You want to bake something for dessert tonight but what will you make? How about the perfect vanilla cake? Thankfully, you have some of this homemade vanilla cake mix stashed away in your pantry!
1cup (2 sticks)unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups (340 grams)buttermilk, at room temperature
1Tablespoonpure vanilla extract
3large eggs, at room temperature
2largeegg whites, at room temperature
Instructions
Cake Mix
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Transfer flour mixture to a quart-sized jar and seal until ready to use.
To Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line bottom of cake pans with parchment paper and spray only the parchment with nonstick cooking spray. Do not spray the sides of the pans.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the jarred mixture. Beat in the butter on medium 1 minute, or until the butter is combined and coarse in texture.
Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla on low 1 minute, or until combined. Beat the batter on medium 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl
Turn the mixer to low, and add 1 egg at a time. Pour in the egg whites and mix on medium-high 30 seconds, or until the batter is smooth and a little runny. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and smooth out the tops.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pans before transferring the cakes to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Box cake mix: A typical box of cake mix has 3 1/2 cups. This recipe makes about 6 3/4 cups, so measure accordingly if swapping for a box. Vanilla: Use a really good vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, since this cake relies heavily on its flavor. Variations: This batter is enough to make: