Buttermilk Vanilla Sponge with Italian Vanilla Buttercream
I made this for my Mums birthday last year, it definitely needs that extra bit of patience but it is so worth it!
Ingredients Vanilla Cake:
- 315 g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 140g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter room temperature
- 340 g (1 1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 340 g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
- 280g (2 cups) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
Assembly:
- confetti sprinkles of choice
INSTRUCTIONS
Vanilla Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (about 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for 30-35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on a wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place the bowl over a pot with 1-2″ of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)
- Place the bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 15mins)).
- Switch to the paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
- Add vanilla and whip until smooth.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layer and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth with a bench scraper.
- If desired, use a decorating comb to give texture to the sides.
- Mix confetti and nonpareils in a small bowl. Press sprinkles gently along the bottom of the cake and sprinkles along the top. For the speckled sides, I grabbed a pinch of sprinkles and tossed them randomly at the sides.
- Pipe rosettes with the remainder of the frosting.
