Vanilla Birthday Cake

How to make the best vanilla birthday cake with this easy and delicious recipe which is one of my favorites with this chocolate birthday cake recipe.

Made with a soft vanilla sponge cake filled with mascarpone frosting and vanilla buttercream frosting.

This vanilla birthday cake recipe is probably the simplest and most delicious recipe to celebrate a birthday with your family.

Made up of 3 preparations, a soft and light classic vanilla cake layers with an unctuous whipped mascarpone frosting filling and a smooth outside finish with a simple buttercream frosting and its pretty sugar sprinkles decoration.

This Best vanilla cake recipe is perfect for all occasions and celebrations, especially birthdays, you won't be able to resist this sweet vanilla-flavored combination.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Ultra simplified recipe in step by step and my advice to succeed.
• Strong vanilla flavor for a cake that will seduce all tastes.
• Very easy recipe for all beginners in pastry.
• Easy to adapt to everyone's taste with some ideas for recipe variations.

Material you need for this recipe

Here is the list of ingredients that I use and that I advise you to get for the best success of this recipe at home.

• 6-inches / 15 cm Cake pan (you will need 3 pans for this recipe)
  Stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, essential to make the mixtures.
• Cake leveler or a saw knife to cut the top of the genoise.
  Piping bag with 1B nozzle for top decoration or another piping tip.
• Cake turntable is a must-have for assembling cake layers.
  Cake scraper, is essential for a perfect finish.
  

You will also like: Best 10 cake decorating tools for great cakes ! 

Composition of this recipe

Here is the exact composition to make my best birthday cake recipe and possible substitutions for each recipe, scroll down the page to see the quantities in the recipe card.

Vanilla cake

I chose a simple, fluffy, light vanilla cake for this recipe with the "reverse creaming" method of mixing the butter into the dry ingredients and then add the liquids.

You can replace it with a simple genoise sponge, a vanilla sponge cake or this delicious Molly Cake recipe.

And for a chocolate flavor, you can try a chocolate cake instead like buttermilk chocolate cake, chocolate sponge cake or chocolate genoise.

Whipped cream

I like to fill my layer cakes with mascarpone frosting instead of buttercream to have a lighter cake and this mascarpone whipped cream is perfect.

You can replace it with a cream cheese frosting like my buttercream cream cheese frosting recipe or a vanilla diplomat cream, or a chocolate frosting like this whipped ganache or a simple chocolate ganache recipe.

Buttercream frosting

For finishing and piping decorations the American buttercream is perfect, it's an easy, quick and great recipe for beginners. You can also use a Swiss meringue Buttercream or Italian meringue instead.

⚠️ You will find the quantities and complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the page.

How to Make This Easy Birthday Vanilla Cake recipe

Cake layers

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F / 160°C and line 3 round cake pans of 6 inch/ 15 cm diameter with parchment paper.
2. Place the liquid ingredients in a medium bowl, eggs, milk, and vanilla exctract.
3. Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer, cake flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.
4. Mix the dry ingredients for 10 seconds using the paddle attachment.
5. Add the chopped unsalted butter to the dry ingredients and mix on high speed until you have a sandy mixture.
6. Add half of the liquid ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
7. Add the other half of the liquid ingredients and mix again for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
8. Divide the mixture into 3 and fill the prepared pans.
9. Bake for about 30 - 45 minutes until golden brown on top. (check for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center and it should come out clean)
10. Allow the cakes to cool slightly before removing them from the pan and cooling them completely on a cake wire.
11. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Mascarpone whipped cream

1. In a medium bowl place all the ingredients, powdered sugar, cold mascarpone cheese, cold heavy cream, and vanilla extract (or the seeds of a vanilla bean).
2. Beat with an electric mixer for about 3-4 minutes until you have a thick cream.
3. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble.

Vanilla buttercream

1. Place the butter in the bowl of your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes until the butter is white and creamy.
2. Add sifted powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla and mix again with mixer for another 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
3. Finish mixing at slow speed with a paddle attachment and set aside until ready to assemble.

Assemble the cake

1. Place the first layer of sponge cake on a cake board and on your cake turntable.
2. Fill the inside with a layer of mascarpone whipped cream and smooth with an angled spatula.
3. Place a second layer of cake and repeat the previous step then finish by placing the last layer of sponge cake.
4. Apply a layer of American buttercream over the entire cake and smooth first with the angled spatula and then finish with a frosting smoother.
5. Make swirls with a pastry bag filled with buttercream and a star nozzle.
6. Sprinkle with colorful sugar sprinkles.
7. Let your cake rest in the fridge.
8. Take the cake out 20 minutes before serving.

You will also like : How to frost a cake for perfect finish !

Storage and tips

In the fridge: Store your vanilla cake only in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days in an airtight container or under plastic wrap.

Freezer: Leftover cake can be stored in the freezer wrapped in storage bags for up to 3 months, let them thaw gently in the refrigerator overnight.

Add fresh fruits: Chopped fruits inside such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.

Remember to take the cake out of the fridge about 20 minutes beforehand so that the buttercream is more soft.

More birthday cakes

• Salted caramel cake
• Lemon meringue cake
• Strawberry whipped cream cake
• Strawberry layer cake
• Chocolate naked cake
• Carrot layer cake
• Kinder cake
• Coconut layer cake
• Chocolate vanilla cake
• Gingerbread cake
• Berries naked cake
• Chocolate strawberry cake
• Gingerbread house cake

More vanilla recipes

• Vanilla macaron recipe
• Whipped vanilla ganache

Did you like this recipe? Don't forget to rate it and leave me a review in comments! And to not miss any recipes follow @sweetlycakes on Instagram and tag me to share it if you make this recipe 😊!

Print