Classic Vanilla Layer Cake

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This classic vanilla layer cake boasts layers of soft vanilla cake topped with vanilla bean pastry cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries, and a lightly sweetened whipped cream.

It's the Fourth of July, and I can think of no better time to enjoy a classic vanilla layer cake with fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream! This beauty is quite easy to put together. It is a showstopping table centerpiece that your guests will absolutely love, but more importantly, it is delicious to boot. Easily made both dairy-free and gluten-free, this vanilla bean layer cake boasts three layers of soft vanilla cake, homemade vanilla bean pastry cream, fresh berries, and a lightly sweetened whipped cream. It's so refreshing and satisfying; you're going to love it. Let's make it.

What you'll need to make this classic vanilla layer cake:

Salted butter

Large eggs

Sour cream

Pure vanilla extract

All purpose flour

Baking powder

Salt

Whole or 2% milk

Heavy Cream and powdered sugar (for the whipped cream)

Fresh berries of choice (for the topper)

The pastry cream 

This unbelievable pastry cream is made of six simple ingredients: eggs/egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean paste, whole milk, and salted butter. You can find the entire recipe and instructions breakdown on this blog: vanilla bean pastry cream.

It is best to make the vanilla bean paste or cream the night before and allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight to thicken, but you could also pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours, and it would thicken up pretty well.

Note: This recipe makes about double the cream needed for this cake, but I have never halved this recipe due to the egg count. You can freeze the remainder of the pastry cream to use at another date as it stays well in the freezer for 2-3 months.

You could also eliminate the vanilla bean pastry cream altogether and simply enjoy lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries on this cake. Vanilla bean buttercream is also a wonderful addition to this cake.

The Cake

This soft and flavor-packed vanilla layer cake is made of several pantry staples and comes together quite easily. It is a perfect blank slate for all of your filling ideas, topping ideas, or simply to enjoy as is.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch round pans by greasing them thoroughly with butter and flouring them well {sprinkle a little flour over them, tilt and shake to distribute evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink}. Alternatively, you can spray them with Pam, Baker's Joy, or a pure olive oil spray {which is my preference}. Line the sprayed pans with parchment on the bottom to prevent any sticking.

Use a hand mixer or standing mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar together until fluffy and light, about thirty seconds. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream, and beat until fully incorporated and light, another thirty seconds. Beat in the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder. Finally, add the whole milk. Beat together on low until incorporated, scraping the sides, until no unmixed batter remains, about thirty seconds.

Pour into the prepared pans {about 1 heaping cup of batter per 6” pan, about 2 cups per 8” pan}, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops spring back slightly when pressed.

Let the cake cool in its pans on the wire racks for at least 15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges inside each pan, loosening any areas of the cake that might not have fully pulled away. Flip each pan over onto the rack and tap gently all over. Lift the pan slightly. The cake should slide right out. Remove the parchment paper from the bottoms and freeze the layers for 20 minutes or until mostly solid to make frosting easier.

The Berries + Whipped Cream

I chose fresh strawberries and blueberries for this cake because it was festive for the Fourth! You could use any of your favorite berries or fruits and simply place them on the cake no more than 20 minutes prior to serving.

This lightly sweetened whipped cream is simply heavy cream plus powdered sugar, although you can add vanilla bean paste, and it would be a wonderful vanilla bean whipped cream.

For the whipped cream, add the ingredients to a small bowl and beat with a standing or hand mixer until stiff peaks form, about one to three minutes.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer onto a serving dish and pipe whipped cream around the edges of the cake to create a barrier for the pastry cream. Using HALF of the pastry cream recipe {and storing the other half}, add a third of the pastry cream into the middle and top with a third of the fresh berries. Repeat with each layer and the remainder of the whipped cream, pastry cream, and fresh berries.

Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days, best served without the whipped cream or fresh berries.

The dietary substitutions 

I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest. 

As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy. 

Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour. 

If you want to ensure that your oats are gluten free, Bob’s Red Mill makes a certified gluten free old fashioned oat as well. 

Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change. 

Kite Hill makes a dairy free sour cream for those wanting to recreate the cake without dairy.  

Use any unsweetened plant based milk in the cake in place of dairy milk. I have used almond and coconut, I have not used soy so I cannot attest to those results. 

Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for the whipped topping. 

If you loved this classic vanilla layer cake, I’d be so grateful for you to leave a 5 star rating + review. 

Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations. 

Lastly, post this recipe to any of your boards by tapping the Pinterest icon and clicking on your favorite photo. Save and enjoy! 

XO,

Heather