To make a basic cake, here are the essential steps:
- Preheat the oven (usually to around 350°F or 175°C). Prepare cake pans by greasing and lining with parchment paper.
- In one bowl, sift the dry ingredients together, typically flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture and a liquid like buttermilk or milk alternately into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 20-40 minutes, depending on the recipe and pan size, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for a short while before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare frosting (e.g., cream cheese frosting or buttercream) by beating together ingredients like butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Once the cake layers are completely cool, frost and assemble the cake as desired. Refrigerate for some time if needed before serving.
These steps create a classic, moist vanilla cake. Specific ingredient amounts and baking times will depend on the recipe but this outline covers the general process.
