Why I Love Using Vanilla in Baking
Vanilla is my all-time favorite ingredient when I’m baking or making ganache, frosting, or pastry cream. You’ve probably noticed that when scrolling through my recipes—I always mention vanilla bean, one vanilla bean, vanilla bean paste—and that’s because it truly takes cakes, frostings, and ganaches to the next level when it comes to flavor.
It gives such a wonderful taste to cakes, frostings, and pastries, and I absolutely love those tiny caviar flecks from real vanilla beans. Not only do they look beautiful, but they add an extra depth of flavor that makes everything taste incredible.
Since vanilla beans can be expensive, I buy them in bulk because it’s much cheaper, and I soak them in vodka to prevent them from drying out. This not only keeps them fresh but also naturally creates homemade vanilla extract over time.
But the best part? When the vanilla beans are soaked, they become so soft and plump that the seeds simply flow out when you split them—it almost looks like vanilla bean paste. This makes them so much easier to use because you don’t even have to scrape out the seeds—they just release on their own and infuse beautifully into pastry creams, cakes, and ganaches.
For me, vanilla isn’t just an ingredient—it’s the heart of baking. Whether it’s in a sponge cake, ganache, or pastry cream, vanilla is my absolute favorite flavor in any cake recipe.
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