It’s an easy, from scratch layer cake that’s fluffy and moist with a velvety, tender vanilla crumb. It is also called Vintage Buttermilk Cake
Course CakeCuisine American – Vintage
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 45 minutes minutes Cooling Time 10 minutes Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings 12 Calories 517k cal Author Marye Audet-White www.restlesschipotle.com/buttermilk-cake
Equipment
- 3 8-inch round cake pans
- Stand mixer
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 4 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla I used clear vanilla
- 2 cups buttermilk room temperature
- 6 egg whites unbeaten, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Grease 3 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of wax paper or parchment. Set aside. (Note – My pans are Wilton with high sides. If you have pans with lower sides you may get 4 layers instead of 3).
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Set flour mixture aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
- Add egg whites and beat at medium speed for two minutes.
- Divide equally between prepared pans.
- Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325 and bake for 25 minutes more, or until the cake tests done ( a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.)
- Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Fill and frost as desired.
Notes
Storage: You can wrap the unfrosted cake layers in plastic wrap and store for 2 days at room temperature or freeze for up to three months. Once frosted it should be fine at room temperature for up to 5 days – depending on the frosting you use. I’ve never had one last that long – they usually disappear by day two! Tips:Expert Tip: Make sure everything is at room temperature for best results.
- Large eggs were used for the egg whites in this recipe.
- I find it best to start creaming butter and sugar with the paddle attachment and then switch to the whisk attachment to finish it off.
- It takes about 7 minutes to cream the butter properly.
- Using a parchment paper or wax paper round on the bottom of the cake pan allows you to remove the cake easily.
- Use any frosting you like. I used the cream cheese frosting here.
- If you accidentally over bake the cake and it seems dry you can brush it with sugar syrup and that will help moisten it. Just bring ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water to a boil and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved -about 2 minutes. Cool completely and brush on 2 tablespoons per layer.