For as long as someone has been making lists of national and international food favorites, vanilla has been at the top.
It always comes as a surprise to fans of chocolate, but America and the world love vanilla best.
As a true fan, imagine my surprise recently to see two news stories saying vanilla is on the verge of being toppled from its lofty perch as the favorite flavor of ice cream. Vanilla ice cream has extra fans because not only is it enjoyed in its own right, but it’s a perfect complement to pies, birthday cakes, cobblers, crisps and other desserts.
While chocolate and chocolate chip cookie dough may be gaining ground in the ice cream race, vanilla still reigns in baked products. Really good vanilla extract adds flavor, and cakes topped with vanilla frosting have a double punch.
True vanilla fans know the best cake and cookie recipes take a full tablespoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. An excellent vanilla cake is more difficult to make than a chocolate cake, says Kimberly Scola, owner of Factory Girl Bake Shop in New Hope. Scola qualifies as an expert, as she has baked many vanilla wedding and other cakes, including mine. Her “Vanilla, Vanilla, Vanilla” cake is excellent with a tender crumb and vanilla in the cake, buttercream filling and frosting.
This recipe for vanilla cake comes from sugarandsparrow.com:
2 ¾ cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs + 2 egg whites, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan.
2. Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for two minutes until it’s light and creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute. It will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter at the end.
4. Add in the dry ingredients all at once and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
