from Le Dolci
There’s nothing quite as comforting and delightful as a perfectly baked vanilla cake. Le Dolci, known for its exquisite and delectable confections, unveils its ultimate vanilla cake recipe. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting, this recipe promises to elevate your baking game to new heights.
Ingredients
Cake:
390g or 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
4 tsp of baking powder
½ tsp of salt
4 Eggs room temperature
240ml or 1 cup of oil
300g or 1 ½ cup of granulated sugar
3 tsp of vanilla extract
300ml or 1 ⅓ cup of milk at room temperature
Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
300g Sugar
225g Egg whites (pasteurized)
340g Butter (room temperature)
vanilla – to taste
Instructions
Cake:
Using the cake pan, trace the bottom onto parchment. Cut 2 parchment circles. Place circles in the pan so that it lines the bottom. Using 1 teaspoon of butter, grease the sides of the pan.
Move the rack into the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F.
n a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, mix together with a whisk and set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oil and sugar until it is well combined.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk, folding together with a spatula between each addition. Mix the batter until combined. Be careful not to over mix, which will lead to a tough dense cake.
Bake the cake for approximately 20-25 minutes. Each oven at home is different. Use your oven light to check in on the cake, instead of opening and closing your oven door.
Cakes are done when you test your cake with a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on the counter in their pans. Once fully cool, you can remove them from the cake pans, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Do not stack soft cakes.
Buttercream:
In a large bowl over a ban-Marie combine egg whites and sugar and cook occasionally whisking to allow for even cooking.
Mixture is ready when it’s warm to touch and sugar is dissolved completely (rub the mixture between your fingers, continue to cook if you feel the texture to be gritty.)
Transfer to an electric mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until it is cool to touch, usually around 25 minutes.
Add softened butter gradually and whip until incorporated, then add vanilla or the flavours of your choice.
Flavour the buttercream however you like, whip in extract, melted chocolate, fruit purees or even Oreo crumbs, let your creativity shine!!!
Buttercream Troubleshooting
The number one problem with buttercream is splitting, if this happens try one of the following solutions:
With heat – Warm Buttercream slightly, this can be done by microwaving it of 10 second blasts whisking each time until it comes together. If you like, remove a tablespoon of the mixture, melt it completely in the microwave and add it back to the mixture.
With friction – Continue to whip buttercream in a stand mixer, sometimes it can take approximately ten minutes to come back together.
With butter – Add more room temperature butter, do this one tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes back together.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: I’m not a baker but I definitely could make this cake! Once you have the basics down pat, expand your skills and include fun additions to make your creation special. We made cupcakes from this recipe and added fresh fruit. The grandkids had so much fun!
Contents and images used with permission by Le Dolci. https://www.ledolci.com/
