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Slices of butter cake with pink frosting
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5 from 2 votes

Vanilla Bean Cake

This Vanilla Bean Cake is velvety and tender with fluffy vanilla buttercream
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vanilla bean cake, vanilla buttercream
Servings: 15

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Bean Cake

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
  • ¾ teas salt
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out (or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 whole eggs

For the Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 ¾ cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 5 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out (or 2 teas vanilla bean paste)
  • 3 to 5 tablespoon milk

Instructions

To Make the Vanilla Bean Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour two, 8-inch round cake pans; set aside. 
  • Combine dry ingredients together; set aside. Combine sour cream and milk; set aside.
  • Beat butter on medium-low speed of electric mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla bean seeds; mix on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and pale in colour, about 2 to 4 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl.
  • Add eggs and eggs yolks, one at a time, beating on low speed until blended. Add vanilla extract; beat on low speed until blended.
  • Add in half of the fflour mixture.  Once this is incorporated, pour in the milk mixture while the mixer is running on low speed.  Once the milk is absorbed, add in the remaining fflour mixture. After the last streaks of flour are incorporated, mix the batter on medium-low speed for about 20 seconds until smooth. 
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.
  • Cool cakes on a wire rack for about 15 minutes or until pans are cool enough to handle; remove cakes from pans. Continue to cool on wire rack until cakes are at room temperature.
  • Wrap each layer in a double layer of plastic wrap; chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before cutting and frosting.  (Chilling makes the cakes easy to cut.)When ready to frost, cut each layer horizontally in half; frost with Vanilla Buttercream Icing.

To Make the Vanilla Buttercream

  • Beat butter at medium-low speed of electric mixer until smooth and creamy (1 to 2 minutes.) 
  • Gradually add 5 cups powdered sugar, vanilla bean seeds,and vanilla extract with mixer at low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Mix until blended.
  • Beat at medium-high speed 3 to 5 minutes, until buttercream is light and airy and nearly white.  If needed, add the additional powered sugar or milk until desired consistency. 

To Assemble

  • Once the cakes are completely cool, cut them in half (horizontally) with a long serrated knife to create four layers of cake.
  • Place the bottom layer of cake on a cake stand or serving dish.  Spread on about 1 cup of the buttercream with an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon. Top the buttercream with the next layer of cake and repeat
  • Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and chill until set (about 15 to 20 minutes).
  • Tint the remaining buttercream (if desired) and frost the outside of the cake with a large off-set spatula.