Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake Buttercream (Printable)
Classic vanilla bean layered cake topped with rich creamy buttercream frosting for celebrations
# What you need:
→ For the Vanilla Bean Cake
01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ tsp baking powder
03 - ½ tsp fine salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or seeds from 2 vanilla beans
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
→ For the Buttercream Frosting
09 - 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
10 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 tbsp whole milk
12 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
→ For Decoration
14 - Sprinkles or edible flowers
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla bean paste until incorporated.
05 - Add flour mixture in three alternating parts with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops using an offset spatula.
07 - Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
08 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed. Add milk, vanilla, and salt; beat on high for 3 minutes until fluffy.
10 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of buttercream on top. Position second layer over first, then frost the top and sides evenly.
11 - Finish with sprinkles or edible flowers if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The vanilla bean creates these gorgeous flecks throughout that make people think you spent hours on something fancy
- Buttercream that actually holds its shape but still melts in your mouth, not the gritty stuff that cracks when you cut it
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here, cold eggs or butter will wreck your texture every single time
- Overmixing after adding flour creates tough, rubbery cake, walk away as soon as the flour streaks disappear
03 -
- Brush each cake layer with simple syrup before frosting if you need to make the cake a day ahead, it keeps everything incredibly moist
- Spray your measuring cup with cooking spray before measuring the vanilla bean paste so every last bit slides right out