Everyone should have a classic Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake recipe in their repertoire! This birthday cake recipe makes two layers of soft, moist vanilla cake, covered in fluffy vanilla buttercream.
If, like me, you love being on birthday cake-baking duty, then this list of Easy Homemade Birthday Cake Recipes for Beginners is just the guide you need.
Why This Buttercream Birthday Cake Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Buttercream Birthday Cake
- Ready in: 1hr 40 minutes (plus 4 hours cooling time)
- Serves: 12 slices
- Main ingredients: Butter, oil, flour, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and icing sugar.
- Perfect for: An easy, classic, homemade birthday cake recipe.
- Why I love it: The vanilla cake is the real star of this recipe; it's made with butter and oil and stays moist and fluffy for days!
- Calories: 648kcal
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This is my go-to vanilla celebration cake recipe. But no birthday party is complete without a table filled with treats! So make these Smarties Cookies and these Condensed Milk Chocolate Truffles to go alongside this cake!
Jump to:
- Why This Buttercream Birthday Cake Recipe Works
- Key Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make a Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake
- How to Decorate a Birthday Cake at Home for Beginners
- Storage
- Top Tips
- Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake FAQs
- More Easy Buttercream Cake Recipes
- Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
- 📖 Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Sunflower oil - This cake uses oil and butter for extra moistness! Use a neutral-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or canola.
- Self-raising flour - If you can't find self-raising flour, you can use cake flour or all-purpose flour mixed with baking powder.
- Vanilla extract - Choose a high-quality extract rather than essence to give this recipe a rich vanilla flavor. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Heavy cream - Heavy cream or whipping cream is added to the frosting to make it super light and fluffy. Regular whole milk can be used instead.
- Rainbow sprinkles - Decorate this cake with your choice of sprinkles, candies, chocolates, or even fresh fruit.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
This vanilla cake recipe is my go-to when baking. It is a fantastic recipe to master because you can switch up the frostings and fillings to turn this one recipe into countless variations.
My collection of Easy Buttercream Frosting Recipes will get you started in creating your own unique flavours! A recipe you can't miss is this Chocolate Buttercream made with Melted Chocolate, which is incredible on this cake! And another great option is this Salted Caramel Buttercream.
If you know me, then you know that no birthday spread is complete without a tray of cupcakes. So, use this recipe for Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes with Oil to serve alongside this classic vanilla cake.
How to Make a Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake
Vanilla Cake
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2x 22cm (9 inches) round cake tins with oil and parchment paper. Add the oil, butter, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at medium to high speed until light and fluffy, for about 4 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time. Beat well between each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- Step 3: Sift together the salt and self-raising flour and add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- Step 4: Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a jug, then slowly pour it into the cake mixture while the mixer is running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
- Step 5: Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Step 6: Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 30 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a sharp knife to trim the domed tops off the cake layers if necessary.
American Vanilla Buttercream
- Step 1: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the room temperature butter.
- Step 2: Beat at medium speed until combined. The mixture is ready when it looks like fine sand.
- Step 3: Combine the cream and vanilla in a small jug, then slowly add it to the icing sugar and butter mixture with the mixer running at low speed. Once added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula often to ensure it is beating thoroughly. Once light and fluffy, add the frosting to a piping bag.
- Step 5: Secure the first cake layer to a cake plate with a thin layer of frosting. Pipe a layer of frosting over the cake surface, then smooth it with an offset spatula. Place the second layer of cake onto the first layer with the cut side facing down.
- Step 6: Pipe the frosting over the top and sides of the cake, and use a knife to create swirls. Decorate the top of the cake with sprinkles, slice, serve, and enjoy!
How to Decorate a Birthday Cake at Home for Beginners
I am a big fan of birthday cakes that look like cakes. Textured frosting that's a little messy but perfect in its imperfection! To achieve this look, you must have cooled (preferably chilled) cake layers and a very fluffy frosting. I like to get this cake done as quickly as possible, so I avoid a crumb coat by piping a thick layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake, then swirling it with a knife.
If you're looking for a birthday cake recipe that is a little more fancy, try this Layered Biscoff Cake; it's tall, the frosting is smooth, and it has cake drips!
Storage
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature out of direct sunlight for up to 4 days. If it is very hot, choose to store this cake in the fridge.
Top Tips
- For a fluffy buttercream, use room-temperature butter and whisk the frosting until smooth.
- Check the true oven temperature with an oven thermometer before baking the cakes.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.
- To easily decorate this cake and avoid cake crumbs (mostly) in your frosting. Cover the cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before decorating.
Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake FAQs
You can bake this cake in different-sized cake pans; just adjust the baking time. Larger tins will take less time to bake, and smaller tins will take longer. For extra baking tips, read this post How to Tell if a Cake is Done Baking to perfect your baking skills. And if you are looking to bake a sheet cake, see this Vanilla Tray Bake recipe.
You can make this cake with a combination of baking powder and cake flour, or with all-purpose flour.
To freeze this cake, cut it into individual slices and frost them. Wrap each slice of cake in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the fridge overnight, then bring the slices to room temperature before consuming.
Absolutely! You can sandwich the layers together with jams, compotes, caramel, or even Nutella. This Strawberry Cake Filling, this Blackberry Compote, or this Raspberry Cupcake Filling would be delicious.
More Easy Buttercream Cake Recipes
This makes it one of my most versatile birthday cake recipes for home bakers. If cake recipes are what you're after, I have so many for you to try! This list of The Best Chocolate Cake Recipes for Beginners is a must-read; you can't miss trying this Bar One Chocolate Cake or this Espresso Martini Cake!
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at these Easy Homemade Birthday Cakes!
📖 Recipe
Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake
Equipment
- 2x 22cm round cake tins 9 inches
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 100 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 340 g sugar white granulated
- 4 eggs extra-large
- 380 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 400 ml milk whole
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream
- 500 g powdered sugar sifted
- 150 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoon whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2x 22cm (9 inches) round cake tins with oil and parchment paper.
- Add the oil, butter, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at medium to high speed until light and fluffy, for about 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time. Beat well between each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- Sift together the salt and self-raising flour and add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a jug, then slowly pour this into the cake mixture while the mixer is running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
- Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 30 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
- To the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sifted icing sugar and butter. Beat at medium speed until combined. The mixture is ready when it looks like fine sand.
- Combine the cream and vanilla in a small jug, then slowly add it to the icing sugar mixture while the mixer is running at low speed. Once added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula often as you beat to ensure the frosting mixes thoroughly. Once fluffy, add the frosting to a piping bag.
Assembly
- Use a sharp knife to trim the domed tops off the cake layers if necessary.
- Secure the first cake layer onto a cake plate with a little frosting. Pipe a layer of frosting over the surface of the cake and smooth this out with an off-set spatula.
- Place the second layer of cake onto the first layer with the cut side facing down.
- Pipe the frosting over the top and sides of the cake, then use a knife to create swirls in the frosting. Decorate the top of the cake with sprinkles, slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- For a fluffy, spreadable buttercream, the butter must be at room temperature. If the frosting seems too hard to spread, continue mixing until it is light and fluffy; this may take longer than suggested, depending on the temperature of the butter and the ambient temperature.
- To easily decorate this cake and avoid cake crumbs (mostly) in your frosting. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before decorating.
Alex says
Such an easy and delicious birthday cake recipe! The vanilla cake and frosting were just perfect 🤩