Buttercream Birthday Cake

Vanilla buttercream cake shown on a pink cake stand with some slices cut.

5 from 1 vote

This Buttercream Birthday Cake recipe is for two layers of soft vanilla cake covered in a fluffy homemade buttercream frosting.

Prep Time1

Cook Time40

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 648kcal

Author: Cat Spiller

Equipment

2x 22cm round cake tins 9 inches

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

100 g unsalted butter
100 ml sunflower oil
340 g sugar white granulated
4 eggs extra-large
380 g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
400 ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream

500 g powdered sugar
150 g unsalted butter
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, and slowly pour this into the cake mixture with the mixer's motor 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

In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add the icing sugar and unsalted butter. Beat at medium speed until combined. The mixture is ready when it looks like fine sand.
Combine the cream and vanilla together in a small jug and slowly add this to the icing sugar and butter mixture with the motor of the mixer running at low speed. Once added increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes.
Beat the frosting at medium-high speed and scrape down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula when beating to ensure that the frosting is beating thoroughly. 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 some 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 tops and sides of the cake and 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 as well as the ambient temperature.

Nutrition