Vanilla Bean Layer Cake with Strawberry Buttercream
This moist vanilla bean cake bakes as a single 9-inch layer. Paired with a lightly sweet strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream, it makes a bright, flavorful dessert.
- Prep
- 50 mins
- Cook
- 50 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 40 mins
- Makes
- 12 servings
This Vanilla Bean Cake is moist and delicious, and it bakes as just one 9-inch layer. Paired with a perfectly sweetened strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, it makes a flavorful combination that works well in spring, summer, or any season!
What You Will Need
To make this easy vanilla bean cake, you will need:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- granulated sugar
- egg whites
- vanilla bean paste (not extract)
- whole milk
Tips for Making Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are completely clean and dry before you begin. For extra insurance, wipe both down with a paper towel dampened with white vinegar.
- The sugar and egg white mixture is ready for beating when you no longer feel any sugar grains after rubbing a little of it between two fingers. It should feel smooth, not gritty or sandy. You can also use a candy thermometer and heat the egg white mixture to 150ºF.
- When you lift the mixing bowl off the simmering pot of water, keep a towel handy to dry the bottom so you do not get burned by any hot water.
- While the mixer whips the egg whites into meringue, you can set ice packs around the bottom of the bowl to help it cool down.
- Cut the softened butter into 1 tbsp.-size pieces. Let each piece fully absorb before you add the next.
- The meringue will look a little soupy as you add the butter, so keep mixing! Once all the butter is in, swap the whisk for the paddle attachment and mix for 5-10 minutes. The buttercream is ready when it is smooth and silky.
- Finally, fold in the freeze-dried strawberries (ground into a fine powder in a food processor) with a spatula. Do not use the hand mixer or stand mixer for this step.
- If you will not use the Swiss meringue buttercream right away, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Before using, let it come to room temperature (about 30 minutes), then whisk it with your mixer until smooth again.
Tips for Making Single-Layer Vanilla Bean Cake
- The Texturra Performance 9″ Round Cake Pan is nonstick, but I still recommend lightly coating it with a flour-based baking spray.
- The recommended bake time for this vanilla bean cake is 25-30 minutes at 350ºF. In my oven, the 30-minute mark was perfect, but check the cake at 25 minutes first. To test it, insert a toothpick into the center.
- If you are not decorating the cake right away, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap once it has cooled completely, put it in a storage bag, and leave it at room temperature overnight.
- Use a serrated knife and a rotating cake stand to slice the cake into two layers.
Recommended Baking Tools
- 2-cup Ninja Food Processor – for grinding the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder)
- Texturra Performance 9 Inch Non-Stick Round Pan
- Versa-Tools Spatula Set
- Naturally Flavored Sprinkles and Jimmies
If you tried this Single Layer Vanilla Bean Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and tell me what you thought in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Vanilla Bean Layer Cake with Strawberry Buttercream
This single-layer vanilla bean cake is moist and delicious, and it makes one 9 inch cake layer. Paired with a perfectly sweetened strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream, it is a flavorful combination that works well in spring, summer, or any time of year!
- Prep
- 50 mins
- Cook
- 50 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 40 mins
- Makes
- 12 servings
Ingredients
Single Layer Vanilla Bean Cake
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour, sifted
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Egg Whites
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 5 tbsp Whole Milk
Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 1.2 oz Freeze Dried Strawberries, processed into a fine powder
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 4 Large Egg Whites
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature and cut into 1 tbsp.-size pieces
Method
- Move the oven rack to the middle position (or the one just above it) and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray the 9-inch cake pan with a flour-based baking spray and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg whites until fully incorporated, then mix in the vanilla bean paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Lower the mixer speed and alternate adding the dry mixture and the whole milk, mixing only until combined.
- Pour the batter into the lightly coated 9-inch round cake pan, bake for 25-30 minutes at 350ºF, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Use a small food processor to grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Open the lid carefully, since the powder can fly everywhere.
- Put the sugar and egg whites in a glass or metal bowl (a standalone bowl or one that fits a stand mixer), and set it over a pot of simmering water, with the water 1 to 2 inches deep.
- Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 150ºF and the sugar has fully dissolved. To check, rub a little of the mixture between two fingers. It should feel smooth, not gritty.
- Carefully lift the bowl off the pot, wipe the bottom dry with a towel, and beat the egg white mixture on medium-high to high speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Keep going until stiff meringue peaks form and the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch (this step matters). It can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt, then add the unsalted butter one piece at a time, letting each piece fully blend in before the next. If the mixture looks mushy or curdled, keep beating on high speed.
- Swap the whisk for the paddle attachment and mix for 5 to 10 minutes. The meringue buttercream is ready when it is smooth. Use a spatula to fold in the freeze-dried strawberry powder.
- Frost the cooled cake with the strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream and top with sprinkles. Enjoy! If you like, slice the cake into two layers with a serrated knife and a rotating cake stand.
- If you are not using the buttercream right away, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to a week. Before using, let it come to room temperature (about 30 minutes), then whisk it with your mixer until smooth again.
Baker’s notes
- If you will not decorate the cake right away, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap once it has cooled completely, place it in a storage bag, and leave it at room temperature overnight.
- If you like, use a serrated knife and a rotating cake stand to cut the cake into 2 layers.
