Vanilla-Buttermilk Cake

Since 1894, great bakers have passed down the knowledge that there’s no substitute for Swans Down® Cake Flour. For perfect cakes, cookies, muffins, and more, nothing guarantees that first-bite smile like Swans Down. For great recipes and more, visit swansdown.com.

 
Vanilla-Buttermilk Cake
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 3 cups Swans Down® Cake Flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole buttermilk
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Vanilla Frosting (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: fresh raspberries, fresh mint leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °. Spray 2 (9-inch) round deep cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, and spray pans again.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, whisk together Swans Down® Cake Flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
  3. In a large bowl, using clean beaters, beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed just until stiff peaks form. Stir one-fourth of egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining egg whites. Divide batter between prepared pans.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Spread Vanilla Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with raspberries and mint, if desired.

 
Vanilla Frosting
 
Makes about 6 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 ¼ pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • ⅔ cup whole buttermilk
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and enough buttermilk to achieve a spreadable consistency. Beat in vanilla and salt.

 

The Swans Down® Cake Flour difference

  • Swans Down® Cake Flour is 27 times finer than all-purpose flour, so it makes your cakes rise higher and gives them a texture that is lighter, fluffier, and more moist.
  • Swans Down® Cake Flour is great for all baked goods, not just cakes. It makes cookies more delicate, biscuits more tender, muffins more moist, pancakes fluffier, and everything more delicious.

Tips for measuring Swans Down® Cake Flour

  •  Sift cake flour once, and then spoon desired amount into your measuring cup.
  •  Use a knife to scrape excess flour from measuring cup.
  •  Use dry measuring cups (as opposed to liquid) for measuring Swans Down® Cake Flour.

Use Swans Down® Cake Flour in your favorite recipes

  • To replace all-purpose flour: Sift Swans Down® Cake Flour once, and then measure 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. (Double for 2 cups, triple for 3 cups, etc.)
  • To replace self-rising cake flour: Sift Swans Down® Cake Flour once, and then measure 1 cup and add ½ teaspoon baking powder and¼ teaspoon salt to equal 1 cup of self-rising cake flour. (Double for 2 cups, triple for 3 cups, etc.)