Well hello and I hope you all are having a great start to the new year! It has been a while since I shared a recipe! We have been very busy with holiday soap orders, family get togethers, a never ending list of farm work, tons of cooking, and obviously the every day things of school and house work. We have a lot of plans for this upcoming year as well. I’m going to try some new homeschool curriculums, we are starting a raised bed garden, finishing our new flock coop, doing some new soap things, and lots lots more. Even though it is all very intimiadating and never ending, I have to say that I’m more excited for spring than ever before! Witnessing farm life brings a whole new appreciation for spring that I hadn’t fully understood before. But I know that what y’all came here for was a recipe! Specifically this vanilla cake recipe.

I like the flavor and consistency of this cake more than some other more dense or flavorless ones I’ve tried. It gets a slightly crisp exterior but keeps a moist cake. You do have to be careful with the baking of it. It can have a tendency to brown and make you think it is done when it is not! If you take it out too soon the center will sink. When my cakes are browning too much, I lower them in my oven or decrease the temp by 25 degrees. I’m not sure if that is technically correct but its what works for me and my oven... you may need to figure out what works for you and yours though! 

Letting your cold groceries come to room temp is definitely a good idea. I wouldn’t say that it is 100% necessary but it will always help your baked goods in their baking and consistency.  

Ive made this cake with several variations that I’ve been happy with... confetti sprinkles was a kid favorite but blackberry filling between the layers with a thyme buttercream was one of my favorites. The slightly more finicky attitude of this cake isn’t one that I want to make all the time. I often prefer my pound cake recipe for a more dense and flexible recipe (but I haven’t shared that one yet), but like this one for a lighter cake. You can see my Christmas tree got a little brown so I could cook it all the way through. I probably wouldn’t use this one in bundt pan again. 

Vanilla Cake

- 1 cup   Butter (room temp)

- 1/2 cup   Crisco or other shortening

- 3 cups   Sugar

- 5   Eggs (room temp) 

- 3 cups   Flour

- 2 tsp  Baking powder

- 1/4 tsp  Salt

- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp  Milk (room temp) 

- 2 tbsp   Lemon juice

- 1 tbsp   Vanilla extract  

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray three 9-inch round cake pans (or other cake pan of your choice) with baking spray. It needs to have flour in it and specifically say “baking” not cooking. You could also oil or butter your pans and then flour them as an alternative.

2. Cream butter and crisco until light and fluffy. Add sugar one cup at a time, being sure to fully incorporate each cup before adding the next. Followed by the eggs one at a time, using the same method.

3. Combine milk, lemon juice, and vanilla and let sit for 5 min. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter and shortening mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

4. Stir all ingredients until well combined, while scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl.

5. Evenly distribute batter between pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Time can vary greatly depending on depth of your cake pans. Remove and allow to cool cake pans for 5-10 minutes, then move to cool on wire rack.

6. Add your preferred icing and flavors as desired.