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Vanilla Birthday Cake

This Vanilla Birthday Cake is the quintessential cake! It’s light and fluffy, with a fine and moist crumb. The frosting is smooth and sweet without being too sweet. And best of all you can make it in your own kitchen.

Vanilla Birthday Cake on cake pedestal.

My version of this cake includes 3 tall layers of vanilla cake, that’s soaked in a cake flavored soaking syrup. Next, it’s filled and frosted with a fun and festive bakery-style frosting and sprinkles!

Vanilla Birthday Cake overhead shot of cake on pedestal.

Vanilla Cake Layers

  • Whole milk: thins out the batter, generates steam during baking and helps gluten develop when it interacts with the flour.
  • Egg whites: this cake uses egg whites instead of whipped egg whites to reduce the holes in the cake layers.
  • Vanilla extract: enhances flavor.
  • Sour cream: lends a tangy flavor to the cake and creates a moist texture. Tip: Buttermilk or yogurt can be substituted for sour cream.
  • Cake flour: also known as soft flour, contains less protein than all-purpose flour. And creates a delicate and fine crumbed cake.
  • Granulated sugar: sweetens the cake and easily mixes into cake batter.
  • Baking powder: is a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch. Baking powder works twice by coming in contact with liquid and then again when it comes into contact with heat.
  • Baking soda: is an alkali and must be used with an acidic ingredient such as sour cream.
  • Salt: enhances the cakes flavor.
  • Unsalted butter: adds a rich flavor and creates texture in the cake.

Simple Syrup

Using a simple syrup helps keep the cake moist while refrigerating and decorating. It’s also a good way to add an extra punch of flavor. I used cake flavored vodka for this cake to bring out the flavors. You can use any flavor of liquor or liqueurs that you like to change up the flavors. Or you can leave it out entirely.

Vanilla Birthday Cake on cake pedestal.

Vanilla Frosting Ingredients

Are you looking for a bakery-style frosting that’s sweet, smooth and fluffy? Well, look no further because you’ve found it! What I love about this frosting is that it’s similar to bakery frostings but it’s not as sweet.

  • 2 cups unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

How To Crumb Coat A Cake

Place a small dollop of frosting on top of the cake and using your offset cake spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake catching any loose crumbs and sealing them in. Refrigerate or freeze the cake for 15 to 30 minutes.

Vanilla Birthday Cake crumb coated.

Icing The Cake

  1. Apply a large dollop of pink frosting on top of the cake and spread out evenly.
  2. Line an 8-inch round acrylic disc with parchment paper with a bit of frosting. Line up the acrylic disc with the bottom cake board and gently press on to the top of the cake to adhere.
  3. Add more frosting to the sides of the cake, making sure to cover the bottom cake board completely, and gently press a cake scraper against the acrylic disc and bottom cake board. 
  4. Slowly rotate the cake turntable all the way around to create a smooth finish on the side of the cake. Chill the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 15 to 30 minutes.
  5. Insert a small offset spatula under the acrylic disc and rotate the turntable until the disc releases. Peel off the parchment paper. 
  6. Add more frosting to the top of the cake to fill in any gaps if needed. Smooth out the top of the cake with an offset cake spatula while rotating the turntable.

How To Apply Sprinkles

  1. Place a rimmed baking sheet on your counter. (This will help collect the excess sprinkles that fall so you can reapply.)
  2. Hold your cake in one hand and with the other hand apply the sprinkles to the cakes surface, letting the excess fall on to the baking sheet for you to reuse. This frosting doesn’t crust over so you can do this at any time. If you are using a frosting that crusts it’s best to apply the sprinkles while the frosting is still wet.
Vanilla Birthday Cake three quarter angle on cake pedestal.

Cake Decorating Tools

  • Nonslip mat
  • Cake turntable
  • 8-inch cake board
  • 8-inch round acrylic disc or cake board
  • Parchment paper
  • Cake scraper
  • Rimmed baking sheet
  • Piping bag
  • Ateco piping tip #869
Vanilla Birthday Cake three quarter angle wide open shot of cake on pedestal.

Vanilla Cake Baking Schedule

  • Day 1: Prepare the simple syrup and bake cake layers.
  • Day 2: Make the frosting, assemble and serve the cake.
Vanilla Birthday Cake on cake pedestal.

Make Ahead

  • Simple syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance.
  • Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, stored in the refrigerator.
  • Frosting is best made the day of assembly.
Vanilla Birthday Cake close up shot of cake slice.

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Vanilla Birthday Cake close up of cake layers.

Suggested Recipes

Vanilla Birthday Cake on cake pedestal.

Vanilla Birthday Cake

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Homemade vanilla cake layers filled and frosted with fluffy and sweet bakery-style buttercream, garnished with bespoke sprinkles.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

  • 3 8-inch round cake pans
  • Nonstick baking spray
  • 4 cup liquid measuring cup
  • Stand mixer
  • Nonslip mat
  • Cake turntable
  • 8-inch cake board
  • 8-inch round acrylic disc or cake board
  • Parchment paper
  • Cake scraper
  • Rimmed baking sheet
  • Piping bag
  • Ateco piping tip #869
  • Sprinkles
  • Crushed pink rock candy

VANILLA CAKE

  • 1 3/4 cups (420g/10.6 ounces) whole milk, at room temperature
  • 6 large egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 (150g/5.3 ounces)cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 4 1/3 cups (498g/17.3 ounces) cake flour
  • 2 1/2 cups (500g/17.7 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (282g/10 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces, at room
  • temperature

SIMPLE SYRUP

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup (99 grams/3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon bakery emulsion
  • 3 tablespoons cake flavored vodka, optional

BAKERY FROSTING

  • 2 cups (454 grams/16 ounces)unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) shortening
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 1/2 cups (26 ounces/734.5 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) heavy cream
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

VANILLA CAKE

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
  2. In a 4 cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites, extract, and sour cream.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment attached, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter one tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces, about 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of the milk mixture and pour the remaining to the flour mixture and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the reserved ½ cup milk mixture to the batter and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Do not over mix. The batter may look curdled.  Give the batter a final stir by hand with a rubber spatula.
  4. Gently tap cake pans on the counter to settle the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 to 35 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
  5. Let cakes cool in their pans for 30 minutes on cooling racks. Then invert on cooling racks to cool completely.

SIMPLE SYRUP

  1. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar has melted and mixture starts to boil. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture turns into a syrup.

BAKERY FROSTING

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter, shortening and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and almond extract and slowly mix until combined, about 1 minute.
  2. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.

ASSEMBLE CAKE

  1. Place a nonslip mat on top of your cake turntable. Place an 8-inch cake board on top. Spread a small amount of buttercream in the center of the cake board to act as glue for the cake. Center one cake layer on the cake board. Spread about 1 cup frosting over the top with an offset cake spatula, smoothing the frosting out all the way to the edge.
  2. Place the second cake layer on top and spread another 1 cup frosting on top in an even layer, spreading it all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up).

CRUMB COATING

  1. Place a small dollop of frosting on top of the cake and using your offset cake spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake catching any loose crumbs and sealing them in. Refrigerate or freeze the cake for 15 to 30 minutes.

FROSTING THE CAKE

  1. Separate 2 cups of frosting and divide between 2 bowls. With the remaining frosting in your mixer bowl, squeeze pink food coloring and mix to combined. Continue to mix until you’ve achieved the color you want. I used Americolor Soft Pink gel food coloring.
  2. Add purple gel food coloring to one of the small bowls of frosting and stir to combine. Continue to color and stir until you’ve achieved the color you want. Leave the the remaining small bowl of frosting uncolored. I used Americolor Lilac gel food color with a touch of Periwinkle.
  3. Apply a large dollop of pink frosting on top of the cake and spread out evenly. Line an 8-inch round acrylic disc with parchment paper with a bit of frosting. Line up the acrylic disc with the bottom cake board and gently press on to the top of the cake to adhere. Add more frosting to the sides of the cake, making sure to cover the bottom cake board completely, and gently press a cake scraper against the acrylic disc and bottom cake board. Slowly rotate the cake turntable all the way around to create a smooth finish on the side of the cake. Chill the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 15 to 30 minutes.
  4. Insert a small offset spatula under the acrylic disc and rotate the turntable until the disc releases. Peel off the parchment paper. Add more frosting to the top of the cake to fill in any gaps if needed. Smooth out the top of the cake with an offset cake spatula while rotating the turntable.

DECORATING

  1. Place a rimmed baking sheet on your counter and with one hand carefully pick up the cake from the bottom cake board. With the other hand, apply sprinkles to the bottom edge of the cake. Place the cake back on the turntable and apply more sprinkles on the sides of the cake by carefully tossing sprinkles on to the cake in a random order. Apply crushed up pink rock candy to the sides of desired.
  2. Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #869 and fill remaining with pink, purple and uncolored frosting. Pipe a rope of swirls on the top edge of the cake. Sprinkle the center and the cake with sprinkles. Carefully transfer the cake to a cake pedestal and serve.

Notes

Simple syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance.
Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, stored in the refrigerator.
Frosting is best made the day of assembly.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 451Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 425mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 9g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

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