Moist Vanilla Church Cake (Print Version)

Moist vanilla sponge with sweet glaze, ideal for feeding large groups at gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup buttermilk

→ Vanilla Glaze

10 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
11 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
03 - Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Allow glaze to set before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly light while still staying moist for days thanks to buttermilk
  • Everything comes together in one bowl without any fancy techniques or hard to find ingredients
  • The vanilla glaze transforms a simple cake into something that looks like it came from a bakery
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients combine more smoothly so take everything out of the fridge at least thirty minutes before starting
  • Overmixing once the flour is added will make the cake tough so stop as soon as everything is combined
  • The cake needs to cool completely before glazing or the icing will melt right off instead of setting nicely
03 -
  • Sifting the flour before measuring prevents a dense or dry cake from too much flour in the cup
  • Watch the cake closely at the end of baking time since ovens vary and it can go from perfect to overdone quickly

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