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Cake Recipes

100+ Best Cake Recipes. Chef Tested & Approved.

As a professional chef and baker, I’m sharing my master cake recipes and cupcake creations including step-by-step cake videos. You’ll find my Vanilla Birthday Cake recipe, Best-Ever Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake recipe, even a 3 Layer Microwave Cake, and many more. Plus, get my Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Homemade Fondant recipes, and even make your own ingredients like butter, cake flour, and brown sugar.

My Top Tips for your Cakes:

  • Mix Wet & Dry Ingredients Separately Usually, you’ll want to mix together your dry ingredients and your wet separately. Once that’s done, you can add your wet ingredients to your dry. This method will yield you the best results and a more even texture in your baking.
  • Don’t Over Mix Over mixing your batter will toughen and strengthen the gluten in the flour. Doing this to the gluten will yield you tougher baked goods, not a light and tender bake, like you want.
  • Can I use Egg Substitutes in Cake Recipes? YES! I have an egg substitute chart you can use for most of my recipes.
  • Watch my Cake Videos for step-by-step instructions!

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Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe

4.52 from 1627 votes
Print Recipe
Learn how to make my classic Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe with Buttercream frosting and I'll show you how to decorate it simply and impressively!
Servings: 8
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Learn how to make my classic Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe with Buttercream frosting and I'll show you how to decorate it simply and impressively!
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (425g/15oz) cake flour (sifted)
  • 2 cups (453g/16oz) granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 large egg whites (at room temperature)
  • 1 whole egg (at room temperature)
  • 1 cup (8floz/227ml) whole milk or full fat buttermilk
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (170g, 6oz) unsalted butter, cold
  • Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (Master Recipe Here)

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°F/180°C. Butter and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
  • In a large jug combine and whisk together the egg whites, whole egg, milk, and the vanilla extract. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together at low speed for 1 minute. (You can also do it by hand.)
  • Add the cold butter and continue to mix on low until the mixture is a fine crumbly texture.
  • Add the liquid mixture into your dry ingredients in 2 separate batches making sure to scrape the sides and bottom before and after each batch, mixing until light, fluffy, homogenous, and well incorporated. Fold once or twice to ensure the batter at bottom of the bowl is incorporated.
  • Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
  • Bake until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs when inserted into the center, about 25-35 minutes. Be very careful to not over-bake. Check cake at 25 minutes to see how it is doing and judge the timing from there.
  • Once baked, let the cakes cool on racks for 20 minutes before removing them from the tins.
  • When the cake is completely cold you can start to decorate. If you are not using it straight away wrap the cake tightly and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
  • To Assemble the Cake: With a serrated knife cut off the top of the cake layers to give them even, level surfaces to frost on.
  • Place the bottom cake layer on the table or cake turntable.
  • Spread your chilled buttercream frosting on top with a small offset spatula. Gently place 2nd cake layer face down on top. Place more frosting on top of this layer and spread out.
  • Gently add the 3rd cake layer. Add a generous scoop of frosting and spread evenly with a small offset spatula working your way down the sides until you have a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake. This is called the “Crumb layer”. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.
  • Remove from refrigerator and apply a final “coat” of frosting. Decorate all over with sprinkles. Just keep on applying them until they stick all over.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before serving let it at room temperature for 30 minutes and then enjoy!

About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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