Sheet Pan Vanilla Vanilla Birthday Cake! Kickin' It Old School!
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: two 8x8 cakes
Ingredients
  • Vanilla Cake:
  • 2½ cups cake flour
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter - room temp
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp. almond oil
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ⅓ cup mascarpone - room temp
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs room temp
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¾ cup whole milk room temp
  • Vanilla American Buttercream:
  • 3 ½ to 4 cups confectionaries sugar
  • 4 sticks salted butter
  • ½ + ¼ cup more if needed to balance sweetness, organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I use spectrum)
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 4-6 tbsps. heavy cream
  • Plant based food coloring (optional for piping flowers)
Instructions
  1. For the Cake:
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray two 8x8 square pans with non-stick spray and line with two pieces of parchment paper crosswise and set aside.
  3. In large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter until smooth, around 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to cream until light and fluffy, another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mascarpone and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at time and mix after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and combine. Add the vegetable and almond oil and mix to incorporate. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix to just combine. Add the milk and incorporate. Add the rest of the dry and mixt to fully incorporate, scrapping down sides of bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
  5. Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake on center rack for 25 to 30 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Pull from pans using the parchment paper ends to cool completely on rack. If only using one cake you can store second wrapped in plastic wrap and then tinfoil in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  6. For the Buttercream:
  7. In the bowl of clean stand-mixer with a paddle attachment cream the butter and shortening until smooth. Add a cup of confectionaries sugar and mix to combine. Add the second cup of sugar and combine. Next, add 3 tbsp. of cream and the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the third cup and mix to incorporate. At this point taste the buttercream and add up to half a cup to a cup more of sugar based on sweetness level. If too sweet add a ¼ cup of more shortening and mix to combine.
  8. Continue to add the cream until you get your desired consistency. Stiffer frosting will hold the decorations better, but I prefer a creamier texture, so I used all 6 tbsp. of cream.
  9. Separate some of the frosting in smaller bowls and add food color of choice for your decorations. Leaving most white to cover cake.
  10. Frost the Cooled Cake:
  11. Place cakes on serving board or cardboard cake board. Frost entire cake with a crumb coat of white frosting, add another smooth layer of frosting over crumb coat and swirl top and sides with the back of spoon to create swirls. Pipe flowers as desired over top of cakes. Store frosted cakes at room temp in air-tight container for up to 2 days, covered in the fridge for 3-5 or in the freezer in freezer safe pan or disposable pan, wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 2 months.
  12. Enjoy!
Recipe by Social Buttercream at http://socialbuttercream.com/2019/08/17/sheet-pan-vanilla-vanilla-birthday-cake-kickin-it-old-school/