If you knew Reese, you'd know that, like most 5-year-old little girls, she's devoted to pink. And cake. And anything involving tutus and twirls, so the simple addition of a few retro ballerinas and sprinkles really fancies it up. In the past, I've done cakes for the girls that have taken me a week to do, but honestly, not only could I simply not make that happen this time with all of the party prep, but it wasn't necessary. You know I love that kind of thing, so it's not to say I won't make more of those for her down the road, but this cake was enough to make all the girls giddy (even the moms!).
:
And, if you have 3 minutes and 24 seconds to fill, you can watch my all-time favourite video of Reese here. It has nothing to do with cake or birthdays, but funny as can be. These videos may make me cry, but I hope they make you smile. ♥
Perfectly Delightful Vanilla Birthday Cake
- 1-1/2 cup 360 ml whole milk, at room temperature
- 7 large egg whites (210 g, at room temperature)
- 1 whole egg (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon 15 ml pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 ml almond extract
- 3-3/4 cups 430 g cake flour, sifted
- 2-1/4 cups 450 g sugar
- 1-3/4 tablespoons 25 g baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (8 g)
- 1-1/2 sticks (170 g unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes)
- 6 tablespoons 85 g vegetable shortening
For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting:
- 2-1/2 cups 5 sticks(575 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
- 5-1/4 cups 600 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 4-1/2 tablespoons 70 ml milk
- 1-1/2 tablespoons 23 ml pure vanilla extract
- pinch or two of salt
- few drops pink gel colour - try Sweetapolita Bright Pink
- Pastel Bit Chips (or any other sprinkles you like for decorating)
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment and flour two round 8-inch pans (you will be using each one twice), or four 8-inch pans (if you're lucky enough to have four on hand). I use Parchment Paper Circles for ease.
- In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir 1/2 cup of the milk, stir the egg whites, whole egg, vanilla and the almond extract. Set aside.
- Sift cake flour twice. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients, including the sugar, together on low-speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.
- Add the butter and shortening, blending on low-speed for about 30 seconds, then add remaining 1 cup of milk, and mix on low-speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1 -1/2 minutes (90 seconds), but no more.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg/milk/extract mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.
- Pour 1/4 of your batter (~2 cups)(445 grams) into each prepared pan (if you have 2 pans, you will bake 2 layers first followed by the remaining 2), spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If possible, weigh the batter in the pans to ensure 2 even layers.
- Bake cake layers two-at-a-time in center of oven and 2" apart for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not over-bake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
- Wash the 2 cake pans and line, grease and flour again and repeat.
- Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best enjoyed day 1 or 2.
For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix on low-speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy. If you want all of your frosting (for filling and frosting cake) pink, then add a drop of pink gel colour and mix again, adding one drop at a time until desired pink shade is achieved (see notes). If you want just the outside of the cake pink, you will fill the cake layers first, and then colour the remaining frosting pink.
- Best used right away (for ideal spreading consistency), but keeps well once frosted.
Assembly of the Perfectly Delightful Vanilla Birthday Cake
- Trim any doming or top crust from cake layers using a very sharp serrated knife.
- Use a cake turntable for filling, frosting and decorating, if a possible. Place a small dollop of frosting in the center of a cake plate or 8″ round thin foil-covered cake board, and place the bottom cake layer on top, face-up.
- Place ~1 cup of frosting on top of the cake layer, and spread evenly with a small offset palette knife. Gently place 2nd cake layer, face up, on top. Repeat until you come to your 4th layer, which you will place face down.
- Put a generous scoop of frosting on top, spreading evenly with a small offset palette knife and working your way down the sides until you have a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator and apply another "coat" of frosting.
- For the top of the cake border, place a large star decorating tip (I used 1E) in a large Decorating Bag filled no more than 1/2 full with pink frosting.
- Hold pastry bag in one hand (your dominant hand) and slowly rotate the turntable with the other. Holding frosting-filled bag at a directly above the top of the cake (90° angle), squeeze a small bit of frosting and turn the table a bit at the same time, releasing pressure slowly then stop (this will create a tapered decoration). Repeat all the way around the cake, overlapping slightly each time you pipe a new "shell."
- For bottom border, you will want to have the cake on the plate or pedestal which you plan to serve it upon. Fill another pastry bag the same way, and this time use tip 1M. You will pipe at about a 45° angle this time (give or take).
- Sprinkle with Pastel Bit Chips, Pastel Confetti or you own favourite sprinkles atop the top border. For some kitschy charm, add a few Vintage Ballerina Cupcake Toppers to your cake!
- Store, covered in a cake dome, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Best enjoyed day 1 or 2 at room temperature.
- If you do not have access to cake flour, you can quickly and easily make your own to cake flour substitute. Substitutions with other flour types will result in a drastically different cake.
- This cake batter method of blending the butter with the sugar and dry ingredients first is called the “reverse creaming method,” and was pioneered by cake guru, Rose Levy Beranbaum.
- As with any vanilla cake, you can use 100% liquid egg whites in the cake layers (simply weigh them on your kitchen scale), which saves wasting the yolks. If using whole eggs and separating, always separate when eggs are cold, but use when room temperature.
- Baking the cake layers in 4 pans, rather than 2 and then splitting the layers afterwards, yields an evenly baked cake that bakes faster and without overdone edges.
- I highly recommend (strongly urge!) you to use a digital kitchen scale to measure ingredients.
- This batter makes fabulous cupcakes.
- The frosting tastes like vanilla ice cream–you’ll see!
- Some pink food gel colours cause streaking. I find that, for me, Americolor Electric Pink does not cause streaking (but it's an intense pink, so go easy!). After several hours there are some teeny darker pin-sized dots, but the cake in the photos is after several days, to give you a better idea. Also note that pink colour fades, particularly in the sun. You still want to go easy with the colour, but just keep it in mind. You will also achieve a beautiful pink with a few drops of Sweetapolita Bright Pink!
- You may enjoy reading my previous post, 50 Tips for Baking Better Cakes.
