Vanilla Cake

Updated On: Dec 18, 2023



Have you ever wanted the opportunity to do-over something that was definitely not a good representation of your skills?  Maybe it was a missed throw that would’ve won the game or a presentation at work that just didn’t hit the mark.  Well, I have been handed the golden ticket by the wonderful folks at Frigidaire and Foodbuzz.  They asked for stories of recipes you wished you could do-over, so I submitted my story of the cake I made for my neighbors 65th birthday back in January.



Karen asked me if I’d be open to making her birthday cake.  She knows I love to cook, so I quickly chimed in with a YES.  I would never have imagined what would happen next.  We were in the middle of a remodel and while picking up a stack of tile, I tore a muscle in my side.  The pain was incredible, but I knew I had a cake to make and I couldn’t let her down.  I muscled through the pain that day but the cake…the cake told a story of just how off my game I was.  Karen was incredibly sweet and thanked me profusely for making her sweet treat.  I could only hope that she really was happy with it because deep inside I was not very proud of the end result.  



When we first talked about what she like, she said “yellow roses”.  I thought…that’s easy, I have a rose bundt pan and could make something really cool with it.  Yep, that’s what I thought.  I decided I wanted it to be dramatic so I made it a 2 tiered cake.  9″ rounds on the bottom and the rose bundt on top.  Sounds interesting enough, right?  By now you must be asking yourself, “what on Earth did this cake look like?”  Right?  Well, brace yourself.  If you think for one second that the cakes you’ve been looking at so far are pretty, well then you’re in for a Cake Wreck treat.


Are you ready?


Really ready?


Ok….here it is…in all it’s glory (that’s sarcasm).  






Yep, that’s it.  I’m not sure where the “rose” is, but I can assure you that under that plethora of piped stars is a rose shaped bundt.  Totally lost in translation.  And the red on top you ask?  Well, I’ll spare you the nickname of this cake (that I named, not Karen – she’s too sweet and nice).  Anyway, can you see why I wanted a do-over?  Had I not been hopped up on pain killers and dying from the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt, things may have been a little better.  Sometimes…you just need to fall down so you can get back up better.  

So, thank you to Frigidaire for putting out the call for do-overs.  The look on Karen’s face today on her 65 1/2 birthday (not really) was priceless.  I was so proud to give her a cake she (almost) didn’t want to eat.  It was a day that will live in my memories forever.


This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you share your own do-over moment at Facebook.com/Frigidaire, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs. Plus, Frigidaire will help cover the costs for one lucky visitor to win the ultimate do-over.


Yellow Rose Vanilla Cake

This recipe was modified slightly from www.sweetapolita.com.  Rosie’s cakes are incredible and I’m a firm believer in “you don’t fix what isn’t broke”.
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Ingredients
1 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
7 large egg whites, room temperature
1 whole egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups cake flour, sifted twice
2 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
1 3/4 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature cut into pieces
6 tablespoons shortening
Buttercup Yellow Wilton Gel Coloring

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and line three 9″ cake pans with parchment and butter parchment.  Set aside.
  2. In a 2 cup glass measure, add the milk and heavy cream.  In a medium bowl combine the egg whites, whole egg, 1/2 cup of milk mixture, vanilla and almond extract.  Stir to combine.  Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add all of the dry ingredients (cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt).  Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
  4. Add the butter and shortening to the flour mixture and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.  Add the remaining 1 cup of milk/cream mixture and mix on low speed until just moistened.  Increase to medium speed and mix for 90 seconds.
  5. Scrape down the sides and add the egg mixture in 3 additions, beating on medium for 20 seconds after each addition.
  6. Divide the batter into the 3 equal parts  Note: it’s best to weigh the batter on a scale for precise layers – 593 grams each) .  Tint the first batch by adding 1/8 teaspoon Buttercup yellow gel coloring, mix well to combine and add to one of the prepared cake pans.  In the second batch add 1/16 teaspoon (you may need to eyeball this if you don’t have that measure), mix well to combine and add to one of the prepared cake pans.  For the last batch, dip the tip of a butter knife 1/2 inch into the gel and add to the cake batter, mix well to combine and add to the last cake pan.
  7. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Remove and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out to cool completely.
Vanilla Icing

Ingredients
5 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
4 1/2 tablespoons fat free milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Buttercup Yellow Wilton Gel Coloring

Instructions
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low for 1 minute.  Increase speed to medium and whip for 6 minutes.
  3. Divide frosting into 3 batches with one batch having more than the other 2 (this will be your top layer of frosting and requires more roses).  Tint the first smaller batch with 1/8 tsp gel coloring and mix well to combine.  Place the darkest cake layer on a cake plate or pedestal.  Add 2/3 of the frosting and add a layer to the top of the cake and then do a light skim coat on the sides.  Tint the next smaller batch with 1/16 teaspoon gel coloring.  Add the next medium colored cake layer to the first and repeat the process of frosting the center and skim coating the sides.  For the last batch of icing dip the butter knife 1/2 inch into the gel coloring, add to the icing and mix to combine.  Top the cake with the final cake layer.  Coat the top with a generous layer of icing and skim coat the sides.
  4. Use a 1M star tip and disposable piping bag and fill with the darkest icing color.  Starting from the center pipe 2 concentric circles.  Repeat around the cake.  Wash the tip and repeat with the medium yellow icing and so on.
  5. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to set the icing.  Remove and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Makes 10-12 servings

Recipe By:

Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.

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  1. Pingback: » Yellow and Purple 2nd Birthday Party Just Make Time
  2. I’ve chosen your “do-over” cake to make for my Mom’s 65th birthday bash. Thank you in advance and I’ll let you know how it goes!

    1. FarmgirlGourmet Author says:

      Hope you love it as much as Karen did Renata. Happy birthday to your mom. 🙂

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