{"id":5266,"date":"2013-09-30T12:07:20","date_gmt":"2013-09-30T18:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/?p=5266"},"modified":"2013-09-30T12:07:20","modified_gmt":"2013-09-30T18:07:20","slug":"vanilla-birthday-cake-with-vanilla-frosting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/2013\/09\/30\/vanilla-birthday-cake-with-vanilla-frosting\/","title":{"rendered":"Vanilla Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting"},"content":{"rendered":"

This vanilla cake was one of the many sweet treats we had at Betsy’s 1st birthday party<\/a>, but the only one I made from scratch. \u00a0I am a sucker for cake mixes a lot of the time. They’re easy, reliable, and pretty tasty. \u00a0But there’s something about a scratch cake that is just special. \u00a0And if there’s a time to have a special cake, it’s at a birthday party!<\/p>\n

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This vanilla cake is from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook<\/a>. \u00a0I picked the cookbook up after a trip to visit my sister in New York where I went on a cupcake tasting tour (guided by yours truly with only one participant…myself). \u00a0I tried Magnolia Bakery, Cupcake Cafe and Billy’s Bakery. \u00a0I think there was one other? \u00a0I don’t remember. \u00a0I’ve had 2 kids since then. \u00a0But Magnolia is one of the best and the shop is darling and wonderful. \u00a0It’s definitely a fun place to visit…unless you end up fighting someone for a cupcake after waiting in line for hours. \u00a0The first time I went there was hardly a soul in the place and so it was a very pleasant experience for me. \u00a0Another time I was going to go with my sister and as we approached the store and saw the line we turned around and returned empty handed. \u00a0Workdays are probably a good bet, but I’m not making any promises since I don’t have enough experience. \u00a0I do think it’s safe to say that weekends will always be crazy.<\/p>\n

To make this cake a little special I dyed the layers in shades of purple. \u00a0It didn’t turn out as “ombre” as I would’ve liked. \u00a0The colors are too close to the same shade, so if you decide to try the ombre cake make sure that the batters are very different from each other.<\/p>\n

The vanilla buttercream is from the same cookbook and is tremendously delicious. \u00a0I love frosting. \u00a0This one comes out beautifully white, especially if you use this vanilla<\/a>. \u00a0This clear vanilla has a nostalgic flavor for me and is different than pure natural vanilla. \u00a0In most cases I prefer natural vanilla, and often I use this vanilla paste<\/a> because I love the vanilla bean flecks. \u00a0But with a classic vanilla birthday cake I think the clear vanilla is the way to go. \u00a0Use what you have, but do give the clear vanilla a try if you see it somewhere!<\/p>\n

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This is definitely a cake I’ll come back to and recommend others try when they want to bake a cake from scratch. \u00a0It’s really not terribly difficult or time consuming and it’s a nice change from a box cake. \u00a0Eat up and enjoy!<\/p>\n

Vanilla Birthday Cake<\/h3>\n

From Magnolia Bakery Cookbook<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/em><\/p>\n