Joanne Chang’s Fluffy Vanilla Cake Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 12, 2024 • 5 min read
James Beard Award–winning chef Joanne Chang’s signature fluffy vanilla cake recipe is sure to become a kitchen staple. Follow this step-by-step recipe to make your own at home.
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About Joanne Chang
Joanne Chang is a Boston-based pastry chef and the co-owner of Flour Bakery. The award-winning pastry chef has a degree with honors in applied mathematics and economics from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Passionate about baking since her college days, Joanne left her consulting job to work in restaurants, eventually opening Flour Bakery in 2000. Since then, she expanded the bakery to eight more locations, opened a Taiwanese-inspired restaurant, won a reality TV cooking competition and a James Beard Award, and wrote five cookbooks.
Despite her long list of accolades, Joanne still delights in the alchemy of baking: simple ingredients that, when combined with the right techniques, transform into something magical. Learn to bake like a pro with Joanne Chang.
What Is a Vanilla Cake?
A vanilla cake is a baked good made with flour, butter, eggs, leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder, and flavored with vanilla bean pods or extract. A common choice for birthday cake, this easily customizable dessert pairs perfectly with many icings and frostings, from lemon-flavored to classic American buttercream.
6 Tips for Making a Vanilla Cake
Follow these tips to execute the best vanilla cake recipe.
- 1. Prep the pan. If you’re using nonstick cookware to make this recipe, you’ll need to prep the pan to prevent it from sticking. Line your chosen pan with parchment paper, or place a small chunk of butter in a paper towel—to keep your hands clean—and butter the bottom and sides of the pan. Once you’ve buttered the pan, sprinkle a bit of flour in, then dump out the excess.
- 2. Change up the baking pans. Home bakers can adjust any classic vanilla cake recipe meant for round 8-inch cake pans to work for various baking vessels. Instead of making two round cake layers, bake this versatile batter inside a larger, single-layer sheet cake. Alternatively, pour the batter into a bundt pan or make cupcakes for a party. The possibilities are endless.
- 3. Mix the batter just right. The best way to make a cake with a light, fluffy crumb is to carefully fold the wet and dry ingredients together until they’re barely incorporated. This process helps you avoid over-mixing, which minimizes gluten development.
- 4. Keep the vanilla bean pods. After scraping out the beans, save your empty vanilla bean pods to make homemade vanilla sugar.
- 5. Frost to your liking. The subtle vanilla flavor of white cake complements any frosting recipe. Cover the cooled cake with buttercream frosting for a classic combination. Try cream cheese frosting covered in coconut shavings for some tangy and tropical flavor. If you don’t like frosting, cover this buttery cake with powdered sugar, or enjoy it on its own.
- 6. Store properly. A baked and cooled vanilla cake will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Wrap each cake round tightly in plastic wrap to keep it moist during storage.
Joanne Chang’s Fluffy Vanilla Cake Recipe
makes
one 8-inch layer cakeprep time
20 mintotal time
1 hrcook time
40 minIngredients
- 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Prepare two round 8-inch cake pans. If you’re using a nonstick baking vessel, no further preparation is necessary. If not, you will need to prepare the pan with parchment paper.
- 3
Cut the pieces of parchment paper to fit the cake pans. Fold two pieces of 24x12-inch parchment paper in half lengthwise once, and then again, and then once more.
- 4
Use the bottom of the pan to measure the folded parchment paper pieces. Flip each cake pan over, center the corners of the parchment paper pieces in the middle, and use scissors to trim the parchment all around the cake pan. When you unfold the paper, it will fit perfectly inside the pan.
- 5
In a large mixing bowl, using a fine-mesh sieve, sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Tap the sieve on its side to remove any clumps and aerate the flour mixture.
- 6
In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, add the butter and mix on low speed to break up the pieces.
- 7
As the butter breaks up, gradually add the sugar to the beaten butter in a slow stream. Using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go, cream the ingredients together on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color, about 5–7 minutes.
- 8
While the butter and sugar are creaming, assemble the wet ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, crack the whole eggs and combine them with the yolks. Set the bowl aside.
- 9
Split the vanilla bean pod. Using your hands, flatten the pod. With the tip of a paring knife, split the pod open, fileting it from top to bottom.
- 10
Using the flat side of the paring knife, scrape the beans out of the opened pod, and add them to the egg mixture. If you aren’t using a vanilla bean pod, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract to the mixture.
- 11
Add the buttermilk to the egg and vanilla bean mixture, and whisk the ingredients together to combine.
- 12
In the bowl of the stand mixer that contains the creamed butter and sugar, or using a hand mixer, add a ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until the flour is just incorporated.
- 13
Add ½ of the wet ingredients to the bowl, and mix on low until you have incorporated most of the eggs and buttermilk into the butter, sugar, and dry ingredients, about 20–30 seconds.
- 14
Repeat this process, adding a ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the mixture and the other ½ of the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing in between. After adding the second ½ of the wet ingredients, mix on low speed for 1 additional minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the mixing tool as you go.
- 15
Add the final ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the bowl of batter. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the batter, cutting down the center of the bowl and using the spatula’s side to scrape up and twist.
- 16
Turn the bowl as you fold the last of the dry ingredients into the batter, until you have incorporated all of the ingredients. Folding minimizes gluten development and makes for a light, fluffy cake.
- 17
Evenly divide the cake batter into the two prepared cake pans. Smooth out the top with the spatula.
- 18
Bake the cakes in the preheated oven. Check them for doneness after 25 minutes, but they will bake for about 30–40 minutes. The cake is done when their tops are golden brown and springy to the touch, and the sides have shrunk back from the pan.
- 19
Cool the cakes in the pans, set on wire racks, until they come to room temperature.
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