Moist Vanilla Birthday Cake
A Moist Vanilla Birthday Cake that stays fresh for days, with a tender, velvety crumb thanks to sour cream. Perfect for make-ahead celebrations, this easy recipe is a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 2 ¾ cups 330g
- Baking powder: 2 ½ tsp
- Baking soda: ¼ tsp
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Unsalted butter: ⅔ cup 150g, softened
- Granulated sugar: 1 ⅔ cups 335g
- Large eggs: 3 room temperature
- Pure vanilla extract: 1 ½ tbsp
- Sour cream: ½ cup 120g, room temperature
- Whole milk: ¾ cup 180ml, room temperature
- For American Buttercream Frosting:
- Unsalted butter: 1 cup 225g, softened
- Powdered sugar: 4 cups 480g
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
- Milk: 2-3 tbsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C); grease and line two 9-inch pans.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream; mix well.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, mixing until just combined.
- Divide batter between pans; bake 28-32 minutes until toothpick is clean.
- Cool in pans 10 minutes, transfer to rack to cool completely.
- For frosting: Beat butter, add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk; mix until smooth.
- Level cakes, frost, and decorate.
Equipment
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling rack
- Cake leveler (optional)