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My daughter isn’t too picky in terms of cake. Cake is cake for her….she will eat any cake you put in front of her. So I knew for her birthday cake I could get creative and she wouldn’t mind.
Everyone really enjoyed the cake, it had a subtle vanilla flavor and was super moist. It was really good the first day, but sitting in the fridge for a day or two made it a little drier and denser. It was still really good, especially since scratch cakes are usually dense to begin with because of the lack of chemicals making it super light and airy. If I could have left it out of the fridge there wouldn’t have been a change; however, with the strawberry cream filling it needed to stay cold. And of course it was like 113 degrees outside so the fridge kept the frosting from falling off.
Vanilla Bean Cake with Strawberry Cream Filling
2 sticks butter, softened
3 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ vanilla beans
4 egg whites plus 2 whole eggs
2 tbsl baking powder
2 cups half and half
4 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Split vanilla beans down the center and scrape out all the seeds. Add to mixture. Add eggs/whites one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternating with the half and half. Mix well between each addition, but do not over mix.
Prepare cake pans with flour and shortening and fill about 1/2 full. Bake for 35-45 minutes (start checking around 30 minutes). Cake is done when toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Remove cake from pan and frost when completely cool.
Note: as written, this recipe makes enough for a 10 inch round, 2-8 inch rounds, and a couple cupcakes. If you wish to make a regular size cake (2-8 inch round pans), then you will need to halve the recipe.
Strawberry Cream Filling
2 parts Strawberry Jam
1 part buttercream frosting
Mix the two together and spread between the layers of cake.
**Use the best jam (not jelly) you can find. It really does make a difference.**
Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
1 Cup Shortening
4 tbls warm water (4 to 6)
2 tsps clear vanilla extract
1 2-lb bag confectioners sugar
Beat together butter, shortening, 2 tbsp. of the warm water, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugar gradually on a low setting. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. Mixture will be very thick. After all sugar is incorporated, add 2-4 more tbsp. of warm water and beat at medium/medium-high speed for 1-2 more minutes.
Adding more warm water will continue to thin the frosting consistency and bring down the sweetness even more. Add as much as you like to get the appropriate flavor and consistency. Be careful because a little goes a long way.
This can also be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temp, then mix well before using. Leftovers should be refrigerated.
Oh my heavens!!! I’m loving this cake; everything about it! I cannot wait to make this
Mine won’t be decorated as lovely as yours, but that’s alright!
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Thank you! I bet you can decorate it just fine! Mine was by no way perfect…
that sounds exactly like the type of cake my sister would want for her birthday in October, she’s a big fan of vanilla and strawberry…
and the decorating? you are amazing! it looked beautiful
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Thank you!
That looks so delicious! I love strawberries, and vanilla bean, yum! It was definitely a beautiful cake.
I’m amazed by your icing. I can’t believe it’s just butter cream – it looks like fondant! I wish that my cakes looked as good. In my world, Costco has saved the day for my b-day cake attempts.
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I’m dying over here…this looks like HEAVEN!
Oh My! That looks and sounds yummy!!
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That looks good and I don’t even like cake! It is really pretty, never made a pretty cake in my entire life.
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So pretty! Your frosting looks gorgeous! My mouth is watering….
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This cake look so moist and delicious, and I love the frosting topping on top!
Thanks for sharing!
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I made your cake and the whole family loved it, thanks for this wonderful and delicious cake recipe!
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Glad y’all liked it!
When I saw this cake on your blog, I couldn’t get it out of my mind! I made it the next day and it was delicious!! My kids loved it.
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WOW! I can’t believe you already made it! Glad y’all liked it.
Sounds great! Found you on StumbleUpon
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Thanks,
karen
Okay, so I need help here… I made this cake – twice – following the recipe to the letter, and both times the layers sank…
After I made the first ‘batch’ I thought maybe I hadn’t mixed the eggs in enough so I mixed a little longer between additions (I was SO happy to find a white cake recipe that didn’t require beating the whites separately and folding them in – I hate folding!!!!) but the next two were just as pathetic. They actually would have been GREAT as a “bowl” with fruit and whipped cream on top, but I was trying to make a cake. I ended up slicing the top parts off of all four layers and making do with what I had. But I’d really like to get this right in the future!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!
Oh no! I’m sorry that it’s not working for you. There are several reasons why a cake might fall. First, too much air whipped into the batter….try taping out air bubbles when batter is in the pans. Second, old baking powder/baking soda. Third, cooking at a high elevation…I’m not sure how to accomadate for high elevations, but I know their needs to be slight modifications. And it could be that the cake isn’t completely baked (or your oven temp is off a bit). You can also try using bake even strips from Wilton…I’ve heard they help with ovens that cook uneven or when making a large cake.
I hope these tips help. I’m sorry you are having trouble.
Well this is even MORE interesting!! I definitely didn’t whip it TOO much (though I could still try tapping the pans); I don’t keep powder or soda around long enough to get old; I’m sitting low in eastern North Carolina probably BELOW sea level; and my oven is practically brand new…. huh! I bake a LOT of cakes around here… I am just going to have to try this again!!! You make this cake just fine and others have too – I won’t rest until I perfect it!!
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi loving this cake cannot wait to try it wonderin what else can I use for half and half we dont get it here thanx
Thanks Mash! You could certainly try whole milk or maybe even heavy cream. I’d try the whole milk first though.