Vanilla layer cake recipe
Experiment with adding different flavours once you've nailed the basic recipe for this simple but striking show-stopper. Here are just some of the flavours you can play about with in this recipe: citrus zest (use the zest of 3–4 fruits), almond extract, freeze-dried fruit powders, orange blossom water, rose water, liqueurs, lavender and spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, etc. You can also layer this cake up with your choice of fresh fruits, homemade curd, crème pâtissière, caramel, etc!
This recipe makes 5 x 18cm/7inch cakes.
Ingredients
- 480 g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 480 g caster or granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt (or use salted butter and omit this)
- 480 g eggs (about 8 medium)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 260 ml whole milk
- 200 ml whole yogurt
- 560 g plain (all-purpose) flour (or use gluten-free flour plus 2¼ tsp xanthan gum)
- 6 tsp baking powder (use gluten-free baking powder if making gluten free, a lot of standard baking powders contain gluten)
- 60 g almond flour
- 1 x amount fresh whipped cream and fruit, to layer and decorate
- 16.9 oz unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 16.9 oz caster or granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt (or use salted butter and omit this)
- 16.9 oz eggs (about 8 medium)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 9.2 fl oz whole milk
- 7 fl oz whole yogurt
- 19.8 oz plain (all-purpose) flour (or use gluten-free flour plus 2¼ tsp xanthan gum)
- 6 tsp baking powder (use gluten-free baking powder if making gluten free, a lot of standard baking powders contain gluten)
- 2.1 oz almond flour
- 1 x amount fresh whipped cream and fruit, to layer and decorate
- 16.9 oz unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 16.9 oz caster or granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt (or use salted butter and omit this)
- 16.9 oz eggs (about 8 medium)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1.1 cups whole milk
- 0.8 cup whole yogurt
- 19.8 oz plain (all-purpose) flour (or use gluten-free flour plus 2¼ tsp xanthan gum)
- 6 tsp baking powder (use gluten-free baking powder if making gluten free, a lot of standard baking powders contain gluten)
- 2.1 oz almond flour
- 1 x amount fresh whipped cream and fruit, to layer and decorate
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Cake
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 35 mins
- Serves: 30
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Grease 5 x 18cm/7inch cake tins with butter and line the bases with baking paper.
- Add the butter, sugar and salt to a stand mixer (or use a handheld electric whisk) fitted with the balloon whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until the butter is smooth, then increase the speed to high and whisk until the butter is fluffy and pale in colour.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the egg mixture, 1 tbsp at a time, to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix the milk and yogurt together. Sift the flour, baking powder and almond flour together into another bowl.
- Alternate between sifting in a quarter of the flours, then adding a quarter of the milk and yogurt to the main mixture, mixing on slow speed after each addition. Be careful not to overmix and add the flour and milk when the ingredients from the batch before have only semi-mixed in.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins and bake for 30–35 minutes until a skewer or a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- When the cakes are baked, leave them to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off the baking paper and leave to cool.
- Make sure the cakes are cool before assembling – you can make 1 tall stacked cake or 2 shorter cakes. Decorate simply with fresh cream and fruit between the layers.
This recipe is from Celebrate With Kim-Joy (Quadrille, £20). Photography ©Ellis Parrinder.
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