Ingredients
Vanilla Cake Recipe
3 cups all-purpose flour (390 grams)
3 cups granulated sugar (600 grams)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder (10 grams)
1 tsp salt (5 grams)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226 grams) – 2 sticks
2 tsp. vanilla extract (9 grams)
1 cup egg whites (or about 7 egg whites) (244 grams)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (360 grams)
1/8 cup vegetable oil (28 grams)
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (434 grams)
1/2 tsp salt (3 grams)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12 grams)
7 cups powdered sugar (907 grams) – or a 2lb bag
2 Tbsp heavy cream (or whipping cream) (30 grams)
Colorful Drip Recipe
1/3 cup heavy cream (77 grams)
1 cup white chocolate chips (175 grams)
gel food coloring
Instructions
Vanilla Cake Layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three eight-inch pans with parchment rounds, and grease with non-stick baking spray.
• Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.
• Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
• Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed.
• Add in vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on low speed for about 15 seconds.
• Mix the batter on a low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl part way through to evenly color the batter.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 34-36 minutes (or until a skewer comes out clean).
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
• Place cake layers into the freezer for 45 minutes, to accelerate the cooling process.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
• Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth.
• Mix in the vanilla extract and salt on a low speed.
• Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream.
• Mix on low for a couple extra minutes, to make the frosting super smooth.
• If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
White Chocolate Ganache Drips:
• Heat heavy cream in a heat proof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds, until it’s just beginning to bubble.
• Gently pour white chocolate chips into the heavy cream, making sure they are fully covered with cream. Allow mixture to sit for 1 minute.
• Stir slowly until the cream and white chocolate are combined. Some bits of chocolate may not be fully melted yet. Heat the mixture again for 20 seconds, and stir. Repeat as necessary until all the chocolate bits are fully melted and incorporated.
• Add in gel food coloring, if desired. Allow to cool until desired viscosity is reached (barely warm to the touch).
• If it seems too thin or thick, you can add a touch more chocolate chips or heavy cream! The type of cream and white chocolate that you use can affect the consistency, so feel free to adjust as needed.
To Assemble The Cake:
• Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
• Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
• Spread a thin coat of frosting around the the cake, to fully cover the cake layers.
• Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
• Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper.
• Chill the cake again in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
• Add the drips to the cake using a plastic squirt bottle.
• Then decorate as desired!
Notes
Dairy free alternative: sweetened coconut milk (canned) can be used in place of the heavy cream in this recipe to make it dairy free.
Make this ganache drip recipe ahead of time or save leftovers! Once it’s made, wrap the bowl with plastic wrap or cover the top of the plastic bottle and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
To use chilled ganache, heat the bottle or bowl in to the microwave for 10 second intervals until it reaches the right consistency.
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