Easy Vanilla Cake for Blank Space Cake
ingredients
For The Vanilla Cake
- 227 grams unsalted butter, room temperature , 1 cup, two sticks
- 375 grams granulated white sugar, 1 3/4 cup
- 4 large eggs, room temperature , approx 224 grams
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 390 grams cake flour, 3 cups
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 120 ml heavy cream, 1/2 cup
- 240 ml whole milk, 1 cup
For The Simple Vanilla Buttercream
- 454 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 cups, 4 sticks - sub brick-based plant buter
- 460 grams icing sugar, 4 cups
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
For The Edible Fake Blood
- 125 ml Seedless raspberry jam, 1/2 cup (I used Smucker's brand)
- 1/2 tsp red gel food colouring, more as needed
- water, dilute to your preference
instructions
Make The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Prepare three 8x2-inch round cake pans by spritzing with vegetable oil and lining with parchment circles cut to size.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and the milk and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low speed, add one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the milk mixture. Keep alternating as you add the mixtures, finishing with the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated, about 30 to 60 seconds - do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly amongst the prepared cake pans. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only moist crumbs, about 22-25 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks.
Make The Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, pulse the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt to combine. Once combined, beat the mixture on high speed until light and fluffy and doubled in volume, about two minutes.
Build The Cake
- Using a serrated bread knife or sharp knife, carefully trim two even portions of the round cake to make a heart shape. (See my video for visuals)
- Place a dab of buttercream onto a cake board or plate. Place the first cake layer down, and using the buttercream, stick the cut pieces to the round edge of the cake to form a heart shape. Don't worry if it's looking wonky, the buttercream can help spackle it all together.
- Add a generous amount of buttercream to this layer, then continue with the remaining layers. Frost a crumb coat on the entire top and sides of the cake.
- Using a large spoon, draw a circle where you want to cut out your divot for the fake blood to sit in.
- Carve out the divot using the large spoon.
- Frost the cake hole, then frost the entire rest of the cake with a second coat of buttercream and chill the entire cake for 15 minutes until firm.
- Carefully spoon the jam mixture into the cake hole, but don't fill it all the way to the top so it doesn't goosh out when you're frosting the top.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a large open circle tip with the buttercream. Carefully pipe long lines across the cake hole, like you're making a buttercream bridge.
- Using an offset spatula, very carefully smooth out the piped buttercream to hide the cake hole!
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a small open circle tip with the buttercream. Write out your cake message! I wrote BLANK SPACE. Tip: use a toothpick to write the message first, then pipe right on top of the toothpick lines.
- Fill a piping bag with a large multi-pronged open star tip, or a classic 1M tip. Pipe buttercream borders around the bottom and top edge of the cake.
- STAB THE CAKE and enjoy!!!
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