handle and place in a bowl bigger than the measuring cup, be sure the bowl has warm water no higher than the measuring cup and let sit until milk is no longer cold to the touch. As for the butter, zap in the microwave at 10-second intervals, be sure your butter is not melted you just want it soft! If your ingredients are cold they won't form an emulsion and the cake won't turn out correctly.


So get your aprons on and get prepared to make the most delicious cake you've ever tasted! So first things 1st...


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees...

......... Next prep your ingredients...

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (1 cup/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Now we have all of our ingredients...

1. Let's start off by buttering and flouring 2 9-inch cake pans. it can help to line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper that is cut to fit the pan. it's not necessary, I did not use parchment paper. 

1. Next...
2. 
   
3. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Next, sift this mixture. Once sifted, Set this mixture aside. I do not have a flour sifter...I need to get one, I used a colander that had small holes to sift my flour and the cake turned out perfectly! 

1. In a separate big bowl or the bowl of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on lowest speed.

NEXT STEP IS IMPORTANT!

1. Add the Vanilla & sugar, beat on medium speed until the mixture is very fluffy, This will take about 10 minutes, so set be sure to set a timer.

After the 10 minutes is up...

1. Add the eggs in one at a time, making sure each one is fully combined into the batter before you add in the next egg. Next, mix for approx: 5 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy and airy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

ALMOST DONE :) 

1. so here's the part where we add in 1/4 of the dry ingredients to the fluffy sugar & egg mixture while the mixer is running. When the flour mixture is fully combined into the batter, Now get the 1 cup of milk and add 1/3 cup of the milk. You want to alternate the two components so...

1/4 flour mixture

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup flour mixture

1/3 cup milk

etc...

You want to begin AND end with the flour mixture < IMPORTANT! 

Stop the mixture every so often and scrape down the sides of the bowl as you're doing this. 

Next, pour your batter into your prepared pans... Place in oven for 32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

So... While these cakes bake...

Let's make the icing while these bake or if you prefer you can use store bought icing...I prefer my own.

ICING RECIPE 

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup softened butter

2 TSP of vanilla extract

1 TBSP Milk

In a bowl combine powdered sugar and butter until small clumps form

next add in the vanilla extract and milk if frosting is to stiff add another TBSP of milk. Combine until smooth and creamy. You can also add in food coloring for a fun pop of color! If mixture becomes to runny add in powdered sugar until it stiffens up.

Now that your cakes are done, Remove cakes from pans. I had to lift the cakes out of the pan with my hands,  they did not crumble or fall apart. Place cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool which takes about 1 hour. 

Once cakes are cooled, You can remove any lumps with a knife by slowly removing thin layers until cake is flat on top. 

Next frost one of the cakes, place the 2nd cake on top of the 1st cake and frost. Now you are free to decorate any way you want.

ENJOY!