Recipe : Vanilla Bean Cake

Vanilla Bean Cake

Makes one 6 inch cake / Serves 6-8 | Recipes from the book Lomelinos tårtor

Ingredients

Cake

50 g (1/2 stick) butter
3 large eggs
1 cup (225 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla powder (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp milk
1 1/4 cups (180 g) all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Vanilla buttercream frosting

300 g butter, softened
1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp pure vanilla powder (or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean) or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
pink food colouring, if desired

Directions

Cake

1. Heat oven to 175°C (350F).
2. Butter and flour two 6 inch (15 cm) cake pans.
3. Melt butter and let cool.
4. Whip eggs, sugar and vanilla until very light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Heat milk until lukewarm and add to egg mixture. Whisk in melted butter.
5. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add dry mixture to batter and stir until smooth.
6. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
7. Bake for 28-30 minutes, then let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in their pans before inverting them onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

Frosting

1. Beat butter until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar and beat until very fluffy and pale, about 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every now and then.
3. Add vanilla and cream and whip for 30-60 seconds or until cream is fully incorporated.
4. If the frosting is full of air bubbles, stir with a spatula until smooth.

Assembly

1. Divide both cakes in half so you have four layers.
2. Put the first layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread about 1/4 cup of frosting on the first layer.
3. Repeat step 2 until you’ve used up all layers.
4. Spread a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake. Put cake in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Divide remaining frosting between two bowls and colour into two different shades of pink if desired.
6. Spread a thick layer (alternating between the two colours of frosting) all over the cake, then use a large offset spatula two make patterns.
7. Store cake in the fridge (because of the cream) and bring to room temperature before eating.
8. Decorate with edible clover flowers.

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