Best vanilla birthday cake recipe

Looking for a tried and tested vanilla birthday cake recipe. One that people actually want to eat (not just a thing to decorate for the sake of a cake) and that is solid enough to cut to shape (a car!)

I've tried lots but none that stand out, every time a birthday rolls around I try a new one, but I want to find a favourite.

I am no help as I am a carrot cake girl if you want flavour.

Would a butter cake or a pound cake work better for the carving requirement?

Have you tried the one in the aww cookbooks?

As Riotproof mentioned - the AWW one (e.g. the AWW Children’s Birthday Cake book).

I decorate my cakes while they’re frozen. So much easier.

I always have compliments on how nice they taste using the AWW butter cake recipe.

Thanks for the suggestions! I've got the AWW book but never tried the actual cake recipe. Assumed it wouldn't be great for some reason.

I'm with you [mention]Sancti-claws[/mention] vanilla is not my top choice, but I'm dealing with fussy people. Carrot cake with cream cheese icing is one of my favourites.

Expensive but if you use the real extract or even better the paste, it will taste amazing.

The AWW butter cake is phenomenal. So tasty. Some reviews say it can be a little dry. An extra egg and some more milk fixes it.

It’s the same recipe I use for our steamed puddings. *drool*

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/vanilla-butter-cake/7f4ea825-dc9b-4685-a668-26f732d1925b

This one worked well for me. I made it as a normal birthday cake, and also in a loaf tin to make this first birthday cake

Hands down this is the best vanilla cake I've ever made:

https://www.recipetineats.com/my-very-best-vanilla-cake/

Moist, perfect flavour and crumb. Seriously - you wont regret it.

The AWW butter cake is phenomenal. So tasty. Some reviews say it can be a little dry. An extra egg and some more milk fixes it.

It’s the same recipe I use for our steamed puddings. *drool*

Yes, I found it on the dry side, which I thought was odd because usually the AWW recipes work out fine.

I've always used the AWW recipe, froze as soon as cooled, then cut and iced the cake frozen the day of / night before depending how complicated the cake is .

There are two AWW buttercake recipes. The original recipe in the 1980s birthday cookbook with the train on the front is on the dry side. You need to use the recipe in their newer birthday cookbooks. From memory it has more sugar - 3/4 cup and possibly less flour. The recipe in the 80s cookbook has 1/2 cup sugar.

Eta this is the better AWW recipe

I love a basic vanilla buttercake.

With basic buttercream.

It used to annoy my mum who want to get an iced sponge from the bakery, with mock cream and toasted desiccated coconut.... Spew

Not sure why as she is a good cook.

Thanks everyone, plenty to try, I'll make my way through them this year! Think I'll give the AWW one a try tonight and see how we go.

Has anyone used the nagi one for carving for AWW cakes? I want to make the shark cake for DD but I also want it to taste good haha. Not sure how it would hold up for being turned into a shark?

Kind of cheating but when I was making aliens and pirate ship cakes for my boys I used the blue boxed vanilla cake mix from ALDI. It tasted great and so many people asked me for my recipe, grins

What sort of butter and vanilla are you using?

I’m not a fan of Western Star or Lurpak. I find they impart a funny flavour to cakes. I use Devondale salted unless I’m being fancy and find reasonably priced gourmet butters.

Real vanilla extract also makes a difference. You could use vanilla sugar for another gourmet touch without the little black flecks.

I use home grown, corn fed hen eggs too which adds flavour to the end result. When the hens are off the lay, I don’t tend to bake because it’s not worth the effort for inferior results.

Raw caster sugar also adds a slight caramel flavour to the cake. It will colour it slightly but I don’t notice with the yellow of real butter and eggs.

Interesting [mention]Basil[/mention] , I only use western star unsalted as I find all the others taste funny! Devondale was the worst last time I tried it (years ago admittedly).

Interesting @Basil , I only use western star unsalted as I find all the others taste funny! Devondale was the worst last time I tried it (years ago admittedly).

Same. I prefer the taste of Western Star. I don't mind Aldi butter either.

Hands down this is the best vanilla cake I've ever made:

https://www.recipetineats.com/my-very-best-vanilla-cake/

Moist, perfect flavour and crumb. Seriously - you wont regret it.

I was going to suggest this. I haven't actually tried one myself but I have made both of her chocolate cakes and her red velvet cake and they are all seriously good.

Interesting @Basil , I only use western star unsalted as I find all the others taste funny! Devondale was the worst last time I tried it (years ago admittedly).

Thats funny

My late CWA relative used to swear by Western Star unsalted. I was never a fan of her baking. Another late relative who was a post war European immigrant, preferred Lurpak which I also found tasted funny to my taste buds. I guess it’s what you’re used to...

I have found that any butter that is ‘softened’ in the Qld heat can go rancid very quickly. Looking at you DD! She went to soften butter in the sun and it was a half puddle of oil. She used it anyway which resulted in an awful tasting cake.

I buy whatever is on special and don't notice - so am not sure if that makes me a fantastic baker or a mediocre taster...

Interesting about the butters, I always use salted but have no noticeable preference for brand.

I ended up making the AWW recipe but subbed some of the milk for sour cream as I had a hankering for something a little more dense. It worked out pretty well! Going to try some of the other recipes soon so I can find a favourite before the next birthday rolls around.

I always use salted.

I bake with no name and spread with Lurpak on the rare occasion i use it as spread.