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Test Kitchen tips for making the best vanilla cake:

  • An easy baking hack is to bring the butter and eggs to room temperature before you start. Soft butter creams more easily with the sugar, while room-temperature eggs incorporate more evenly to create a lighter, fluffier sponge.
  • We strongly advise taking your the creaming stage. Beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy, as this is where much of the air is incorporated, helping to create a light, well-risen cake.
  • Once the flour is added, fold it in gently with a spatula or large metal spoon. Over-mixing can knock out the air you've worked so hard to incorporate, resulting in a denser sponge.
  • We recommend checking whether the cake is done a few minutes before the recommended baking time. We also recommend avoiding opening the oven door during the first half of baking, as a sudden drop in temperature can cause the sponge to sink.
  • Allow the sponge to cool completely before decorating. For the smoothest buttercream finish, spread on a thin crumb coat first, chill the cake until firm, then apply a second, thicker layer to create a neat, crumb-free finish.

Units:

For the syrup

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Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal399
  • fat21g
  • saturates12g
  • carbs48g
  • sugars27g
  • fibre1g
  • protein6g
  • salt0.31g
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Method

  • step 1

    Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a round, deep 20cm tin, then line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.

  • step 2

    Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next.

  • step 3

    Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt. Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, followed by the milk.

  • step 4

    Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 20 mins or until well risen and golden – a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.

  • step 5

    Meanwhile, make the syrup by gently heating 50ml water with the sugar and vanilla in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool for 30 mins in the tin, then use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake, going right to the bottom. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition.

  • step 6

    Leave to cool completely, then either wrap the cake well or fill and ice it. If you wrap it with baking parchment and cling film, the unfilled cake will keep well for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

  • step 7

    For ideas on how to decorate the cake and to try out some variations on this basic cake mixture, have a look at the 'Goes well with' recipes for Simple elegance wedding cake, Birthday bug cake and Summer celebration cake.

Why is it called vanilla cake?

Vanilla cake is a basic sponge which is enriched with vanilla flavouring and typically covered in a plain buttercream. It is made by using the creaming method whereby butter and sugar are creamed together before being mixed with eggs and finally folded with flour. It is similar to the American pound cake which uses equal quantities of butter, sugar and flour. However this recipe also contains yoghurt which keeps the sponge damp and being slightly acidic helps activate the self raising flour..

What vanilla should I use to make this cake?

For the best flavour, we recommend making your own syrup using a vanilla pod or vanilla bean paste heated with caster sugar. It is worth paying a little extra to buy good quality vanilla extract and avoid anything that says vanilla essence or flavouring, as the flavour is much deeper from real vanilla pods.

Ideas for decorating vanilla cakes

Can this vanilla cake be made in advance?

  • Yes, the sponges can be baked, cooled completely, then wrapped tightly with non-stick baking parchment and cling wrap.
  • Do not ice or fill the cake.
  • The unfilled cake will keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container, not in the fridge, or can be frozen for up to one month.
  • To defrost, allow them to thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, before icing and layering the cakes.
Jane Hornby
After six years on the team at BBC Good Food magazine, Jane has gone on to write four cookbooks for Phaidon Press and create hundreds of tested recipes for leading food brands and publications. Her aim is to inspire people to cook with flavour-packed, achievable recipes that look great, whatever their skill level. See more recipes from Jane
Jane Hornby

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2009

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A star rating of 4.6 out of 5.232 ratings
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