The Only Birthday Cake Recipe You Will Need!
Is there anything better than a fluffy birthday cake? A delicious fluffy vanilla cake that’s so moist, so delicious, you will never want to have store bought cake again!
It is actually too good to only be shared on birthdays. If you ask me, this cake should be made and devoured regularly!
What I love about this fluffy cake recipe
This fluffy birthday cake recipe versatile, low in sugar, made with high quality ingredients, and a guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!
Frosting ideas for a birthday cake recipe
The frosting options for a birthday cake recipe can have limitless possibilities. You can make this with a buttercream frosting, chocolate whip cream frosting, homemade whipped cream frosting, raspberry cream frosting with fresh or frozen raspberries, or a chocolate ganache frosting.
This birthday cake recipe has very few ingredients and honestly I believe the method of making this birthday cake really takes it to a new level. Make sure to watch my quick tutorial on how I fold beaten egg whites into my cake batter. It is a simple yet particular method.
How to beat egg whites until fluffy
Beating egg whites until fluffy can seem unapproachable to a novice baker. I will share with you 2 possible and simple ways to do this. You can do this with either a regular hand mixer (which is what I used) or an electric stand mixer.
How to beat egg whites with a hand mixer
If using an electric hand mixer, simply add the number of specified egg whites to your bowl. Then beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Your egg whites should not be drippy, they should be fluffy. Although at first you may look and think “how is this supposed to get fluffy?” Just keep going and you will see it transform in front of your very own eyes! The key is to beat it for a few minutes (3-5 minutes).
How to beat egg whites with a stand mixer
To beat egg whites in a stand mixer, simply add the specified egg whites into your stand mixer bowl. Next power on the mixer to high speed and beat until soft peaks form. Once you have this method down, you will be making the fluffiest cakes imaginable.
How to fold egg whites in cake batter
To fold beaten egg whites in cake batter, add the egg whites gradually. Divide the beaten egg whites into 2 parts. Then add the first half and take a spatula and fold the egg whites in a rotating motion. The direction of the rotating motion doesn’t matter, just choose one direction and stick to it. I usually fold it away from me.
What kind of flour to use for fluffy birthday cake recipes
I am sure you have heard that the best type of flour to use for cake recipes is cake flour. However, there’s a few reasons why I don’t believe this to be true. First, if I’m being practical, who has cake flour consistently stocked in your pantry? Unless you’re a baker, maybe. Secondly, The only type of flour I will opt to bake with is organic unbleached flour. Trying to find unbleached organic cake flour to me sounds like a rabbit hole I prefer not to go in.
Instead, I use King Arthur’s Organic Unbleached Bread Flour. If no one has ever told you this, bread flour will make your pastry recipes shine like the rock star! This is the key my friends, bread flour! Make sure to have bread flour always stocked in your pantry.
One extra step you can do when making fluffy birthday cake is to put your flour through a sieve. I did not do it in my tutorial and it still turned out great. I will leave that step as an optional suggestion.
What pans to use to make cake?
It is best to use non-toxic pans as much as possible. I do not use aluminum in my cooking or baking. Opt for aluminum free, lead free, PFA free, cadmium free, safe cookware when baking. The toxic chemicals in cookware could leech into your food.
Options for non-toxic cookware are the following:
Pyrex, or any oven safe glass cookware, stainless steel, ceramic, or cast iron pans.
If using a cast iron pan, note that it will bake differently because they tend to retain a much hotter temperature. For this cake recipe, I would recommend either a stainless steel pan or a glass pan.
If you are using a round pan, it should be no bigger than 8 or 9 inches. If using a square or rectangle pan, opt for an 8X8 pan. Anything bigger than that for this recipe will result in a thinner and less fluffy cake. Additionally, it is helpful to use unbleached parchment paper and grease all sides well with melted butter.
I hope you give this recipe a try and truly devour every last bite. I would love to know if you try this. You can comment on this page or tag me on instagram @cookingwithrips.
Love and Light!
Rips
| Prep Time: 10 minutes | Bake Time: 20-25 minutes |
| Serves: 5-7 | Total Time: 35 minutes |
| Ingredients 3 eggs (separate egg yolks and egg whites) 1/2 organic sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 6 tbsp sour cream 2 tsp baking powder 1 stick butter (melted and cooled) +1 tbsp melted butter for greasing pan 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8X8 square pan or a 9 inch round pan lined with parchment paper using 1 tbsp melted butter *See note below
- First separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl.
- Next, add sugar to the egg yolks and beat until well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat until well combined.
- Next add the baking powder, and cooled melted butter and beat again with the mixer for about 1 minute.
- Now add the flour and salt. Use a spatula to gently stir the flour in for a few seconds.
- Finish mixing by using your mixer until no flour is visible in the cake batter. (About 1 minute)
- In a separate medium bowl, beat the just egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (about 3-5 minutes).
- Using a spatula gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter until they are no longer visible. *Do not use your mixer after adding egg whites.
- Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick entered in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Enjoy!
*Note- The temperature of everyone’s oven can greatly vary. If you know your oven is hotter than usual, opt for baking it at around 340F.
Other Delicious Recipes
*Disclosure-This post contains affiliate links
Leave a Reply