The perfect cakes for Spring? Try these three vanilla delights.

When it comes to tea time treats or the perfect wedding dessert, what could be better than a freshly baked cake? And a classic vanilla base is a sure crowd pleaser. From simply delicious to the oh-so-pretty, we’ve got ideas for springtime-inspired vanilla cakes sure to delight your guests. Time to get creative in the kitchen...

Vanilla cakes for occasions big and small

1. Pink ruffle cake

Vanilla Cake Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

¾ cup butter, 3 eggs, 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 ½ t baking powder, ½ t salt, 1 ¾ cups sugar,1 ½ t vanilla,1 ¼ cups milk.

Preheat oven to 200̊C. Grease two 20 x 3 ½ cm round cake pans. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter on medium for 30 sec. Gradually add sugar, about ¼ cup at a time, beating on medium until well combined. Scrape bowl and beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla essence. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating on low after each addition until just combined. Add batter to pans. Bake for approx 30 mins or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 mins. Remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

Preparation

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 200̊C. Grease two 20 x 3 ½ cm round cake pans. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter on medium for 30 sec. Gradually add sugar, about ¼ cup at a time, beating on medium until well combined. Scrape bowl and beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla essence. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating on low after each addition until just combined. Add batter to pans. Bake for approx 30 mins or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 mins. Remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces, 1 jar marshmallow crème, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 t vanilla.

Preparation:

In large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add marshmallow crème and beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. If frosting is too stiff to spread, soften in microwave for no more than 10 sec, then beat again until smooth. Add small amount of red food colouring to buttercream icing to turn it a pale pink.Frost top of one cooled layer. Top with the second layer and spread layer with frosting. Add a thin crumb coat on the sides to allow ruffles to adhere. Refrigerate for 10 mins. For ruffles, fit a pastry bag (or plastic freezer bag with one corner snipped off) with frosting. Beginning at base of cake and holding the tip against the cake, pipe the frosting in a back-and-forth motion to create rows of pretty ruffles.

2. Vanilla cake with lemon filling

For some Spring time freshness, why not add lemon flavours to your cake? Start with the basic vanilla cake from the above recipe. Then spread about ¼ cup lemon curd between each cake layer. Ice the cake with lemon buttercream frosting and decorate with pastel icing flowers.

Lemon Curd Filling and Frosting

Ingredients:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 2 t finely grated lemon zest, 1/3 cup sugar, 4 egg yolks, 3 T unsalted butter.

Preparation

Ingredients: ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 2 t finely grated lemon zest, 1/3 cup sugar, 4 egg yolks, 3 T unsalted butter. Combine all ingredients in the top of a double boiler (or in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water). Heat, while stirring constantly with a whisk, until mixture thickens. It is done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate until cool.  Can be stored in the fridge up to 2 weeks. For the lemon buttercream frosting, add 1 t freshly grated lemon zest and ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract to the buttercream frosting in above recipe. Want a bright yellow finish? Add a drop of yellow food colouring.

3. Spring-time cupcake batter

Instead of one large cake, why not go the cupcake route? A perfect idea for a corporate menu or large catering function. And who doesn’t love having their own little cake for dessert? Divide the vanilla cupcake mix from the first recipe and let your imagination go wild when it comes to the toppings. Some ideas to get you started - chocolate cream cheese with sprinkles, cookie dough frosting with chocolate chips, dulce de leche (condensed milk that has been slow simmered for approx. 6 hours to create a thick, creamy topping), red wine chocolate ganache (oh yes), or fresh balsamic whipped cream with mint leaf topping. Or add beautiful icing flowers to the top of any type of frosting for a pretty Spring time touch.

Love the idea of fresh vanilla cake for your next big event but don’t have the time or skill to make one yourself? Ask us! As part of our full catering service, suitable for any style function, we are expert bakers. See a few of our beautiful creations here or just tell us what you want and we’ll whip it up for you in no time at all.

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