So, it turns out I have not one, but two addictions: cake and Vanilla Bean Lattes. I suppose this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, since I am a coffee/espresso enthusiast as well as a vanilla bean enthusiast. I love the combination of the deep and dark espresso, vanilla bean, steamed milk, and, for me, a sprinkling of cinnamon; it’s full and flavourful, while still being light and airy. I’ve been wanting to translate this yumminess into a cake and, after thinking about it for awhile, I realized that there really are many ways to do this, because these flavours are all so cake-friendly, and work so well together. I decided to go about it in a pretty simplistic manner, as my first experiment with Vanilla Bean Lattes cake-style: three layers of moist vanilla bean cake, filled and decorated with Vanilla Bean Latte Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and sprinkled with a touch more cinnamon.
I have to admit that turning a vanilla cake into a latte-inspired confection took only moments to do, because I always keep a batch of vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMB) in my freezer, and with the sprinkling of a few flavourings, it was transformed into the perfect filling for this cake. Not that it’s always about decadent desserts made speedy, but I have a feeling many of you are like me in that time is, well, rare! That’s also why I love this “open-faced” method of building the cake, aside from it being pretty and fun (I hope!), it’s very quick to do since there’s no fussing with excessive smoothing, crumb-coating, and focusing on, or obsessing about (#typeA) perfection. You can just fill a pastry bag and have fun. I timed it, and flavouring the buttercream took me about 5 minutes and assembling/decorating this cake took me 5 minutes (granted, it’s a bit of a fancy-free decorating job I did), at a casual pace, so a total of 1o minutes. Typically, I love sitting for hours and fussing over cakes, but since that’s not always possible, it’s so important to me to have some cakes that can fancy-up quick. This is why I insist on keeping batches of SMB in my freezer!
To achieve the Vanilla Bean Latte flavour in the buttercream, I added instant espresso powder (has to be the instant variety), vanilla bean paste (interchangeable with vanilla beans), and a few pinches of cinnamon (which is how I love my lattes). The cinnamon is potent, so only a pinch is necessary–you don’t want to overpower the gorgeous vanilla bean and espresso flavours. I’ve included my ratios in the recipe, but if you try this version, play around, because it really is to taste.
My recipe also uses a vanilla bean cake, but you could easily try a light espresso cake with vanilla bean buttercream, or you could leave the vanilla bean out of the buttercream and use an espresso buttercream with a vanilla bean cake. I have a feeling you can’t go wrong, as long as the flavours aren’t overpowering.
Add a sprinkling of cinnamon before serving, for colour, a few coffee beans for garnish, and voila!
The cake itself is a butter vanilla cake, so the texture is moist but has some density, but is still fluffy with only the egg whites and a generous amount of baking powder. The recipe method is traditional: creaming of the butter & sugar, gradual adding of the egg whites, sifting & whisking of the dry ingredients, and alternating the wet & dry ingredients gently into the batter. I would say this is my go-to vanilla cake recipe, both for cake and cupcakes, because it’s simple, delicious, and, yep, quick!
I recently tweaked my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe for a lighter, less-buttery, version, and I haven’t looked back (although, there are many ratios for SMB, and they all taste fabulous!). This, though, was the perfect, airy, not-too-sweet base for this Vanilla Bean Latte version, with a fluffiness reminiscent of the frothy milk that is happily perched on top of a latte. Delightful.
- 1-1/2 cups 3 sticks(341 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2-2/3 cups 540 g granulated sugar
- 9 275 g egg whites, at room temperature
- 4-1/2 cups 570 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons 22 g baking powder
- 1 teaspoon 6 g salt
- 2 cups 480 ml buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon 15 ml vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, split & scraped
- 1 teaspoon 5 ml pure vanilla extract
- 6 large egg whites 180 g
- 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 cups 3 sticks(340 g) unsalted butter, softened but cool, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon 5 ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean split & scraped or 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon 15 g instant espresso powder (or to taste) dissolved into 1 teaspoon (5 ml) boiling water
- 1/4 teaspoon 1.5 g cinnamon (or to taste)
- Pinch of salt
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Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter three 8" x 2" round cake pans, line with parchment rounds, butter paper and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
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In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until lighter in color and slightly increased in volume, about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the egg whites gradually, mixing until fully incorporated.
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Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix vanilla extract and vanilla paste (or contents of vanilla bean) into buttermilk. Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk into creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated or finish by hand gently.
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Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. If possible, weigh the batter in each cake pan on a digital kitchen scale to ensure even layers. Smooth with small offset palette knife, and bake for about 30 minutes, rotating once after 20 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick or skewer comes clean. Try not to over-bake.
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Let pans cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks, gently, peeling away parchment rounds. Let cool completely.
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Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
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With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.
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Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add espresso mixture, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
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Place cooled cake layer on cake pedestal, or cake board, face-up. Spread 1 cup of buttercream on top using a small offset palette knife, leaving narrow border along outside edge.
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Gently place 2nd cake layer on top, and be sure to center it with bottom layer. Apply another 1 cup of buttercream and spread as you did the first layer.
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Gently place final cake layer on top, face-down (so the clean bottom side is facing up). Apply a final layer of buttercream.
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Fill a pastry bag fitted with decorative tip (I used Ateco #887), and pipe desired designs on cake to trim and decorate. Sprinkle sliced cake servings with cinnamon, and garnish with espresso beans (optional).
*This cake is best served at room temperature, and keeps nicely in a cake-keeper for up to 2 days. Swiss Meringue Buttercream cakes are ideally refrigerated after day 2, but should always be served at room temperature, so that it comes back to its light and cloud-like texture; otherwise, it will taste and feel like pure butter!
You may find these previous posts helpful when creating this cake:
1. 50 Tips for Baking Better Cakes
2. Swiss Meringue Buttercream Demystified
Good luck & enjoy!
Beautiful, as always, Rosie!! :)
You have this coffee enthusiast’s full attention!! Yummm!
Love, love, love! Looks like heaven. :)
This is a great idea for a cake!! I have been wanting to make some sort of espresso cake that was chocolate themed and I think this is perfect! I think it’s normal to have more than one addiction. ;)
Sounds so delicious, can’t wait to try this! If you wanted a light espresso flavour in the cake, could you add some instant espresso powder to the batter too?
For my next birthday I am making this for myself! I love this!
Vanilla bean latte sounds amazing! What a wonderful cake flavor and gorgeous presentation.
Looks beautiful! Definitely bookmarking this one :)
Katie x
Oh my!!!! Two of my faves rolled into one…you, sis, are a genius! I could go for a piece of this RIGHT now as I sit enjoying a Starbucks SKVL. And speaking of acronyms, everytime I see SMB it makes me think of my school…ok, a bit of a tangent, I realize but had to mention! Looks awesome!!
i really adore the way you decorated this cake!! So unfussy but so different & gorgeous!!! Lovey love your site! <3
Lovely, Rosie!!
M-Mmmmmm. Looks delicious. I love vanilla bean!
Pretty too!!
HI… What a beautiful cake…It looks delicious!
I hope you enjoy your Sunday,
Take care!
Gorgeous! Vanilla, espresso, and cinnamon must be a great combination! Just curious, what do you do with all the left-over egg yolks ’cause I gather from this recipe, you’d have a lot left-over?
Well, it certainly would take me more than 10 minutes to *throw* this cake together but due to the combination of vanilla bean (my favourite) and the espresso I’d be willing to give it a go. Very pretty frosting work Rosie.
Oh, wow. This is going onto my “must make right now” list! I love that you made it so beautiful without even frosting the entire cake on the sides. Stunning!
What a beautiful cake! Love it :)
I made it today and it is soooooooo good!!!! Mine was more rustic looking but still lovely and oh so YUMMY!!!! Soooo much butter in the frosting though?? Is there a reason? Seems like it would taste just as good if not better with less?? just wondering being a novice baker :)
So glad you liked it, Marcie! I know what you’re saying about the butter in the Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and believe it or not, that’s my version with less butter than usual. The thing is, SMB needs the butter for the stability, which it’s famous for, and of course richness and buttery flavour that it’s also famous for. The butter creates such a nice, stable base that allows it to freeze well, thaw well, tolerate warm environments well, take any flavourings, purees, extracts, etc, without being comprimised, and more. You can definitely play around with your butter ratios, though, and see what works for you!
I made this today and it is very good. I made a few little changes. I needed a smaller cake so I halved the recipe and made a 9 by 13 sheet cake. It needed about 45 minutes. I also used a traditional powdered sugar icing made with butter/espresso/powdered sugar. It was so good. I’ve been watching this blog for a while and I had the need to bake today and this cake was the perfect fit. I’ll be making this cake again for sure.
Sounds amazing, Megan!
Mmmm…I love vanilla bean lattes. In fact, last night I took a little drive over to Starbucks to have one as I haven’t had one in a while! I am currently on my cake-free period though, so it will have to wait!
I SOOO wish you lived down the street from me! I could really use a big slab of this right now. Looks divine!
What a fantastic flavor combination!! I love anything coffee, and adding vanilla bean paste is genius. I see a new cupcake flavor for my shop here. Can’t wait to try it, as I too have vanilla SMBC in the freezer!
I am sure it is illegal to post something like this!!!!!!! ;-)) It looks divine – thanks for the recipe!
THRILLED to find your blog!
Thanks for the taste treat. It was indeed gorgeous,light and
thoroughly scrumptious! I love being in the right place
at the right time. LOL!
looks absolutey stunning with this frosting!
Gorgeous!
You make me want to try making my own SMB, even though I’m terrified of it. You make it look easy :)
What a beautiful cake! Love the flavor combo: vanilla, espresso and cinnamon. Think I need a latte now!
You are so incredibly talented! Another beautiful creation!
Such a lovely cake… it looks light and full of just marvelous flavor!
I love the simple beauty of this cake! And wow, what a great flavor combination. I love it! What a masterful cake-ster you are.
Hi, I’ve been reading your blog for a long time but last night I actually worked up the courage to try your recipe for the first time. It was my very first time making your SMB, but thanks to your last SMB tutorial, my buttercream turned out perfect and absolutely delicious. The problem I had though, unexpectedly, was the cake part. I’ve been baking for some time but I don’t know what the problem was. My cakes turned out kind of soggy. And when I cut the cake, the crumbs were too big, not fine and soft like yours in the picture. I know I must have done something seriously wrong, but I can’t figure out what it was. Did I have to beat in the egg whites for a long time? I just mixed them in until they were incorporated. I measured everything, but could it be that I had too much egg whites? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, because I’m determined to make this one right. Thank you so much!!!
Hi Jennifer! Well, I’m so glad you had no issues with the SMB! Sorry to hear that the cake gave you trouble. To answer your question, the egg whites should just be mixed until they are nicely incorporated. When I read your comment this morning, I made the cake portion again, just to be sure. The egg whites I poured in gradually, and then just mixed for a few moments after, maybe 2 or so. The cake turned out the way it should, so I’m not sure what went wrong with yours. It definitely shouldn’t be soggy, so perhaps next time you can bake it a little longer? I baked mine for 20, then rotated pans, baked for another 10, and then 5. Every oven is different, but that’s what works in mine. The top should be golden and the edges should be pulling away from the sides of the pan. I truly hope that helps! Good luck!
YUM!! That is almost too pretty to eat! ….almost! ;)
Comments on my business FB page when I shared your cake recipe and how INCREDIBLE it was!!!
BTW I really liked it cold after storing it on the fridge overnite YUM
My husband: “For those reading this I can vouch for something: this cake was AWESOME!!!!”
Friends who I shared this with: “Wow, it was so good, thanks for sharing with us!!! Your so talented!”
Personal FB page
Wall post: “Just wanted to thank you for the cake.WOW it was amazing!!!
Another person where I sent 1/2 of it: “I agree!”
and another : “TOTALLY!”
THANKS <3
Thanks, Marcie!
LOVE the piping work on the frosting! Just the perfect combination of rustic, artesian and elegant. So simple yet such a statement!
Me too… I LOOOOOOVE vanilla bean anything… I adore the photos and the cake. I’m such a huge fan of mile hight cakes.. I have a question, do you have a recipe for a white cake, where pastel colors will take well like a pastel layer cake?
Me too… I LOOOOOOVE vanilla bean anything… I adore the photos and the cake. I’m such a huge fan of mile hight cakes.. I have a question, do you have a recipe for a white cake, where pastel colors will take well like a pastel layer cake?
I never knew you could freeze a batch of buttercream. What a great time saver.
Another beautiful layer cake, Rosie! You are the queen!
Simply divine, as always. (:
Currently in the oven!! Smells sooo good!! Can’t wait to try it! I love your blog and what you share, especially your gorgeous girls. I have three boys, two are aged TWO – yes IDENTICAL TWIN BOYS! They keep me sooo busy and love helping to eat anything I bake, hehe. Just one question with this particular cake, do you think it would taste just as good if I halved the cake to make thinner layers? Kind of like your other cakes? Or is it best enjoyed as is? Thank you. xo
Hi Jackie! I think this cake would taste great in thinner layers or as the traditional 3. I suppose in this case, though, the latte flavour may overpower the cake if there’s too much of the SMB, which is why I went with 3, but honestly, I imagine it would be delicious that way too!
Rosie, I was so hoping to see a sideview of this smashing cake after the introduction of the aerial view. You never disappoint! Always a pleasure to experience the elegance that is Sweetapolita. Happy weekend!
So professional and brilliantly done! (Looks yummy too!) Love the photos and great texture aswell, did you have to chill it/freeze it to cut it so perfectly for these photos? :)
Bring on the vanilla bean. Always a favorite! Beautiful cake!
Ok, Rosie, I must say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE! Everything about it is wonderful! Oh my, and the Vanilla bean latte SMBC is to die for! I am not a fan of SMBC because I find the butter too overpowering, but with the combination of coffee and cinnammon, oh my!! I could NOT stop eating!! This is not good for my body!! haha. I can’t wait to share this with my family! If I could post a pic here I would!! I made a cake and 2 cupcakes (the cuppies are for me to try and oh my is all I can really say!). I am yet to put the cake together, but still deciding on whether to make the layers thinner, so have 6 instead of 3… :-)
Absolutely adorable, I love the sides with the rose on top! I wish my cakes didn’t like falling apart so much.
I’m seriously considering doing these as cupcakes, just to make sharing easier!
Would you have any advice on freezing cakes like this (apart from being frozen sans frosting)? There’s only three of us in the house and cakes tend to go stale before we can eat them all.
Hi Melinda, I tried these as both cake and cupcakes!! Delicious either way!!! The cupcakes are a great idea if you can’t finish a whole cake, especially this one, this cake is big. I have read on cakecentral forum that you can freeze the batter and then just use an ice cream scooper for when you want to make cupcakes. No need to thaw as well, as they don’t really freeze rock solid. You can bake them right away and cupcakes will turn out perfect. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but so many others have and loved it. I am definitely going to give it a go next time. Hope this helps. :-)
You’ve got me thinking now – I wonder if it’s possible to freeze the batter AFTER using the ice cream scoop? Get the batter to cold (and hopefully thicker) in the fridge, scoop out onto baking paper, freeze and then put into airtight containers. It’ll be interesting to try!
I’ve frozen cooked cupcakes previously, but they’ve always dried out when thawing. This way sounds a lot better.
Now you’re thinking!! That sounds like a good idea! Let me know how it goes!! All the best :-)
i found your website weeks ago and is like finding the door to heaven dessert LOVE LOVE your site. was really intimidated b/c they are so perfect looking but i decided to give it try b/c i am a coffeeholic. woke up early sunday mornning to try and the cake part was great no ptoblems with it i was really proud of myself b/c i am a beginner finally got to the SBM and it was a disaster…it seem to be going oretty good, but i got confused after having the gg whites and suggar over simmering water not sure if i left it there for too long. Was i supposed ti removed it from the simmering water? i also heard you had a tutorial on how to makebSBM where can ibfind it? thank you for all ypur work yiu are a great inspiration.
Hi Jei! Thank you so much for the sweet words. So sorry to hear that your SMB didn’t work out. I’ve added the tutorial, “Swiss Meringue Buttercream Demystified” to the bottom of this cake post–that should help a great deal. Please let me know how your next round goes! Good luck!
i got your response in my email and was so happy!!! and i could wait another wk to give this a try again…so I went and did it today!!! AND IT WORKED!!! :) i was sooo happy when i saw my first meringue come to live and then the buttercream, it was so amazing and it made me feel like a million bucks I MADE MY FIRST SBM, thanks to YOU!!!!it wasnt as gorgeous as yours but is a start and will get there!!.. And the flavor was to die for! i think the first time my mistake was that i did not wait for it to cool so my butter melted… but your step by step tutorial was amazing and it help me sooo much.. thank you again for answering my post and you are truly and inspiration.
Yay! So glad to hear it, Jei!
Hi, I love your blog!!! I have to try some of your recipes!!! I’d like to get your buttons, could you tell where did you find them?
Thanks!
omg!
best cake i have ever tasted!
i renamed it my “starbucks cake”, it tasted the same as my caramel macchiato!
My five years old liked it too!
i scaled the recipe because we’re jut 3 at home and it came very easily.
I did add some salted caramel sauce (drizzle) to match perfectly my coffee!
thanks for sharing!!!
(and i hope all of this make sense, sorry for my english!)
Hi Rosie! yeah, we share the same name, hi,hi —
I just sign up to your blog and I want you to know that I LOVEEEEEE IT!!!!!! your enthusiasm and sense of humor are awesome! And, I am so excited to try this recipe since I’m a ‘latte-freak’ and this recipe sounds sooooo yummy. I will make sure to report to you here after I make it so, wish me luck please :)
Thank you again Rosie for your wonderful blog, recipes, tips, advice and support. You rock!!! (^_^)
Truly yours,
Rosie :D
Hi again and oops, I forgot to ask. Do you know if this wonderful Latte cake would work with fondant icing? I have to make a cake for my nephew’s girlfriend and I know she wants a girly-fancy cake so, I was thinking on making her a purse cake with this recipe, use the SMB as a filling and cover it with fondant…what do you think?
Also, one more question…do you think I could mix the batter, freeze it and bake later??
Ok thank you and sorry for all the questions (blushing here)—I really want to try this recipe! :)
‘Your truly’ or is ‘truly yours’? ahhhh whatever!! LOL :D
Rosie
I just tried this for the first time. WOW..it’s awesome! I’m hoping to make a wedding cake out of it in October so thought I’d do a trial run and made cupcakes so I can get various people to taste for me. Definitely going to increase the espresso and cinnamon I think. ALSO, first time I’ve EVER attempted swiss meringue buttercream…I’m in LOVE. Definitely more time consuming than I’m used to – but much better than the old icing sugar stuff. I did as you said and just kept it whipping until it was cool, curdled for just a wee bit after adding the butter, than became smooth as silk!
Thanks for an awesome recipe. I can’t wait to try more!!!
Michelle
Hi Michelle – we’re hoping to make cupcakes for my BIL’s wedding. How many cupcakes did the mix make?
Hi Mel! In case Michelle doesn’t get a chance to reply, I thought I’d quickly note that this recipe should yield somewhere around 30 cupcakes. Michelle, if your number was much off from that, feel free to comment! Mel, as a rule of thumb, if a recipe makes two 9-inch rounds, it will make 24 cupcakes. It’s a loose rule, but a good guideline. Hope that helps!
Michelle, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! xo
Oh great, thanks Rosie!
Check out the wedding cupcake tower we made using this awesome recipe: http://paperandribbonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/wedding-cake-madness.html
The frosting is raspberry…soooo delicious.
Hey Rosie
I’ve been looking for vanilla bean cake recipes for a little while and yours, by far, looks like the best. So I was wondering, to make the cake a light espresso, would you put the same instant espresso in the batter that you listed in the icing? I’m thinking of doing the espresso cake and vanilla bean icing for friends birthday. Or maybe I’ll just stick to the vanilla-vanilla, he seems to like that. But for my own personal knowledge, and future reference, how would you personally make the switch?
Thank you much, and I look forward to trying your recipe.
Candace
One more question, now that I’m actually reading the directions and not just the ingredients, do you have to make the meringue a week ahead of time, or is that just now long it will keep in the fridge?
Hi Rosie,
I’m looking to try another vanilla cake recipe!! I tried the fluffy vanilla cake twice on the same day & they both flopped. I took your advice & decreased the milk & weighed my egg whites but mixture still curdled. This time the cake didn’t rise & had a uncooked taste. Both ended up in the bin. So here I am giving it another shot. I only need enough for a two layer cake mix & I think this recipe will make too much. What should I do?
Thank you so much, and Im hoping this one works for me.
Angela
Hi Rosie – I tried this recipe over the week-end and everyone loved it! I had problems with the SMB in that it curdled. I beat the mixture for quite a while but it still came out curdled. I have this drive to master the SMB, so any suggestions? Is it possible the egg white/sugar combo wasn’t hot enough before I started mixing in the butter cubes? Thanks for your insight!
Eliza
Hi,
I don’t like coffee, but my sisters do. I really wanted to make them a coffee flavored cake of some sort for their upcoming Birthday & I was just wondering if this frosting would be good on a chocolate mocha cake or if that would be too much coffee flavor?
Thanks
OMG Rosie! I have to learn so much from you! Absolutely adore your blog :)
Rosie as I write the cake is on the oven! It is for my husband’s birthday tomorrow… I choose to make your white chocolate frosting. The whole house smells great! Your explanations and directions are so accurate. Thanks a lot. A hug from your colombian fan
Love,
Gaby
Rosie as I write the cake is in the oven! It is for my husband’s birthday tomorrow… I choose to make your white chocolate frosting. The whole house smells great! Your explanations and directions are so accurate. Thanks a lot. A hug from your colombian fan
Love,
Gaby
what a lovely cake!!
Hi, I was just wondering if I were to convert this recipe into cupcakes, how long would I keep them in the oven? Also, would the temperature need to be adjusted?
Thanks so much!
This cake looked and tasted absolutely amazing. This is the best vanilla cake I have eaten and the icing was packed with intense and delicious flavours. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Rosie! Your cake looks delicious and yummy!
I am still new to baking, after seeing the recipe and reviews I decided to make one for my dad’s birthday. Unfortunately we only have 6″ pan at our house (we as a family rarely make our own cake( but I want to make his day special by making the cake from scratch =D
So this question may be silly but does your recipe also work for a 6″ pan? Or it has to be an 8″?
Thank you so much!
Hi Rosie!
Baking has been one of my addictions lately, and checking your site has been part of my daily itinerary.;) Great recipes! Great cakes! I love your passion in everything you do.:)
May I know the icing tip # you’ve used to decorate the edges of this (Vanilla Bean Latte Layer Cake) cake?
Many thanks!
xo, Maria
PS: Let me just say, YOU’RE REALLY BEAUTIFUL! And your daughters are, too.;)
Omg Rosie!! I just finished premaking the latte buttercream since im going to make the cake tomorrow and it tastes AMAZING!!! i had to virtually stop myself from eating the whole thing right there!
you are amazingly talented!
gad i eat cake often or at least i am exposed to cake often… but only your photographs and recipes make me actually want to eat cake these days… ha! seriously … drool worthy, always. xo
I made this frosting the other evening and it was absolutely devine! I’ve made SMB before but this had the best consistency and flavor. It’s my new go-to! I toned down the espresso just a skosh and paired it with brown-butter pumpkin spice cake. The cake and the SMB come together to create my interpretation of a Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake. Here’s a link to the recipe: http://dozenflours.com/2012/10/pumpkin-spice-latte-cake.html
Thank you again for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Wow, Julia! Your cake is amazing! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the frosting, and that it all came together so well. Yours truly looks and sounds incredible!
I’m making it as we speak and let me say that the batter is the yumiest ever! I had to stop myself from eating it all hehe.
Well it went down a treat with the family – mum was expecting a packet mix cake lol. Yum!
I just made this, The frosting is awesome! There wasn’t enough for me to do the decorating like the picture, I didn’t have enough to do the top piping around the top. Next time I’ll make it bit more.
wow for some strange reason i totally missed this cake in the recipe listing. Going to a dinner party Sunday and am in charge of dessert……….guess what i’m making?
I just made this for my Dad’s birthday and I am THRILLED on how it turned out. This was my first big Cake on my own (seeing as I’m only 15) . My family loved it! This is definitely a keeper in my books!
Hi Rosie
Living in Namibia, we dont have ALL PURPOSE FLOUR. only cake flour or white bread flour. How would you suggest i improvise to make this cake a success?
Look forward to hearing from soonest
Hi this is the cake i have been wanting to make ever since i saw this post few months back.
So made the swiss meringue buttercream today and aaahhhh help! the whites came out beautifully , all glossy and stiff, but when i started adding butter it just wouldnt come together. Just curdled and beacame runny and ewww..(taste is really good though). Can you tell me what went wrong? Butter was at room temperature but not soft enough…could that be the reason?
And is there any way i can save it now? dont want to throw it away :(
Thanks.
coffeeandzest.wordpress.com
Last week I made the vanilla butter birthday cake with the blue frosting and it was divine…… over last weekend I made this one and it was AWESOME!!!!!! I truly loved the SMB with mocha flavor. The cake was OUTSTANDING. I brought it to work as my “cake of the week” and everyone loved it! The cake tasted great and the frosting was phenominal. I usually have trouble with the decorating but I was able to do this perfectly using the recommended Ateco tip!!!!!!!! I can’t wait until next weekend to try yet another cake!
Hi Rosie, I’m planning on baking this for my boyfriends birthday dinner and was wondering if this cake would be okay to bake and ice one day and serve the next? Or is it better serve it the same day you ice it?
Just wondering what tip # you used to decorate this? I am also dying to know how you get your cakes so smooth! THAT would be a great tutorial!
I am so excited I am planning on making this cake for my best friend’s wedding in July! My concern is about the amount of egg whites used and want to know if real egg whites from a carton are an acceptable substitute for actually separating that many egg whites from their yolks? The last thing I want to do is mess this up!
This is my all-time favorite white cake; it never fails and is very versatile. I made it with peanut butter filling and vanilla bean frosting once and my mom said I needed to enter it in “some sort of contest”. My chocolate-loving family is hooked! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
Hi Rosie!
I have no trouble with the SMB , however after I make my cake do I out it in the fridge or do I leave it out until it is served? I have to bake a cake and deliver the next morning. What is the best way to keep it the most fresh. Once I out it in the fridge and it didn’t seem to soften up again!
Thank you so much! You are such an inspiration and my most favorite baker!!!!! Xoxo
Rosie,
Where can I purchase vanilla bean paste? And is there a brand you recommend? This cake looks AMAZING! I think my mom would love it for her birthday!
Hi, can’t wait to try this cake. I have a question about the frosting. You say you always have frosting in the freezer – what steps do you take after removing from the freezer and before using on the cake? Thank you!
For the buttercream frosting, if using the vanilla paste, which I use exclusively, do I still need to regular 5ml of pure vanilla extract?