# Vanilla Cake

## Ingredients

- `300` g plain / all purpose flour
- `2.5` tsp baking powder
- `1/4` tsp salt
- `4` large eggs
- `300` g caster / superfine sugar
- `115` g / `1/2` cup unsalted butter
- `250` g milk
- `3` tsp vanilla extract
- `3` tsp canola oil

## Directions

### Preparation

- Preheat oven to 180C/350F for 20 minutes before starting the batter. Place shelf in the middle of the oven.
- Grease 8" cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper. Best to use cake pan without loose base, if you can.

### Combine Dry Ingredients

- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

### Beat Eggs Until Aerated

- Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
- With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.
- Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.

### Finish Cake Batter

- Heat Milk-Butter: While egg is beating, place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter. Do not let milk bubble and boil. Don't do this ahead and let the milk cool.
- Gently add flour: When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 - 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can't see flour, stop straight away.
- Lighten hot milk with some Egg Batter: Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about `1.5` cups of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter. Use a whisk to mix until smooth - you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy.
- Slowly add milk: Turn beater back on Speed 1 then pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
- Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds - batter should now be smooth and pourable.

### Bake

- Pour batter into pans.
- Knock out bubbles: Bang each cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles
- Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.

### Cool And Frost

- Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down - slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.
- Frost with frosting of choice, or cream and fresh berries or jam. See list of ideas in post!

Servings: 12

Category: Desserts

Link: https://www.recipetineats.com/my-very-best-vanilla-cake/

Tags: Vegetarian