Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
May 28, 2009 at 10:36 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, layer cakes, sweet things | 45 Comments
Did you see the birthday cake I made a few weeks ago for my friend’s little tiger? Well, I promised recipes, so now I am here to deliver. Tiger’s mum, my friend C, wanted a basic vanilla-on-vanilla– something that both the kids and the other mums at the party would like– so I began my quest for the right cake and frosting.
I have baked several fantastic cakes from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alicia Huntsman and Peter Wynne, and I really trust the recipes in the book. I’ve seen the authors’ Vanilla Buttermilk Cake make appearances on countless other blogs, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. This yellow cake is nice and moist, and has a great crumb that doesn’t fall apart when you level the layers or when you slice it up. It’s definitely a multi-purpose vanilla cake– just as good for something simple and homey as it is for something dressed-up and fancy.
C had asked for a buttercream frosting, and since I wanted something snow white, I knew it had to be either Swiss or Italian meringue-based. In the battle between the two, I generally side with the Swiss, only because no futzing with sugar syrups is required. The recipe below is pretty standard…I like its particular proportions because it’s not too sweet, and it’s really easy to work with. A basic Swiss meringue buttercream is the perfect canvas for making flavored frostings, if you are so inclined. Switch up the extracts, add melted chocolate, add coconut flakes…I could go on.
Tiger’s birthday cake was a big triple layer 10-incher, so I scaled up the recipes below. I overshot a bit, and wound up with enough extra batter and buttercream to make a two layer 6-inch cake for myself (oops, how’d that happen?!?). I didn’t have quite enough leftover buttercream to fill the layers of my little cake, so I used lemon curd and some smooshed up raspberries in the middle.
Vanilla Buttermilk Cake- makes an 8-inch layer cake
adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alicia Huntsman and Peter Wynne
4 whole large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 c buttermilk
3 c cake flour
2 c sugar
4 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
-Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or spray the bottom and sides of three 8-inch cake pans. Line with parchment rounds and grease.
-Place the eggs and the yolks in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Whisk well and set aside.
-Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a mixer; whisk to blend. Add the remaining 1 cup of buttermilk and the butter to the dry ingredients and with the mixer on low speed, blend together. Raise the mixer to medium speed and beat until light fluffy (about 2 minutes).
-Add the egg mixture in three additions, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Don’t overmix.
-Divide the batter among the three pans. Bake the cake layers for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out the cakes onto a wire rack and remove the paper from the bottoms. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream- makes about 6 cups
adapted from Martha Stewart
Note: Unless you like to go really heavy on the stuff, this is most likely more than you will need to fill and frost an 8-inch cake. I always like to be on the safe side with buttercream, however, because finding you are stuck without quite enough is incredibly annoying. Extra buttercream can be stored for a couple weeks and used to frost a half-batch of cupcakes.
1 c egg whites (from about 6 large eggs)
1 1/2 c sugar
pinch of salt
1 lb 4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 t vanilla extract (or seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean)
squeeze of lemon juice
-Combine the egg whites, sugar and pinch of salt in a large metal bowl (I usually do this right in my stand mixer bowl). Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler-style), and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. The mixture will feel hot to the touch.
-Transfer the hot mixture to your stand mixer and whip on high speed until it turns white and about doubles in size. This will take about six minutes. Beat in the vanilla and the lemon juice.
-Add the butter, a few tablespoons at a time, on medium speed, mixing after each addition. Raise the speed and beat until smooth; this may take up to ten minutes. The mixture may appear curdled along the way; this is normal. Just keep beating and the mixture will become smooth again.
-Buttercream will keep, covered air-tight and refrigerated, for up to two weeks. Bring to room temperature, then beat on low speed before using.
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Beautiful, elegant cake! The smooshed raspberries in the middle look like the perfect contrast to the rich creaminess of the cake & frosting. Delicious!
Comment by rose — May 28, 2009 #
looks lovely and perfect for summer!
Comment by Amanda — May 28, 2009 #
and that looks decadent!
Comment by rachel — May 28, 2009 #
Yum!
Comment by Carrie — May 28, 2009 #
Beautiful cake! Love the glow of pink on top.
Comment by Sarah — May 28, 2009 #
oh this cake looks so good! I like sky high cakes, more to eat
Comment by snooky doodle — May 28, 2009 #
oh so delicious. i love meringue.
Comment by Sophie — May 28, 2009 #
Rhooo yes very elegant cake : Miam Miam !!!
Comment by Nawal — May 28, 2009 #
You got me drooling! Seriously, that looks so insanely good! And I like the little design on top. It reminds me of a flower!
Comment by howtoeatacupcake — May 28, 2009 #
wow.
this cake looks amazing.
i would marry buttercream if i could.
=)
Comment by Heidi Harlequin — May 28, 2009 #
How absolutely beautiful! I love a yellow cake with a classy frosting. Great job as always!
Comment by Heather Peskin — May 28, 2009 #
Oh man, what a gorgeous cake! I love the white on white cakes. I can’t wait to try out this yellow cake–it sounds fabulous and oh-so sturdy. Thanks for sharing that recipe with us. And, of course, the Swiss meringue buttercream always looks delicious. I can only imagine what a fabulous bday cake this made!
Comment by Elyse — May 28, 2009 #
I’ve seen so many amazing cakes from that book! This one looks fantastic!
Comment by Tracey — May 28, 2009 #
Gotta try this vanilla buttermilk cake recipe, looks so good!
Comment by Caroline — May 29, 2009 #
Simple and elegant, a grown up cake.
Comment by Jenny — May 29, 2009 #
cool! I like the pink misty thing you’ve got going on on the top…how did you do it?
Comment by Chantal — May 29, 2009 #
Chantal- Thanks! The pink on the buttercream is cake decorators’ luster dust (kind of like an edible glitter). I just gently blew it on with a little paintbrush.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon) — May 29, 2009 #
ah yes! luster dust, i’ve seen it at my local baking store, i think ill give it a try
Comment by Chantal — May 31, 2009 #
Oooh lovely! I absolutely adore this cake (and the book too). In fact, I just baked it for my own upcoming birthday celebration. Am going to fill it with mango mousse and frost with lime hinted whipped cream.
Love the hint of pink in the buttercream!
Comment by Irene — May 29, 2009 #
Great looking cake!
Comment by Katrina — May 29, 2009 #
This looks lovely. So simple yet very appealing. How did you do the frosting on top? I love the pattern. Did you use an offset spatula or back of a spoon or something?
Comment by Julia @ Mélanger — May 29, 2009 #
Julia– Thanks! Yes, I used an offset (or maybe it was my straight icing spatula). Just started at the outer edge, and dragged it into center… turning the cake a bit and repeating.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon) — May 30, 2009 #
Hey Sweetie!
I just found your blog through Veggie Girl’s blogroll. I’m so glad I did! A Whisk and a Spoon is totally going in my reader from now on!
You’re cake is gorgeous. Such lovely pictures.
Have a wonderful weekend!
With Love,
Emily
Comment by CurlyTop — May 30, 2009 #
Beautiful cake! My mom’s birthday is coming up, soon. I think she’ll like this one. And, I think I am going to have to break down and get it. Good thing I am trying to thin out my current collection!
Comment by Chris — May 30, 2009 #
This cake looks absolutely delicous and I love the sound of the frosting. Beautiful pictures!
Comment by Jo — May 31, 2009 #
Lemon and raspberries together sounds so delicious. What a gorgeous looking cake!
Comment by Shari — May 31, 2009 #
so glad you trust my recipes! that book was fun to write even if it was a lot of work configuring/testing the recipes. the best part of it is finding blogs like yours that feature it and show the results-all that testing worked! thanks for the kind words and keep on baking!
Alisa Huntsman
Comment by jane of many trades — June 1, 2009 #
Gorgeous! Given everyone’s successes with the book, I’m glad I finally purchased Sky High – now just have to find an occasion to bake from it
Comment by Caitlin — June 1, 2009 #
I’ve made this cake and LOVED it! Yours looks great!
Comment by rachel — June 2, 2009 #
Oh, Swiss Meringue Buttercream is delicious. I also dislike overly sweet frosting, and this one seems just about right.
We have made it with coffee, raspberry puree, and chocolate. Very good.
Your cake sounds delicious.
Comment by Erica from Cooking for Seven — June 4, 2009 #
Oh wow, so cute. I love the sky high book. Can’t wait to try this cake.
Comment by Mermaid Sweets — June 4, 2009 #
Beautiful Steph!! Thanks for the recipe and recommendation!! You work in a bakery in NYC right? Your work is beautiful.
AmyRuth
Comment by Amy Ruth — June 9, 2009 #
Thanks, AmyRuth! Yes, I do work in a bakery, so I’ve been getting plenty of practice with cakes lately!
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon) — June 9, 2009 #
I really, really need to get Sky High! It’s a crying shame that it’s not in my collection, because every cake I see in there looks so GOOD!
Comment by Mari — June 12, 2009 #
You never dissappoint with any of your posts. I like that little pink that seeped into the icing. A little hint of what lies inside.
Comment by Eliana — June 22, 2009 #
How can i do regular meringue to cover my cakes
Comment by Maricela — July 18, 2009 #
You can do a regular Swiss meringue, following these same instructions, minus the butter. Beat it till it’s really stiff. It won’t last as long as a buttercream, though, before going soft.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon) — July 18, 2009 #
Was wondering if you could give me the amount of butter in cups….
When converting into grams the amount butter sounded way to big.
Thanks.
Comment by Gala — August 18, 2009 #
Hi Gala…are you talking about the butter in the cake or the buttercream? The cake has 8 oz of butter, which equals 1 cup or 227 grams. The buttercream has 1 lb 4 oz of butter, which equals 2 1/2 cups or 567 grams. Sounds like a lot of butter, and it sure is…this is a “special occasions only” recipe for me.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon) — August 18, 2009 #
Oh sorry, yes I meant the amount of butter in the frosting, yauza! That is a lot of butter.
Thanks a lot for the conversions and the quick reply!
Comment by Gala — August 18, 2009 #
Icing – is the lemon juice used for flavoring? If I want to make choc. icing what is the ratio? I have bittersweet choc. on hand but do you recommend cocoa powder?
Thanks!
Comment by Debbie — October 16, 2009 #
Debbie– The lemon juice is just a squeeze (few drops). It isn’t really for lemon flavor…more to brighten the taste and cut the sweetness a bit. To make choclate buttercream, I would start with the vanilla base (you can leave out the lemon juice and cut the vanilla by half), and add melted bittersweet chocolate to taste (I wouldn’t use cocoa). I’d probably melt about 6 ounces or so…
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon) — October 16, 2009 #
Thanks so much!
Comment by Debbie — October 20, 2009 #
It looks so yummy but I did it and it was a disaster……
I didnt have 3 pans so I baked it in one and the center never cooked… well it did but all the outside is almost burned…. I am so frustrated… I really want to try it……. maybe next week…
Oh by the way, I was planing on combining it with Orange curd filling… now I have the filling and frosting and no cake =(
Comment by vanne24 — January 21, 2010 #
Oh, that’s too bad…it’s too much batter to bake successfully in one pan. Maybe you could try halving the batter and baking it off as cupcakes, which you can then fill and frost?
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon) — January 21, 2010 #