Description
A delicious layered cake with warm vanilla and browned butter, topped with silky buttercream and optional themed decorations. Perfect for celebrations!
Ingredients
Scale
- 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 200 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 200 ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
- 200 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, for buttercream, room temperature
- 300 g (about 2 1/2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, for buttercream
- Gel food coloring (blue, light blue, white, optional)
- Sparkling sugar or edible luster dust (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment.
- Sift flour and baking powder together; set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream together room-temperature butter and sugar until pale and fluffy (3–4 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest if using.
- With mixer on low, alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 22–28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool layers in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and chill for 20–30 minutes.
- For buttercream, beat 200 g butter until creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar and mix on low, then increase to medium. Add milk and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy.
- Level cake layers, place first layer on a cake board, spread buttercream, top with second layer, apply a crumb coat, and chill.
- Apply final smooth coat of buttercream and decorate as desired with gel coloring.
- Insert cake topper into the center of the cake once decorated.
Notes
Chill between steps to prevent crumbs from showing in the frosting. Use room-temperature ingredients for better mixing.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 42g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 120mg