Perfect Vanilla Butter Cake Recipe

Soft, tender and full of fragrant vanilla, this is our go-to vanilla butter cake recipe that turns out perfectly, every time. Dress this vanilla cake up with sprinkles or keep it simple with a swirl of vanilla buttercream. This vanilla cake recipe is versatile – if you want to turn this recipe into cupcakes or mix it up with choc chips or berries, scroll to the bottom of the method section for ingredient conversions.

80 Mins

12 Serves

7 Steps

Ingredients

Cake

220g butter, softened
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp Queen Organic Vanilla Extract
1 ½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
¾ cup (180ml) milk

Buttercream

125g butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups (225g) icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp Queen Vanilla Bean Paste

Method - Cake

1
Preheat oven to 180°C (fan forced). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and Vanilla Extract until light and fluffy - be patient as this will take about 5+ minutes.. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
3
Add flour and milk, mixing until combined.
4
Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Method - Buttecream

1
Place butter and vanilla in bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 6-8 minutes until pale and fluffy.
2
With mixer off, sift in icing sugar folding to combine. Return to mixer and beat until combined, approximately 2-3 minutes.
3
Spread buttercream over top of cooled cake and decorate as desired.

Convert this recipe

1 x Loaf Tin
Make the vanilla cake recipe as above. Grease and line a 21cm x 11cm loaf tin and bake for 60-65 minutes.

To Make 12 Standard Size Vanilla Butter Cupcakes:
Make the recipe as above. Fill cupcake cases ¾ full (approx. 1/4 cup – 60ml of batter per standard size cupcake case) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cupcake bounces back when pressed.

Buttercream Note: If you want to spread buttercream over the cupcakes, make the buttercream recipe as above. If you want to generously pipe onto cupcakes, just double the recipe.

Recipe additions/alterations:

Choc chips – ½ cup of chocolate chips folded through batter.
Raspberries, Strawberries or Blueberries – ½ cup fresh or frozen (thawed, drained), folded through batter.
Spread with Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Make a zesty Lemon, Orange or Lime Butter cake, 2 tbsp of zest to your cake batter.
Make a citrus butter cream to match by making buttercream as above and adding 2 tsp of zest and 1 tbsp of juice from either lemon, lime or orange.

For Flavoured Buttercream:

For warmer flavours such as Natural Almond Extract, Rosewater Essence, Lemon Extract and Strawb’ry & Cream Flavour for Icing, we like to keep the Vanilla Bean Paste in the recipe to enhance the flavour and add additional flavours at 1-2 tsp to taste.

For brighter flavours such as Peppermint Extract, Unicorn Dream Flavour for Icing and Bubblegum Flavour for Icing, simply replace the Vanilla Bean Paste for 2-3 tsp of these flavours – adding more flavour if desired or for larger batches.

Buttercream Tutorial

Did you know there are actually several different types of buttercream? Follow our step-by-step tutorial for four delicious varieties – Basic, Ermine, French and Swiss Meringue. Mix things up with Queen Food Colour Gels and a splash of something delicious from our Flavour for Icing range!

Comments & Reviews

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This is a lovely moist cake. Really love the addition of extra tutorials and convert options. I am really enjoying the weekly recipes. Thank you

Miriam

I am rediscovering my love of baking. Followed this one to a ‘t’ turned out delicious. So good in fact it only lasted a few hours (2 of us)
Thank you thus s a great base butter cake! A keeper.

Perfect Vanilla Butter Cake Recipe