Church Cake Vanilla Dessert (Printable version)

A tender vanilla cake with buttermilk, perfect for sharing at gatherings and special occasions.

# What you need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

→ Optional Frosting

10 - 4 cups powdered sugar
11 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 2–3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - Pinch of salt

# How To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Let cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
08 - Beat together powdered sugar and butter until well combined. Add vanilla and milk, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable.
09 - Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly light and tender, like biting into a sweet cloud that somehow still feels substantial and satisfying
  • It's the kind of cake that actually improves overnight, making it perfect for making ahead when company's coming
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non negotiable here, as cold butter or eggs will cause the batter to curdle and affect the final texture
  • Overmixing once the flour is added develops too much gluten, making the cake tough instead of tender
03 -
  • When measuring flour, spoon it into your measuring cup and level off with a knife rather than dipping directly, which can pack down too much flour
  • Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of your pan with overhanging edges to make lifting the whole cake out effortless if you ever want to frost the sides too

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