T his Vanilla cake is tender, fluffy, and moist and just a cakey dream to enjoy by itself without any frosting.
The vanilla cake is made with whole eggs instead of just egg whites which I use on my other vanilla cake, whole eggs provide structure, richness, and depth of flavor to this vanilla cake.
I filled/frosted these 2 layers of vanilla cake with a raspberry dream marshmallow frosting that just melts in your mouth, and the lovely dusty pink color this frosting gets is all-natural.
If you are looking for a tender vanilla cake covered in dreamy raspberry marshmallow frosting, this might be the one!
If you are not a fan of raspberry frosting, you can fill/frost this cake with a delicious chocolate frosting or vanilla marshmallow frosting, or any frosting you prefer, or just sprinkle the cake with some powdered sugar and enjoy it while it is still warm, and have some vanilla ice cream on the side, so yummy!
I hope you like it as much as I do.
Before You Bake
Read the recipe completely, make sure you have everything you need, Adjust your oven rack, and preheat the oven
For all the step-by-step, pictures, scroll to → Notes and click on the clickable link, I highly recommend doing this before you bake this recipe.
For questions related to my recipes, ask me on my inbox on Instagram @passionforbaking so I can reply to you with an audio message.
Baking pans
This vanilla cake recipe you can bake in a
2 x 20 cm ( 8-inch round pans) for 25 to 30 minutes
3 x 20 cm ( 8-inch round pans) for 17 to 20 minutes
45 x 30 cm (18 x 13- inches) Half a baking sheet for 18 to 20 minutes
For the cake layers
The heavy cream, butter, and eggs need to be at room temperature so that the cake forms an emulsion and bakes up properly. If you don’t do this, the batter will curdle and the cake could fall in the center.
The most important thing when making this cake = don't overmix/ mix lightly!
Once you start adding the eggs, you need to mix lightly and as little as mentioned in the instructions, over-mixing your cake batter will cause it to fall in the oven and will create a dense texture.
Don´t overbake this cake! This is one sure way to end up with a dry cake, Cakes are nearing done when you can smell cake in the kitchen.
Glucose
For the frosting, I use Glucose which is inverted sugar; you can substitute it with corn syrup if you can't find glucose syrup.
Glucose syrup is easily found on Amazon or at most supermarkets. If you live in Scandinavia, you can find it at the supermarket under the brand Dr.Oetker or Dansukker.
Freeze-dried Raspberry → You can find freeze-dried raspberries in the grocery store in the dried fruit aisle at Whole Foods or on Amazon; in Scandinavia, you can find it at Panduro and in most grocery stores.
Flours
→A light and fluffy cake depend on the low protein content of the flour, Cake flour is a low protein flour that´s milled into extra fine flour, it contains about 7 to 9% protein. All-purpose flour contains 9,3 to 12% protein, depending on the brand you are using. If You can use Cake flour, use that. You can find it in the baking aisle or online on amazon. I use Cake flour from the brand soft silk, Cake flour has a low protein content of 7 to 8% ( low gluten) which makes this vanilla cake so light and fluffy.
In the UK, they sell white cake flour from the brand Shipton Mill it is called → Organic White Flour. You can find it on amazon.co.uk
In Scandinavia/Europe, they don't sell bleached cake flour, the only flour close to cake flour is → Pâtisserie flour is has a protein content of 9,5 %, and in Denmark, they sell → kage hvedemel ( cake flour unbleached) with 9 % protein content from the brand Valse Møllen they both work fine for this cake.
Vanilla Cake
- 400 gram heavy cream, at room temp 23C°/73,4.F°
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 300 gram cake flour
- 375 gram superfine sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (15 gram) baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 200 gram unsalted butter, diced pliable but cool at 18C°/65F°
- 5 large eggs, ( 250 grams) at room temp 23C°/73,4.F°
freeze-dried raspberry mixture
- 25 gram freeze-dried raspberry, You will need 15-gram superfine sifted raspberry powder without seeds
- 60 gram hot boiling water
Raspberry Marshmallow Meringue
- 75 gram freeze-dried raspberry mixture (recipe above) or 60-gram raspberry juice
- 100 gram egg whites (from about large 3 eggs) at room temp
- 225 gram superfine sugar or white sugar
- 60 gram glucose syrup or light corn syrup
- a pinch of cream of tartar, optional
- small pinch of fine sea salt, optional
- Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325F° (165C°) 30 minutes before baking.
- Brush 2 x 20 cm ( 8- inches) or 3 x 20 cm ( 8 inches) round baking pans with softened butter, add 1 tablespoon of flour to each baking pan and tap around the pan until all the buttered surface is covered. Then turn the pan upside down over a sink tap out the excess flour, and apply a parchment circle to the bottom.
- In a small bowl, combine 400 gram heavy cream and 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, and with a whisk to combine and set aside for now.
- Add 300-gram cake flour, 375 grams of superfine sugar, a pinch of salt, and 15 grams of baking powder into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment, and Let it spin for a few seconds to incorporate it together.
- Baker note: working with semi-cold butter produces a better cake texture; if the butter is too soft, it essentially melts into the flour, which can result in a greasy cake. The butter needs to be pliable (slightly softened) but cool. Take it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before you bake this cake. The right temperature is 16C°/60,8F°. The best way to know for sure is by using a digital thermometer. However, the eggs and cream should be at room temp about 23C°/73,4.F°; if yours are too cold, the cake batter will go from smooth and creamy to looking split and clumped. The cake might turn out okay, but the texture will be affected and may not be as tender and moist as you like producing a range of problems, such as a gummy layer along the bottom.
- Then add the 200-gram butter one piece at a time, about every 10 seconds. Once all of the butter is added, the mixture should resemble almond flour, and when you run your hands through it, it feels kind of sandy, and there should be no large lumps of butter left.
- Baker Note; In this next step you need to add the vanilla cream mixture, Make sure to do this slowly to create the perfect emulsion, if you add it too quickly, your cream will separate from the butter and sink to the bottom of the cake and give you a gummy layer and create a dense texture.
- With the mixer on low speed, very slowly pour in the 400-gram vanilla cream a little at a time, This step takes about one minute, then continue mixing on medium speed (speed four on KitchenAid) for two full minutes to develop the structure. Set a timer!
- The batter should have gained volume at this point, and all the ingredients should be incorporated at this stage. If you don’t mix it for two full minutes, your cake could be under-mixed and collapse in the center and won't be as tender and fluffy as mine.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl, remove the whisk attachment, and shake out the excess batter that is collected inside. From this point, you need to mix as lightly and as little as I mentioned.
- Bakers note; As most cakes are highly prone to overmixing, when you reach this step where you add the eggs, it is very important to mix lightly. This is because your cake batter will become tough if you work it to the point that the gluten in the flour starts to form. Add the eggs one at a time to the cake batter slowly and carefully. This process simply cannot be rushed, as you are emulsifying a liquid into a fat; if not done gradually, you risk “breaking” the batter, and you see the mixture separate.
- Attach your whisk or paddle attachment again, starting at medium-low speed; gradually add one egg at a time to the batter, beating on medium speed for only 10 seconds each time ( not any longer!) after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. The key to this method is to slowly stream the egg into the batter, allowing it time to be absorbed; stop the mixer after each addition of egg, scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl also, remove the whisk attachment, and shake out the excess batter that is collected inside. Be careful not to overmix, or the crumb will be dry.
- When all the eggs are added, stop the mixer and scrape down the side and the bottom fold once or twice to ensure the batter at the bottom of the mixing bowl is incorporated.
- Evenly divide the cake batter ( about 1500 grams of cake batter) among the two or three prepared pans, spreading evenly with a spatula.
- Bake the first two layers in the center of the oven until a cake tester/toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
About 25 to 30 minutes if baked in 2 x 20 cm ( 8 inches) round baking pans, and 17 to 20 minutes if baked in 3 x 20 cm ( 8- inches)
- Note; Don’t peek while the cakes are baking, opening the oven door during this process may cause the temperature to drop before the structure has solidified, causing the cake to collapse. Resist!
- Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for about 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the sides of the cakes and carefully turn them out onto a wire rack, peel of the paper liners, and let cool completely.
- Because of the amount of sugar in this cake, it often causes a deep golden "crust" on top of the cake layers. Therefore I prefer to trim all of the sides and tops of each layer with a knife before assembling and frosting this cake; this is optional. If you want to do that, make sure you have this done before you start with the frosting.
- Once the cake layers are completely cooled, wrap each cake layer tightly in plastic wrap until you are ready to decorate the cake. I do not recommend placing this cake in the fridge or freezer as it will harden because of the butter and you will lose the fluffiness.
- Make sure your cake layers are cooled completely before frosting the cake.
- It is best not to refrigerate butter cake layers since the butter hardens when cold and makes the texture of the crumbs too dense.
Raspberry Marshmallow Meringue
- Bakers Note; In this recipe, I use freeze-dried raspberry powder that I rehydrate with warm water. This method concentrates the flavor, and the freeze-dried raspberries regain that fresh and juicy flavor that fresh raspberries have, giving a thicker consistency to the raspberry meringue.
- You can also use fresh raspberry juice instead. The raspberry flavor won't be as intense as that of rehydrated freeze-dried raspberry powder, but it will still be delicious.
- If using fresh raspberries, Take 100 grams fresh raspberries and puree them in a food processor until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. This will give you a smooth raspberry juice. You can use a spatula or the back of a spoon to press the puree through the sieve. Weigh the mixture to make sure you 60 grams and set it aside until you are ready to make the raspberry meringue.
- If using freeze-dried strawberries, Start with a small blender or food processor, ensuring it's both grease-free and dry. Process 25 grams of freeze-dried raspberries until they become powdery and fine, which should take about 10 to 20 seconds. be aware that the exact volume of freeze-dried raspberry can vary considerably depending on type and brand.
- Sift the raspberry powder using a fine sieve. After sifting, you should be left with around 15 grams of superfine raspberry powder. If you have a few extra grams, you can include that as well. It's important to sift the raspberry powder to eliminate the seeds. Refrain from re-processing the leftover seeds as they can impart a bitter taste to your meringue. Instead, consider adding the sifted leftovers to your yogurt for a tasty breakfast treat.
- Next, take the 15 grams of superfine raspberry powder and place it in a small bowl. Pour 60 grams of freshly boiled water over the powder. Allow it to sit briefly, then whisk to form a smooth paste. At this stage, you should have a 75-gram raspberry mixture.
- First, give the inside of your bowl and whisk a wipe with a paper towel dabbed in a little lemon juice. This makes sure there's no grease, which can mess up the frothing. Clean tools are key here.
- Put about 3 cm (1 1/2 inches) of water in a pan and heat it up on medium-low.
- In a clean mixer bowl add 255 grams of superfine sugar, 75 grams of freeze-dried raspberry mixture,(or 75 grams fresh raspberry juice), a pinch of cream of tartar, 60 grams glucose (or light corn syrup), a small pinch of fine sea salt, and seeds scraped out of 1/2 vanilla bean in your mixer bowl. Combine with a balloon whisk make a slurry.
- Pop the bowl over the warm water and keep stirring. You want all the sugar to melt in. This should take about 3-4 minutes. If it feels grainy when you rub a bit between your fingers, keep it on the heat a bit longer.
- Once that's done, put the bowl back on the stand mixer and whisk it. Crank it up to medium-high speed. In about 4-5 minutes, it should look all glossy and thick.
- Use immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in a pantry or a cool place around 18-20°C (64.4-68°F) for 24 hours to be on the safe side.
How to assemble the cake
- Place your first cake layer on your cakestand/cake board; make sure it is completely cooled, or your frosting is going to melt off the cake.
- Place 2 to 3 dollops of raspberry dream marshmallow frosting on the first cake layer; use a small palette knife or a spoon to spread it into an even layer.
- Add your next cake layer and repeat if you are using three layers; when you come to the final cake layer, put it on bottom-up.
Once your final layer is on top, take a look at the cake from above, as this is the best way to see if the layers are lined up.
- Cover the entire cake with the rest of the raspberry dream marshmallow frosting in an old-fashioned way.
- Use a serrated knife to slice your cake, and enjoy it is so delicious.
- For maximum freshness and deliciousness, serve this cake on the day It is made. Leftovers are best kept covered at room temp.