It wasn't a rainy day or a gloomy day, just one of those days where you wake up and say "I'm going to bake something today." To be fair, I have this feeling often, so it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. The hardest part for me is figuring out what I want to bake. My kids are pretty picky about baked goods, unlike myself, so I usually want to make something I know that they will like.
So I pondered for a bit and decided that I was going to make a cake. I don't often make cakes unless we're having family or friends over because it sits and I nibble on it daily until I feel like its too old and I toss it in the trash. But, my brain told me to make a cake that day.
I try not to use a box mix whenever I have the time to bake from scratch because I just prefer knowing what's in my baked goods. Also, I've noticed that certain preservatives in foods are more noticeable in the taste. I may be crazy.
Over the years, I have been using a vanilla cake recipe that I'm pretty happy with. It is moist, but not soggy, holds it shape well when stacking, and of course has a good flavor. The better quality vanilla you use for this cake will definitely have an effect on this one, so if you have real vanilla, use it!
Here's what you will need:
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, very soft
- 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 heavy handed tablespoon of vanilla extract (if you have some vanilla beans, throw those in too - they'll add excellent flavor)
- 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 3/4 -1 cup of milk (I used 2%) (put in as much needed to get a creamy cake batter consistency)
Here's how to whip this up:
1. If you're using a convection oven like me, heat to 325 F. If you're using a standard oven, heat to 350 F. Spray two 8" round cake pans with PAM for Baking (or grease and flour if you're old school). You can also use this recipe for cupcakes. If you do, then line 20-24 cupcake cups on a cupcake pan.
2. In a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, mix together the butter and the oil, then add in the sugar. Add vanilla, then the eggs (one at a time). Let those ingredients really come together so that you have a silky looking batter.
3. Add in the baking powder and flour. Add the milk last. A wet ingredient should always be added last when possible for cakes. Mix until just all incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. In order to ensure that I get an even amount in each pan, I used an ice cream scooper to measure out the portions. You could use a measuring cup, but I prefer being able to scoop it out quickly.
5. Bake in the oven for 24-28 minutes (mine were done in 26 minutes). If you're making cupcakes, they should be done in 16-18 minutes.
6. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. If you do it too soon, you may crack the cake.
7. Frost, decorate, and enjoy!
I decided to load mine up with sprinkles because my kids love sprinkles.
