Mixing technique can make a big difference when making Vanilla Butter Cake. Find out the best way to get a light and tender cake.
Three different ways to mix the same vanilla cake.
Note: Since this post was written I’ve created a very detailed and specific series of classes about the science of cake batter, click on the Baking School link in the top menu to see the entire series.
When I was developing the base recipe for my wedding cake business I wanted a tender and melt-in-your mouth cake that could be stacked into wedding cakes or carved into 3-d creations. This vanilla cake recipe was the basis for most of the wedding cakes I sold at Cake Art Studio.
I always make my butter cakes using the “reverse creaming” method of mixing. While I was writing up this post, I knew I wanted to explain the reverse creaming method and why I use it.
A short explanation – The traditional “creaming method” starts by whipping together the butter and sugar to incorporate air into the batter. Reverse creaming starts with the butter mixed into the dry ingredients to prevent gluten formation.
(I have edited this post and deleted the long explanation about the mixing methods because I cover those extensively in the Cake Batter series. To learn all about cake batter mixing methods visit the Cake Batter Mixing Methods Post.)
One Recipe, three very different cakes!
Since showing is always better than telling, I mixed the vanilla recipe three different ways; Traditional creaming, reverse creaming and reverse creaming with the eggs separated and the whites whipped and folded in.
Some differences were immediately noticeable. The batter made by the traditional creaming method was a darker yellow and felt a little more dense than the other two batters. The traditional cake baked up shorter than the cakes made with the reverse method.
The Proof is in the tasting!
But the true test would be the tasting, and there were distinct differences between the three cakes. Cake 1 (traditional creaming method) had an open and regular crumb, but was not as tender as I would like and it had a slightly oily mouth-feel.
Cake 2 (reverse creaming) was very tender, velvety and soft.
Cake 3 (reverse method with whipped whites) had a slightly irregular but very tender crumb. It was not quite as velvety as cake 2, but it was lighter and quite tender.
Three cakes with the exact same ingredients, but different mixing methods. Three different outcomes. Left=Traditional Method, Middle=Reverse Creaming, Right=Reverse with Whipped Whites
The bottom cake=traditional, the middle cake=Reverse, the top cake=Reverse with whipped whites
The cake on the left=Traditional, middle=Reverse, Right=Reverse with Whipped Whites.
For Vanilla Butter Cake I still like my method of reverse creaming and whipped eggs whites to get the best of both worlds; a tender cake with a light and airy crumb.
This is a really great all purpose cake that is tender yet strong enough for stacking or carving. For more information about cake batter, click on the Baking School link in the main menu.
Watch the recipe video to see how to do the “reverse creaming” method for a light and tender cake.
If you love classic recipes like this, you’ll love my new book: Easy Baking From Scratch: Quick Tutorials, Time-Saving Tips, Extraordinary Sweet and Savory Classics. The book contains over 100 recipes that have been well-tested and are presented in simple, clear language. It’s available now on Amazon.
Vanilla Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 oz, 230g) sour cream at room temperature, divided in 1/2
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (10oz, 285g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups (12 oz, 340g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup separated & reserved
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks + 2 tablespoons (9 oz, 255g) unsalted butter at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F convection or 350°F regular. Line two 8 round cake pans with a circle of parchment paper or butter and flour the bottom of the pans only, not the sides.
- Combine the yolks, 1/2 the sour cream and the vanilla in a small bowl, whisk to combine, set aside.
- Into a mixer bowl put 1 1/4 cup of the sugar, sift in the flour, leavening and salt. Mix on low speed for 10 seconds to distribute the leavening. Add the butter to the flour mixture. Mix on low until the butter is incorporated and the batter looks like a paste. Add the other 1/2 of the sour cream to the flour and butter mixture. Increase the speed to medium and mix about 3 minutes until the batter lightens in texture.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bow. With the mixer on low, add 1/2 the egg yolk mixture. Mix until mostly incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the rest of the egg yolk mixture. Scrape the bowl and mix until incorporated.
- In another bowl, whip the egg whites on medium high until they form soft peaks. Turn the mixer to medium low and slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Turn the mixer to medium high and whip the whites to full peak. Fold the whites into the base in 2 parts, folding just until there are no streaks of egg whites.
- Divide the batter between the 2 pans and spread so it's level
- Bake until the center of the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a cooling rack. When fully cooled, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight before filling and assembling the cake.
Notes
The cake is very soft the day that it's baked. If you'd like to trim the crust and split the layers allow it to chill in the refrigerator until it's firm enough to handle without breaking. The filled cake can be kept at room temperature for several days (unless it has a perishable filling). The cake cake be frozen for several months.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 12Amount Per Serving: Calories: 423 Total Fat: 32g Saturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 1318mg Sodium: 391mg Carbohydrates: 5g Sugar: 1g Protein: 26g
You might also like:
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Perfect Pound Cake
Vanilla Layer Cake
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Velvety White Cake
Marble Cake
Alexandra robertson
Beautiful! I stumbled upon this blog by accident and am quite glad I did!! I am now a stay at home mom who was a trained pasyry chef as well. At one of my shorter lived jobs I made a recipe I was given to test for the best vanilla cake I habe ever tasted. The problem is I cannot for the life of me remember the exact recipe. It was a dense cake but very moist with a not too tight crumb. I do remember it had mayo (i know… Usually only in chocolate cakes your grandmother made) AND buttermilk! Do you by chance know how to “sub or add” mayo into a cake? It still had a few eggs in it so I am guessing just throwing it in addition? Any thoughts would be helpful. Thank you!!
Eileen Gray
Hi Alexandra. Hmmm, I haven’t made a mayo cake in years. The ingredients for Hellman’s Mayo lists oil as the first ingredient and eggs as the second ingredient.If I were experimenting with this recipe and wanted to add mayo I think I’d start by substituting some of the sour cream to exchange the fat in the mayo for the fat in the sour cream. You might even eliminate the sour cream and add a mix of mayo and buttermilk and then tweak it from there. If you experiment I’d love to know how it goes.
Alex
Thank you for the advice! I will let you know if I test your cake with the changes 🙂 I am on the search for the perfect birthday cake for my son in a few months!
Julie
Fascinating … I’m new to baking and love to experiment and can’t wait to try this. I Love to bake cupcakes. Would you recommend this recipie and method for cupcakes? Also, you did not mention the all in one method in this blog. Is there a reason for that?
Eileen Gray
Hi Julie, I have used this very same batter to make cupcakes and they bake up beautifully. I fill the cupcakes pans about 2/3 full and end up with a nicely domed top. I have not tried the all in one method. The reason the two stage or reverse creaming makes a tender cake is because the flour is coated with the fat before any liquid (eggs) is introduced. I’m concerned that mixing all the ingredients together might make for a less tender cake since the liquid goes in with the flour from the beginning. I do plan to do some experimenting with the traditional pound cake recipe so I might give this method a try to see the results. Thanks for reading and happy baking!
Sakinah
Hi,
I love baking and I will definitely try your butter cake recipe… Actually I was searching for a butter cake recipe using reverse creaming method because I want to see how is it done… I found this vanilla buttermilk bunds cake that used reverse creaming method… I’ve made this recipe countless of time and turned out well every time. Moist, soft in the inside and a lil crispy on the outside. However, I’ve baked using the same recipe a few times recently but unfortunately doesn’t turned out as desired. Soft on the outside and didn’t cooked evenly on the inside…. Btw, the reverse creaming method used in this recipe has called to add butter and half of liquid mixture (buttermilk, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla essence) in the flour mixture, beat well and then the other half of the liquid mixture. What do you think I would have done wrong?
Eileen Gray
Hi Sakinah,
I’m not sure what could be going wrong if you’d been getting good results until recently. Did you change anything about how you make the batter? Did you change the type of pan that it was baked in? If you switched from a Bundt pan to a round pan it could affect the baking time and give you a different result.
Stephanie
Hi Eileen,
I’m a mother who likes to bake her kids’ birthday cakes and have been on a quest for the perfect cake. Your recipe sounds delicious and I’m going to try it but was wondering if it’s possible to reduce the sugar content without compromising the taste and texture of the cake.
Eileen Gray
Hi Stephanie-Sugar doesn’t only add sweetness to cake batter, it also contributes moisture and helps make the cake more tender for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. I wouldn’t reduce the sugar to less than the amount of flour in a recipe. This recipe calls for 10 ounces of flour and 12 ounces of sugar. So I wouldn’t reduce the sugar by more than 2 oz. If you reduce much more than that you’ll get something with a texture more like a muffin or quick bread, rather than a cake.
I’m currently writing a series of articles for American Cake Decorating Magazine looking at the role of each ingredient in a cake batter. I’ll be doing the series in my blog as well. This should help anyone looking to change a recipe to suit their own tastes.
Hope this was helpful. If you try reducing the sugar, let me know how it turns out.
Vicki
Hello,
How would you add dulce de leche to this cake? Would it be a sub ingrediant or just added in addition at the end?
Thanks!
Eileen Gray
Hi Vicki – I’m not sure exactly what you have in mind. I wouldn’t add ingredients directly to the batter because it would change the texture of the cake batter. You’d need to revise the recipe to accommodate the new ingredient. I’ve drizzled cajeta, which is similar to dulce de leche, onto cake layers and let is soak in. You can see an example of such a cake in the cajeta post. You could also add the dulce de leche to a buttercream filling to create a buttercream with that flavor.
Mrs coachman
Hello and thanks for taking the time to explain all that wonderful advice I have not used your recipe yet but I’m interested in the reverse method without the whipped egg whites I have a QUESTION regarding the amount of eggs would I just use 6 eggs? Or do I use 9 in replace of the 3 egg whites?
Eileen Gray
Hi Mrs. Coachman – If you’re trying to avoid separating the eggs I would recommend using 5 whole eggs instead of the 6 yolks and 3 whites listed in the recipe. Hope that helps. Let me know how it turns out.
Mrs coachman
Ok thanks so much!! I will let you know how it turns out I don’t mind the separating process I just noticed there was nothing about the egg amount for (the basic ) and the (reverse method without egg whites) I want to try all of them so will it be 6 whole eggs for the basic method as well? Last question! My favorite texture cake is something moist and velvety which method fits that description best?
Eileen Gray
The reason the original recipe has more yolks than whites is because the extra yolks give the cake more richness and a more tender crumb. You can use the same proportions and just not whip the whites or you can use all whole eggs (5). To me, I think reverse creaming with whipped whites give the most velvety texture. It’s the way I always mix my cakes. This week I will be publishing a series of “classes” all about cake batter. Each “class” will go into detail about the ingredients in the cake batter and how to change ingredients around to fix the texture of a cake.
Mrs coachman
O wow!!! Ok that’s sounds great I will be LOOKING out for that video you are so sweet to do that and thanks for the egg and texture tips
Eileen Gray
They are blog posts, not videos. Here’s a link to the first lesson.
Ana
I’ve been using this recipe with success, however, the last time I used it the tops were so sticky and I had a little accident with one layer after torting it – I made the mistake of laying the sticky side down and then it stuck to the foil where I laid it while I filled the other layers.
I’ve always torted this cake and the tops have never been this sticky. What do you think made it sticky? I have to make a wedding cake and would like to use this recipe again but would like to avoid the stickiness.
Eileen Gray
Hi Ana. If you refrigerate the cake before torting, the crust on the top can get a bit sticky. Especially if it was wrapped while still warm. What I do is unwrap the cake and peel off the sticky layer on top. Next time, if it sticks to the foil just put it in the refrigerator and let it get cold. Take it out and flip it over so the foil is on top. It should be easy to peel away the foil before flipping it back over. Since this cake gets firm when chilled (because of the butter) it’s super easy to handle when it’s cold. Also, I always use parchment paper instead of foil because it’s less sticky. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions. Eileen
Ana
Hi thanks for your response. I froze the cake and the foil was just the outer layer that I happened to place the cake on after torting it. To freeze I wrap in plastic wrap and then again in foil.
Do you think I should let it cool completely before wrapping and freezing so it’s not as sticky?
Eileen Gray
I do think if you let the cake cool completely it will stick less. But I never mind when the outside sticks because I trim that off anyway. Personally, I don’t like the brown crusty part in the cake. When the outside sticks I just peel it off with the plastic wrap. Have you looked at this post? You can see detailed photos of how I trim and assemble the cake. Hope that helps.
Ana
Awesome – thank you!! Had never really thought of peeling that piece off – will test it out.
Lindsay
Thanks for such an informative post. I’ve used reverse creaming before but only when recipes specifically call for it. Do you think I can try the reverse creaming method with other cake recipes and get similar results? I have searched high and low for a good strawberry cake recipe that doesn’t rely on boxed mix and weird ingredients like jello. I finally found one that has a good flavor and decent texture, but I found the crumb wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. The cake was moist and fairly tender but had a very open, holey texture and I was hoping for something with a that is tender but still with a fairly fine crumb, if that makes sense. More like the reverse creaming with whipped whites in your pictures. Also, are there any pitfalls to be aware of when using the reverse creaming method? I’m making my daughter’s birthday cake on Saturday and would hate to screw it up! Here’s the recipe in question: http://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/15348/summers-scratch-strawberry-cake
Eileen Gray
Hi Lindsay. I would say that any recipe that uses the “creaming” method could be made with the reverse creaming method. I looked at the recipe you want to use and it looks like a pretty balanced recipe. There is a fairly high percentage of liquid in the recipe with the eggs, strawberry puree and sour cream. If you add an emulsifier to the batter that will help the texture of the batter and the cake crumb. Egg yolks are great emulsifiers. You might want to try using 4 whole eggs plus 3 yolks instead of 5 whole eggs. You can still separate the whites and whip them as described in my recipe. There is a lot more information about cake batter in the Baking School section here at Baking Sense. If you review the Pound Cake Perfection class you’ll learn about the Baker’s Formula and about balanced cake recipes.
Lindsay
Thank you so much! I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
This is the perfect, simple dessert to have with my afternoon latte. I love when the simple things in life are so good.
Eileen Gray
Thanks, Gloria.
Nicole
Wow this is so fascinating! I’m not much of a cake baker, but I think it’s because I don’t understand the science behind it. This is awesome! I may just go bake a perfect cake today!
Eileen Gray
Thanks, Nicole. Even if you don’t care about the science behind it, just follow the recipe and you’ll get a great tasting cake.
Marie-Pierre Breton
Nice info! Just wondering how it would end up with the traditional way and whipped whites. I’m not such a baker but I love to learn about it science. It’s a nice experiment you’ve done there! Surely those wedding cakes are popular with all that fluffy and light vanilla texture!
Eileen Gray
I think the traditional way with whipped whites would work well too. The advantage of reverse creaming is that the flour gets coated with fat before the liquid is added. So no gluten can form, making a very tender cake. Those wedding cakes were very, very popular for 10 years. Thanks!
Danielle Cushing
What an awesome post! I also use the traditional method, but your cake using the reverse with whipped whites looks super light and airy. So interesting!
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed
What an informative post, I really like the idea of the reverse creaming method, sounds perfect for a wedding cake.
Nicole
I suppose, with the reverse creaming method, the leavening would not be activated till you add the sour cream? Sure makes a beautiful cake!
Eileen Gray
Hi Nicole. The baking powder is activated once it gets wet and again when it goes in the oven (double acting). So, yes, it starts to get activated with the eggs (there’s not much liquid in the sour cream) and then again in the oven.
Melissa
What a fantastic post, I have to say I love your cake series, every post is so informative and I always take away at least one thing I didn’t know! I will be using the whipped whites method from now on, look at how fluffy that cake is!
Eileen Gray
Thanks, Melissa!
Lynne Curry
Mmmmmm. Vanilla. A moist and tender cake. I don’t think I need anything more. Thank you for taking the time to compare methods to find the best technique!
Eileen Gray
You’re welcome, Lynne.
Sarah
I am such a mediocre baker that I can use all the help I can get! Great tips!
Eileen Gray
Thanks, Sarah. As I always say, even if you don’t care about the science, if you follow the recipe it will work.
April
This post is so informative. I can’t wait to try the reverse creaming method. I’m going to go check our your baking series too. Pinning!
Eileen Gray
Thanks, April.
Vicki
Hello,
I cannot have gluten or milk/cream. Based on what I have been reading I was planning on:
-not doing the reverse creaming method, sticking to the “traditional” method
-use 230 oz of GF flour and 50 oz of cornstarch (to mimic Cake Flour)
-eliminate the sour cream and the corresponding baking soda
Is this the right approach? Do you have a recommendation on how to better proceed?
Thank you!!
Eileen Gray
Replacing the GF flour for regular flour is a 1:1 swap. In my testing I used GF flour to replace cake flour and did not use corn starch. I don’t think you need to use the corn starch, just the GF flour. Yes, I do recommend the normal creaming method when using GF flour. Can you have butter? I’m assuming not since you can’t have cream. Do you plan to replace the butter with vegetable shortening? You can eliminate the sour cream but I would recommend adding another liquid in it’s place. Can you use nut milks or coconut milk? I would add a 1/2 cup of another liquid in place of the sour cream. If you eliminate the baking soda up the baking powder to 1 teaspoon.
Vicki
Thank you for your response! I can have butter, just not milk, cream, or cheeses. I typically use an almond milk or a coconut cream if a recipe calls for it, but I have not figured out the best way to replace sour cream. Would you recommend keeping in the Baking soda and just replacing the sour cream with 1/2 cup of almond milk? I only thought of using the starch as a way to get the GF flour to mimic the cake flour properties vs an AP flour, but if you think its unnecessary I won’t do it. 🙂 I really would like to thank you! I have been searching everywhere for a way to learn about the chemistry behind baking and your blog has been exactly what I have been looking for! I am so thankful that you took the time not only to share your knowledge through the blog, but to answer my questions. Thank you genuinely!
Eileen Gray
Hi Vicki – If you can have butter that’s great. Butter will make the cake taste better. The reason to use corn starch with all purpose flour is to lower the protein content to make the cake more tender. Since GF flour doesn’t have gluten (the protein in flour) there really is no reason to use the corn starch. Just replace the all purpose flour with GF flour 1:1. If you use almond milk instead of sour cream you can use all baking powder instead of baking soda. The reason to use baking soda is to neutralize the acid in the sour cream. I would use about half as much almond milk as sour cream since there is more water in the almond milk.
I’m so glad the blog is helping you. It’s exactly why I started Baking Sense Blog.
Daian
Hello! I made the recipe many times and every time I take it out of the oven the cake is lowered and reduced from the sides 1 “.The temperature is correct, do not replace any ingredient.I made the recipe as is.
If shrinking from 15 “to 13”
Eileen Gray
Hi Daian, the cake will shrink a little bit as it cools. Make sure you just bake the cake until it is set in the center. If you bake it a little too long it will pull back from the sides of the pan. You might be over baking a bit. To test if the cake is done press the center of the cake. If it springs back, it’s baked. If it leaves a dent let it bake a bit longer. You can also use the “toothpick” test. Poke a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out with just a few crumbs but no raw dough the cake is ready.
Baking the batter in a larger pan, like 15″, is a little more tricky. Personally, even for wedding cakes I never baked anything larger than 14″ since it’s hard not to over-bake the edges in a very large pan.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Ceeny
Hi Eileen! I LOVE this cake recipe!! Is there a way that I can make it without the yolks and still have a super moist cake? I want the cake to be super white like a wedding cake. I tried substituting 1/4 cup of oil for the yolks and the cake didn’t rise properly. Also I didn’t have sour cream, so I tried 1 cup of yogurt + 1 tsp of baking soda (I found on the web).
Eileen Gray
Hi Ceeny, Replacing the sour cream with yogurt is fine. Just use equal proportions of yogurt to replace sour cream. Adding a teaspoon of baking soda will make the cake rise too fast, then collapse. So I’m not surprised the cake didn’t rise properly. A teaspoon of baking soda is quite a lot, enough to rise 4 cups of flour! Not sure where you found that substitution on the web, but maybe it’s not the most reliable source. Replacing the yolks with oil will not work, as you found out. Oil is a fat which tenderizes the cake. Yolks, while they do add some fat, also contribute to the structure of the cake. Yolks also have emulsifiers in them, which help distribute the liquid in the batter. To make the cake whiter, use 6 egg whites and no yolks. Add 3 of the whites with the sour cream, and whip the other three whites and fold in, as described in the recipe. You can also replace some of the butter with vegetable shortening. Vegetable shortening has emulsifiers like yolks. The original recipe uses 9 ounces of butter. Try using 6 ounces of butter and 3 ounces of vegetable shortening. This will also help whiten the cake. The “Eggs in Cake Batter” class in the Baking School link has more information about how to switch out eggs and yolks in cake batter.
Ceeny
Awesome! Thank you so much for the explanations and your recommendations! I will try again and let you know. 🙂
Eileen Gray
Great!
Ceeny
I made your suggested adjustments and my cakes came out soooooo much better! They still took about 1 1/2 hours to bake. And they still collapsed, only slightly, in the center and were a bit dense. I measured my pans and they are actually only 7-1/4 inches! Would that be part of my problem? Should I put less batter in the pans or cook at a different temperature? My pans are aluminum and I don’t have a convection oven.
Would fresh baking powder make a big difference? Mine is probably a year old.. Also, my climate is hot and humid (indoors is normally around 80-85 degrees). Would my baking powder go bad faster in that climate?
I’d still like to get my cakes whiter. My butter here is a bit yellow. Would it taste bad if I just used all shortening? Should I leave out the vanilla? Btw I LOVE your cake batter classes! I love that you do so much detailed testing! You are amazing!!
Eileen Gray
Hi Ceeny. The cake pan size would make a difference. I generally fill the pans 1/2 to 2/3 full. The weather shouldn’t matter. My commercial kitchen would often be extremely hot on baking days with no adverse affects on the cakes. The cakes can be baked with our without convection. Aluminum cake pans are exactly what I use. I don’t think the baking powder is the issue. The oven temperature should be 350°F or 175°C. Have you checked your oven temperature with a oven thermometer? I just recently realized my home oven was running 50°-100° too hot. Maybe your oven calibration is off and the temp is too low. My cakes generally bake in about 20-25 minutes. Thanks to your questions I am currently developing a “white cake” recipe. I hope to post it next week. I’m trying versions with both butter and shortening and with different ways of adding the egg whites. Thanks for your questions! I love the input and the questions often spark ideas for new recipes.
Ceeny
Ah, I wasn’t sure if the oven is better to be hotter or cooler since my pans were so full. I do have an oven thermometer. The temperature would drop down to 325 or even 300 when I opened the oven door. I thought it would be okay at a lower temperature. I’ll keep an eye on it and make sure it stays closer to 350 now. I’m so excited that you’re doing a “white cake” recipe! I can’t wait to try it!! 😀
Jesse
The flavor is very good. Not overly sweet, just perfect with vanilla. Love the sour cream. This was my first time trying the reverse creaming method with folding in the whipped egg whites. My cakes took longer to bake, about 35 minutes at 325*. And I used three 6” pans (the dark nonstick Wilton ones). They did fall flat and the middle bottom (when cut in half) was not quite baked. I tried to read most of the reviews, but I didn’t see anything about not filling them too much.
I wonder if that’s why mine fell flat. Smaller pans, filled at the half way mark. They rose nicely in the oven, but once I took out to rest, they fell.
I will try again. Not filling up all the way. And perhaps bake at 350* for 25 minutes.
Eileen Gray
Hi Jesse. Thanks for the feedback and questions. As long as you don’t fill the cake pans more than 1/2 to 2/3 using a 6″ cake pan should not be a problem. If you filled the pans more than that it could cause a problem with how they bake. From what you’ve shared I can see few other things that could cause the cakes to not bake properly; I’ve never baked this recipe in a non-stick pan. I imagine that the slick interior of a non-stick pan could prevent the cake from rising properly. Did you butter/flour the pan? Did you set the oven to 325F with convection or without? The recipe says 325F convection or 350F regular (no convection). Baking at the lower temperature would make it take longer to bake. Since you say the middle of the cake was not quite baked that could cause the cake to fall once it’s out of the oven, and I also suspect that the non-stick surface didn’t help either. Did you use the “toothpick” test or “press the middle” test to check if it was done?
Jesse
I did not butter/flour the pan. But I will this time since all I have are nonstick pans. I think I messed up by baking at 325* when I have a conventional oven. (dont know why I did it lower). I used the toothpick test. Came out clean. I will make your white cake version today with the right temperature. Will report back. Thanks for answering !
Eileen Gray
Great. I hope it works this time. I just made the vanilla cake again yesterday and it was perfect. I’ve made it, literally, thousands of times without fail. I would also suggest that in addition to the toothpick test try gently pressing on the middle of the cake. It should spring back. If it leaves a dent let the cake go a few more minutes. Let me know how it works out.
Jesse
I’ve attempted both the white cake and the butter cake twice, and same results. Puffs up nicely in oven, but once I take it out, falls. What wonderful flavors though. Perhaps it really has something to do with dark nonstick pans.
Eileen Gray
When you say they “puff up and fall” do you mean the cake is humped in the oven and then becomes level while cooling? Or you do you mean totally falls and becomes concave in the middle. I just made the vanilla cake again last week and it had a slight hump when it came out of the oven and then became level when cool. I prefer a level cake since that means less trimming before I assemble. If you could email me a picture of the cake that would be great!
Jesse
I didn’t think to take photos before I scrapped it. But it puffs up, nice and golden brown. Passes the toothpick and poke test. Then falls deeply once cooled. I like leveled cakes too, easier to ice, but when I split cake in half, the bottom middle is not baked. Not raw, just under baked by maybe 8 minutes. But if I cook it longer, then the sides and top get almost burnt. Even with covering tops with foil.
Eileen Gray
Hmmm, all I can think is that is has something to do with the pans or your oven, especially since the cakes don’t seem to be baking evenly. I have never had this type of problem with this cake, so I’m kind of at a loss. I wish I could give you an answer.
Becky
What are you referring to exactly when you say leavening?
“Into the bowl of a stand mixer put 1 cup of the sugar, sift in the flour, leavening and salt.
Mix with the paddle on low speed to distribute the leavening”
Eileen Gray
Hi Becky. The leavening is the baking powder and baking soda.
Ev
Hi Eileen, I’m so glad I found this page. I have been trying out a pound cake recipe that uses the reverse creaming method (sort of) .The dry ingredients are mixed together and then the butter and half the liquids(eggs+ milk + vanilla) are added to the dry ingredients and mixed on low speed for about 30sec till combined; then speed is amped up to medium speed and mixed for 60secs, Remaining half of liquid ingredients are added in two turns and mixed for about 30 secs each.
Well the cake turned out very moist and light and tastes really nice, not as dense as some other traditional pound cakes I made, but I noticed the bottom of the cake had a dense appearance, like the middle cake in the picture above; if you look closely you will notice a thin dense layer at the base which is exactly what my cake had,slightly thicke than yours though. It’s as if some fat had settled at the base or some portion of the batter was not properly mixed (but I made sure my scraping and mixing was thorough though). I just can’t place it. What do you think is the problem, that is, if it is a problem.
And well, my cake didn’t crack; my pound cakes never seem to crack well; sometimes all I get is a feeble attempt at a crack.
Eileen Gray
Hi Ev, the process you describe is exactly reverse creaming. The cake in the middle (in my photo) was made using reverse creaming method. My preferred method is to use reverse creaming but also whip the whites and fold them in at the end. That is the method used for the cake at the right. I do sometimes see that slightly dense bottom like you mentioned. I’m not sure exactly what causes that. Maybe the batter at the bottom melts and settles a bit before it bakes. But usually I find that it’s not noticeable when I eat the cake. I bake this recipe as a layer cake, not in a loaf pan. Here’s my Pound Cake recipe that also uses the reverse creaming method.
Chantel Pruitt
If I’m making cupcakes and don’t need that much batter, could you just do half of everything?! And do you happen to know the difference between a butter cake and a vanilla cake. I have a client wanting a butter cake but to my knowledge it’s the same as vanilla….
Eileen Gray
Hi Chantel. A butter cake is made with butter as opposed to oil or another fat. Vanilla is just the flavor. Any type of cake can be vanilla is that’s the flavor in the cake. You could halve the ingredients for a small batch. I would guess a full batch would make about 1.5 dozen cupcakes (that’s just a guess it could be a few more or less).
Chicara Chick
I am making a carved pirate ship cake covered with buttercream and thin fondant layer. I will use my 8” or 9” square cake tins for the cake building blocks. Would you recommend this recipe or one of the pound cake recipes from your ebook? Thanks and LOVE your site.
Eileen Gray
This is the recipe I used for all my carved cakes for my cake business. I’ve carved everything from a dolls head to a sitting dog with this recipe, so it should work for your pirate ship.
Chicara Chick
Ok great…I will try it. Would this quantity fit in a square pan? I have a variety of sizes from 8” to 10” square. Any suggestion for baking time? Sorry to bombard with so many questions… It’s just really great for a hobby baker to ask an experienced person! I did try the perfect pound cake recipe whipped cream version. I put it in an 8” square pan. That worked really well. Many thanks!
Eileen Gray
I would say this recipe would fill two 6″ square pans or one larger square.
Ryan
Hi, I have been looking into making your chocolate chip cookie layer cake and have been looking at the ingredients and method of all the sections. The only part i’m a bit unsure of is the cakes in this cake recipe as they don’t state the size of egg needed for the egg white & yolk. In the UK we have small, medium, large, extra large and I imagine size will affect the recipe as it would increase/decrease quantity. Would you be able to clarify the size of egg needed for this recipe?
Thanks
Eileen Gray
Hi Ryan, thanks for bringing that to my attention. I always use large eggs. I’ve edited the recipe to note the correct egg size. You are right that using the wrong size eggs would change the outcome.
Jen
Hi, there – thanks for posting this recipe! I am on a search for a delicate cake to make a special Valentines Day dessert. One question: I’d like to bake this as a 9×13 sheet so I can cut smaller circles for layer assembly later – will this work? Any suggestions as to changes in baking times?
Eileen Gray
Hi Jen, I’ve baked this recipe in sheet pans hundreds of times. It will bake faster. I would start checking at about 10-15 minutes. Depending how evenly your oven bakes, you’ll probably want to turn the trays half way through baking. This recipe will make two quarter sheets (9″x 13″) or one half sheet (12″ x 17″).
Dewanya
Hi Eileen!
My name is Dewanya Gray, and I just had to tell you THANK YOU! I am an exceptional cook, but I have been trying to learn how to bake a vanilla butter cake from scratch.
Finally!
I’ve tried many online recipes.
All the cakes come out dense or get super hard lol.
I made this recipe last night.
I followed every step, just like the video and as you wrote in your blog.
I used every ingredient just like you directed.
It’s so good, I can eat it as is so my 16yr old daughter says
Super tender, mines is sort of like a pound cake.
Thank you, Eileen!
Great cake…
Eileen Gray
Hey Dewanya, you just made my day!!! I’m so glad you like the cake.
Dewanya
Awesome!
Your welcome, and thanks again.
Have a great year!
I will look into more of your recipes.
Brittany
Hi Eileen!
I just found the Baking Sense site because I will be making my brother-in-law’s wedding cake this fall. Your site is so informative and easy to understand! Would you recommend this cake for a semi-naked style presentation? I know that the edges have to caramelize a bit so you can see the color of the cake but you also don’t want to drag a lot of crumb during the smoothing process so it has to be somewhat dense (and probably chilled during the frosting process I would think). Additionally, are there any frosting recipes you would suggest for the semi-naked style cake? Thank you so much for your help!
Eileen Gray
Hi Brittany. I’ve used this recipe for semi-naked cakes. Personally, I prefer to lightly trim the edges so the sides are less brown when they show through. You can see a video in this post that shows photos of how I trim the sides of the cake. Yes, it is easier to trim and stack the cakes when they’re chilled. I’ve done the semi-naked cakes with both whipped cream and Italian Meringue Buttercream filling/frosting.
Kay
Hi Eileen! Thank you for such a wonderful website. This recipe says “Turn the mixer to medium low and slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.” Do I add the 1/4 sugar to the batter or to the whipped egg whites? I added it to the whipped egg whites but was not quite sure. The cake turned out incredibly delicious although I inadvertently left out the 1/4 baking soda. Hence, the cake fell a little when I removed it from the oven, but still incredibly moist and yummy.
Eileen Gray
Hi Kay. You did it exactly right, the last 1/4 cup of sugar goes in with the egg whites. This type of cake always “settles” when it comes out of the oven. If you read the update at the end of my White Cake post it explains why.
Tina
Good Morning! I was so excited to find your post. My granddaughters, 8 & 9 this year, always request I make their cakes, and I decided it time to make a good homemade cake instead of a box cake for them. This year my challenge is a unicorn and mermaid cake, so I need a cake that will make and hold up to layers (6″ cake).
I have tried both the vanilla and chocolate butter cakes. I had trouble with both cakes, but especially the chocolate cake falling after taking it out of the oven. It has the consistency of a brownie instead of a cake. The vanilla did the same thing but not to the same extent. I personally prefer the vanilla, it was delicious! I have also tried the Italian Buttercream Icing. LOVE it! I must admit the first batch I made with the vanilla cake, I used salted butter by mistake and I could taste the salt. Some people liked it, and it was good, but I could taste the salt. So this time with the chocolate cake trial run I made sure to use the unsalted butter, much better (for my taste) Interesting lesson to learn.
Can you give me any insight as to why the cakes fell or compressed? I did use the reverse creaming method and folded in the egg whites.
I appreciate your time and look forward to your reply.
Eileen
Hi Tina. I’ve been making the vanilla and chocolate version of this cake for more than 10 years and have never had a “brownie” type of texture for the cake. The cake will “settle” once it comes out of the oven. It may bake up with a hump in the middle that will settle down as it cools. But it should still be the texture of a cake, not a brownie. Did you butter the sides of the pan? I’ve found the cake bakes better if the sides of the pan are not buttered at all.
Tina
Thanks Eileen, I did butter the bottom of the pans, but not the sides. I read more this morning and I am going to try just the parchment paper, no butter on my next try as you suggested. I don’t think that brownie is the best description, but the chocolate was not as light as the vanilla, but still very tender and moist. I can ‘t wait to try it again! My co-workers don’t seem to mind!!!
Eileen
Hi Tina. If you’re used to baking from a cake mix, this cake does have a different texture than a box cake. It’s not as light as a cake mix because it’s more buttery. My Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake has that lighter texture if you want to try that recipe. The cake also should be eaten at room temperature, not cold. Let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Tobi
Hi Eileen, I really appreciate the painstaking time and effort you put into getting at perfection.
In this recipe there’s no mention of milk or buttermilk, can I ask why? Cos I’ve seen either (especially the latter) used in recipes for this same cake by others.
A detailed explanation would be really awesome.
Thanks.
Eileen
Hi Tobi, the sour cream takes the place of milk or buttermilk. I like it because it adds fat and the acidity tenderizes the cake crumb.
Tobi
Oh really?
Thanks… I can’t get sourcream here, can I use normal yoghurt instead (no Greek either)?
Eileen
Yes, you can use regular yogurt instead of the sour cream.
Marina
Hi Eileen, I have the same problem as Tobi, I would love to do this cake but in my country (Argentina) we don’t have sour cream. So, can I replace it with the same amount of plain yogurt? Is there another option to replace the sour cream? Thanks!
Eileen
Hi Marina, Yes, you can use plain yogurt to replace sour cream. I don’t know what yogurt is like in Argentina since the texture can vary. Here, regular yogurt is a little thinner than sour cream. Greek yogurt is very rich and thick, more like sour cream. I would suggest using a full fat yogurt to get as close to sour cream as possible.
Marina
Hi Eileen,
I have the same problem as Tobi because where I live (Argentina) we don’t have sour cream. So, can I replace it with the same amount of plain yogurt? Can I replace it with something else? Thanks!
Marina
Sorry for posting twice! I thought I could not send the first post!
Tobi
It’s me again Eileen, please do you have a recipe for an excellent Red Velvet cake. Thing is, I don’t even know if the perfect Red Velvet cake should be more moist than fluffy or vice-versa.
Thoughts on my dilemma?
Thanks so much.
Eileen
I have a Red Velvet Cake recipe I’ve been working on but isn’t published yet. It will be in the future. As far as moist vs. fluffy, that will always be a matter of taste. I prefer moist, but not gummy and wet.
Tobi
Hahahahaha, now it’s hard to get that balance really… I can’t wait to see what you come up with Eileen. Thanks so much again.
PS: I prefer moist as well
Judy
Eileen, I just discovered your site; where have you been all my life! I want to make lemon blueberry cupcakes for a baby shower. Can I use this recipe? I plan to add lemon zest and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. Also, I would stir in blueberries just before filling the cups. What adjustments should I make to the cake recipe?
Eileen
Hi Judy. This recipe will work just fine for lemon-blueberry cupcakes without any special changes other than the flavoring. Zest is great but I would use extract instead of lemon juice. Most the the lemon flavor is in the oil in the zest. The juice is mostly tart but not especially lemony. If you want an extra burst of lemon zing you could sprinkle a little lemon syrup on the baked cupcakes. Here’s a recipe for simple syrup. Just stir in some lemon juice to make lemon syrup. Adding the blueberries just before filling the cups is a good idea. You can put a tablespoon of batter into each cup before adding the berries. That way you won’t have blueberries stuck to the cupcake wrapper. That little bit of plain batter should give you a cushion from the sinking blueberries.
Judy
Eileen, I followed your advise for the lemon blueberry cupcakes and they were exceptional! I made 1 1/2 times the recipe and made 4 dozen cupcakes. Of course, they were loaded with blueberries. And since I placed the berries by hand, the cupcakes stayed beautifully white and only my hands turned purple. This is such a yummy tender recipe, it will now be my go-to. (I make cupcakes every week for Sunday School.) Thanks so much.
Eileen
That’s great, Judy. I just formed a Facebook group for exactly this type of question. Bakers helping bakers fix, adapt and create recipes. I hope you join!
Abigail
Thank you for taking time to share this useful information. If I do not have a mixer can I do this by hand.
Kim
I love your recipe. It is very tasty. But just one thing i wonder. I tried this twice but whenever i unmold the cake it shrank. And the side also not straight. Why this is happened? The inside is baked well though.
Eileen
Because this cake is so tender, it will shrink back a bit as it cools. There is less shrinking if you don’t butter the sides of the pan. I always trim the top and sides of the cake so I don’t mind. Also, as you layer the cake you can even up the sides with the icing.
Judy
Eileen, How do I love this recipe? Let me count the ways. The lemon blueberry I’ve already commented on. Then for Mother’s Day, I added diced strawberries and half-teaspoon of strawberry emulsion; so good. Today I made cookies and cream, adding one cup coarsely GROUND Oreos to the batter and FINELY ground oreos to the IMBC. I think these are the best yet.
I’m considering bananas next. Oh, by the way, I also made the chocolate butter cake/cupcakes as well and loved them as well.
This recipe tastes like real food, not those light airy cupcakes that taste like paper. I guess you can tell, I really really like these cupcakes. I saw your recipe for marble cake; so that’s on my radar as well. Thanks again for sharing; you’ve given me confidence to bake.
Eileen
Oh wow, Judy! Thanks. You think like a pastry chef. We don’t reinvent the wheel. Get one good recipe and adapt!
Magz
I’ve made this cake before and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately at the time I made it I forgot to measure how much batter the recipe made. I’m making my sister’s wedding cake and need 34 cups of batter total to make a 4 tiered petal shaped cake. Do you know how many cups the recipe makes?
Eileen
Hmmm, I don’t know total cups. How many servings are you looking to make? What pan sizes you you using? When I was making wedding cakes I estimated 20 servings of cake per batch of batter. Of course, that depends on how you estimate your servings.
Jerrie
Hi Eileen, could you please suggest the best way to modify this recipe to create a lemon flavour. I would prefer to use lemon over extract, do I need to alter any of the ingredient measurements. Also, is buttermilk interchangeable with sourcream?
Eileen
Hi Jerrie, to make this cake lemon-flavored replace the vanilla extract with lemon extract and add the zest from one lemon, finely grated. Use a rasp grater if you have one. Lemon zest has more lemon flavor than the juice because of the oils in the skin. You could use buttermilk in place of sour cream. Since buttermilk has more liquid than sour cream, I would reduce the amount from 1 cup to 3/4 of a cup.
Andrea
this is my go to vanilla cake recipe and I have made it dozens of times. I am curious why does sometimes the cake shrink up so badly and other times barely at all when I make the same every time ? Is there a way to prevent so much shrinkage?
Eileen
I have found that the cake shrinks more if it’s slightly over baked. Take it out of the oven as soon as the middle springs back when pressed.
Vicki
I can’t find where you click to watch the lemon mousse cake. I’m going to make it for my granddaughter’s wedding in August. I need to practice. Also have you ever made a “birch” look wedding cake? This is what she wants.
Eileen
Hi Vicki – the Lemon Mousse Cake post has a video showing how to put the cake together. I have done the “birch” look a few times. Are you working with a buttercream finish? The way I did the design was to ice the cake with buttercream then pipe random, short horizontal lines of brown buttercream to create the birch look and then smudge the lines a little.
Michele Riedl
Hi Eileen,
Can’t wait to try this recipe for a bridal shower next weekend.
I need to make a 10″ layer cake. How do you adjust the amounts without actually doubling?
Is there a formula?
Thanks,
Michele
Eileen
Hi Michele, believe it or not, a 10″x2″ round cake pan has almost double the volume of an 8″x2″ round cake pan. I know it seems crazy since it’s only a 2″ difference, but an 8″ pan has a 6 cup volume and a 10″ pan has an 11 cup volume. I would double the recipe for a 10″ cake.
Holly Euer
Can bakers special sugar be used in place of normal granulated sugar?
Eileen
By bakers sugar do you mean confectioner’s sugar? If so I would say you get away with it. I know there are those who would cry foul, but since this recipe uses the reverse creaming method the grains of sugar are not as necessary as they are with traditional creaming. In fact, when I was testing for my Perfected Pound Cake recipe I made a cake with powdered sugar in place of granulated sugar and there wasn’t a huge difference in texture. One big caveat, you’ll have to weigh the sugar not measure by volume. A cup of granulated sugar weighs about 8 oz and a cup of powdered sugar weighs about 4 oz. You can even use powdered sugar in whipping the egg whites, again always working by weight.
Stephanie Ng
Hello Eileen, thank you for the recipe and all the baking knowledge your blog continues to offer. I was wondering if (a) I could make your recipe in a 9×13 inch pan as a sheet cake. If not, I was wondering if (b) could I use the reverse-creaming method on this recipe https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/05/27/yellow-sheet-cake-chocolate-fudge-frosting/ and (c) whether you could advise me as to how many whole eggs, egg whites, and egg yolks would be best for the reverse-creaming method for the linked recipe.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration, Stephanie
Eileen
Hi Stephanie. You could bake this recipe in a 9×13 pan. If you want to use Sally’s recipe it should not be a problem using the reverse creaming method. You don’t need to change any ingredients to try mixing it with reverse creaming.
Stephanie Ng
Thank you, Eileen, for your prompt reply and valuable advice! I think I’ll actually go with your recipe — your close-up crumb shots convinced me 🙂
vanessa defit
Bonjour
Je vais essayer votre super gâteau aux pépites de chocolats.
Pour le gâteau à la vanille la farine à gâteau c’est de la farine classique ou de la farine avec la levure incorporé (spécial gâteau)?
Le sucre granulé c’est comme le sucre cristal en France?
Le sucre brun c’est la cassonnade? ou est-il fin?
Cordialement
Eileen
I ran your question through a translator so please forgive me if I don’t get the question exactly right. I believe you’re asking about make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. The question is about the type of flour used and the type of sugar. The flour is cake flour with no leaveners added. It’s a soft, bleached flour (7%-8% protein). I did a little research and it looks like the closest French equivalent would be “type 45” flour. I found a wonderful post describing the French and American sugar equivalents on David Levovitz’s blog. Hope that helps.
vanessa defit
Bonjour
Pouvez-vous s’il vous plait me donner en grammes le dosage de la levure du sel du bicarbonate?
Les bâtonnets de beurre c’est pourquoi ?
Et il faut séparer le blanc du jaune de tous les oeufs?
Je suis pas sûr de la traduction..
Merci
Eileen
I believe you are asking the weight in grams for the baking powder and baking soda, something about the sticks of butter and whether all the eggs are separated. I’ll try to answer the best I can. 3/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder weighs 3 grams, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda weighs 1.5 grams. In the US a stick of butter is 4 oz, so 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons is 9 oz of butter or 255 grams of butter. Yes, all the eggs are separated. The yolks go in with some of the sour cream and the whites are whipped and folded in at the end. Hope I am answering your questions correctly.