Moist Vanilla Church Cake (Printer-Friendly)
A tender vanilla sponge with sweet glaze, ideal for feeding large groups at gatherings and celebrations.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake Components
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup buttermilk
→ Vanilla Glaze
10 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
11 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly, ensuring all surfaces are coated to prevent sticking.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated. Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula to ensure uniform baking.
07 - Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time if needed to achieve desired consistency.
10 - Drizzle the vanilla glaze evenly over the completely cooled cake. Allow glaze to set for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The kind of cake that travels beautifully and never fails at reunions
- Ingredients you probably have in the pantry right now
02 -
- Overmixing after adding flour makes this cake tough, so stop as soon as everything combines
- Wait until the cake is completely cool before drizzling the glaze or it will disappear into the warm crumb
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients incorporate better and prevent curdling
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before attempting to move it