Buttermilk Vanilla Cake Recipe From Scratch
Bake a cake just like Grandma used to with this Vintage Buttermilk Vanilla Cake Recipe From Scratch. A delicate layer cake topped with homemade vanilla buttercream frosting!
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Table of Contents
BUTTERMILK CAKE
I spend a lot of time thinking about how cooking and baking has evolved over the years. (I know that is a weird thing to ponder)
Would my Grandma approve of this generation of convenience cooking? She had 5 kids, of course she would take advantage of quick and easy recipes. So long as it still tasted good.
I’m positive my Grandma would still make her cakes from scratch. Does boxed cake mix taste good? Sure it does. But, do you know what tastes better?… This Buttermilk Vanilla Cake Recipe From Scratch.
I consciously kept this cake plain. First, I wanted the vanilla flavor to shine. Second, this cake can be enjoyed as is. Or dress it up however you want. Top with fresh fruit, edible flowers or sprinkles. This cake is the perfect starting point for your unique creation.
I wanted to highlight Rodelle Reserve Vanilla in a classic recipe for the modern day. Rodelle Reserve uses the best in historical techniques and modern technology to make the best vanilla available with the purest of ingredients and a vintage feel.
Sometimes it is worth a little extra time and effort to get the best. Rodelle Reserve was aged for 6 months in French Oak barrels to enrich the vanilla flavors and soften the harsher alcohol flavor that all extracts inherently have.
That is how my Grandma used to bake, with quality ingredients and lots of love. (of course)
This cake is timeless but will not take you all day to make!
Get your bottle of Rodelle Reserve now! Only 1600 bottle are available!
The imported Italian bottles were screen printed, and each bottle contains a gourmet Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean. No one bottle will ever be the same!
So this one’s for Grandma. I think she would approve.
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BUTTERMILK VANILLA CAKE
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Cups Unbleached Cake Flour
- 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1¼ Cup Buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons Rodelle Reserve Vanilla
Frosting
- 1½ Cups Unsalted Butter - softened
- 6 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Rodelle Reserve Vanilla
- 2 teaspoons Buttermilk
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs.
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet while alternately adding buttermilk.
- Mix in vanilla.
- Divide batter between 2 (8") round cake pans that have been generously greased with butter or shortening.
- Bake 25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
- Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer cakes to cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter for 1 minute.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Scrape the sides in between each addition. Mix for 30 seconds between each sugar addition.
- Add vanilla and buttermilk.
- Mix on medium/high speed for 4-5 minutes. Frosting will be light and creamy.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before frosting your cake. Whip once more before frosting cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome!
Nicole Harris is the recipe creator behind WonkyWonderful, sharing fast, budget-friendly meals for busy families. Since 2012 she’s been developing 30-minute dinners, kid-approved favorites, and holiday dishes with flair - all with real ingredients and no fuss. She grew up stretching simple pantry staples into something delicious, and that shows up in every recipe: easy, affordable, and full of flavor. Read more...
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I was rather disappointed in the saltiness of the cake. (I was looking for a “tart” cake) Actually my guests spat the cake out, it was embarrassing. I honestly think you need to reduce the amount of salt.
So odd as this is definitely a reader favorite. I’m curious if you used a quality sea salt or plain (salt-shaker style) salt. I know that I find the table salts to be far saltier tasting and bitter. Just trying to figure out the difference in outcome. Thanks!
What kind of sea salt do I need to use???
Did you perhaps confuse baking soda and baking powder? If you accidentally used baking soda your cake would be quite salty.
How long can a cake with buttermilk last
It lasts as long as any other cake. If stored properly it will stay fresh for several days, then it may begin to get stale.
Hi, your recipe doesn’t mention the number and size of servings it yields. Please clarify. Thanks.
I guess it depends how big of slices you serve 😉 Since this is a layer cake I tend to do smaller slices in which case 6-8 slices.
I love this recipe and have made it many, many times. I have never measured how much actual batter it makes, you dont happen to know how many cups of batter there are, do you?
I’m sorry, I don’t know. I too have never measured the amount of batter.
Made this gluten free. it was delicious.
Good to know that it is good GF too 🙂
Made this cake again today. It’s a Winner!!! This is the second time baking it this year. I’ve never had any problems. Very moist.
I’m so glad 🙂
I have made this cake many times. It is always so moist and delicious. This recipe is definitely a winner!
I going to make the cake this weekend. But I want to bake it in a13 by 9 inch pan
I’m sorry I missed your comment, I hope it worked out for you. I’m sure this cake can be made in a 13×9 pan, the cook time will most likely change.
Someone said it was to salty if you measured correctly it should not be salty correct!
Yeah, I’m not sure how it would end up salty if measured out correctly. Another commenter had a theory that perhaps baking soda was used instead of baking powder.
Can this cake be made with All purpose flour and turn out just as moist? What’s the reason cake flour is used in this recipe? Thank you.
The cake flour brings the light texture. I’m sure ap flour will work too.
Can you make the frosting and refrigerate overnight or does it have to only be for 30 minutes before
You can make it ahead. You may need to let it sit at room temp for a few minutes to soften slightly before spreading 🙂
Although the cake is good it does taste more like a cornbread instead of a vanilla buttermilk cake.
Also I added more vanilla and reduced the salt to 1/2 tsp given that other cakes with the same level of ingredients had it down to that.
I added a mocha whipped cream frosting but the taste of the “cornbread” came through. Still good!
How did you make the mocha frosting? And what do you mean when you say it tasted like cornbread?
If you only post what you want people to see than itS not a good recipe isn’t it.
Take criticism like an adult
Not sure what you’re talking about…
This cake is delicious!! So moist and delicious. I used Trader Joe’s vanilla and it tastes great.
Do you have the ingredients in weight please?
Nope, sorry. I don’t weigh when baking.
This is a fantastic cake recipe and truly showcases this amazing/expensive vanilla. Because there are only two of us in the house, I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8 x 8” pan. Baked up beautifully in just 15 minutes. I was out of sea salt so I used fleur de sel instead. I can’t rave enough about the flavor and texture of this cake—so good. The frosting was a bit on the sweet side for me, but was still delicious. I just needed a glass of milk to go with. 😊
When I went to make this cake I found out my cake flour had bugs so I had to improvise and make my own. For every cup of all purpose flour remove two tablespoons and replace with an equal amount of cornstarch. Sift together a couple of times and use as you would normal cake flour. Worked great for me!
I’ve made this cake MANY MANY times and it’s always fabulous!!! I wanted to make cupcakes out of the batter. Any chance you know how many cupcakes this recipe makes?
Hi how to make this cake without using eggs
I made this cake twice last week… first for the birthday of my girlfriend’s youngest granddaughter, and then because everyone loved it so much the first time and wanted it again! Now I’m making a vegan and gluten free version for my love who has allergies. I’m making cupcakes instead of a later cake, at her request. I’ll let you know how it turns out!