If you’ve been following this blog for a while or you know me at all, you’ll be well aware that I’m not really a fan of cake. Especially not vanilla cake, which I would normally associate with being dry and boring.
Well, there’s an exception to every rule, and this vanilla cake, people, this vanilla cake is the exception my vanilla cake rule.
It is moist, it’s fluffy, it has depth of flavour, and just makes you want to keep on eating it.
The raspberries add lovely colour and bursts of freshness as well as some variation in texture which I always think is important in cake!
A friend of mine came by as I was shooting these, and he quickly inhaled that one at the front right there, and then he asked for another, which was also devoured super quickly, with a dollop of double cream for good measure.
I promise you, this will become your new go-to vanilla cake. It is definitely mine.
- 110g unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 165 caster (superfine) sugar (3/4 cup)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
- 160g plain flour (1 cup + 2 tbsp approx.)
- ⅔ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup frozen raspberries
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and butter 9 small 3" cake tins (you can of course also bake these in muffins tins or similar, or even as a single large cake. Adjust baking time accordingly).
- Combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- On a low speed, mix in a third of the dry ingredients until just combined, then follow with half the buttermilk. Continue alternating the wet and dry ingredients until they are just combined, finishing with dry.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins, I find it's easiest to do this by piping it in or using a cookie scoop. Scatter some raspberries over each cake.
- Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when pressed in the centre.
- Allow to cool before serving. Makes 9.
- Happy baking!
Recipe adapted from Batter & Dough.