Ina Garten Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Ina Garten’s vanilla cake is a light and fluffy sponge made with buttermilk, butter, and vanilla extract for a rich flavor. The buttercream frosting is smooth, silky, and perfectly sweet, creating the ideal balance between moist cake and creamy topping.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Vanilla Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup sour cream
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven – Set to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 9-inch round cake pans or a 9×13-inch sheet pan.
- Mix dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar – In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla – Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Incorporate buttermilk and sour cream – Alternate adding dry ingredients with buttermilk and sour cream, mixing just until combined.
- Bake the cake – Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- Beat butter until creamy – In a mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar – Gradually mix in powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- Incorporate vanilla and cream – Add vanilla extract, heavy cream, and salt, mixing until smooth. Adjust consistency with more cream if needed.
- Frost the cake – Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cake and decorate as desired.