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High Altitude Vanilla Cake (gluten-free option)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 693 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour (or gluten-free all purpose flour)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Vanilla Frosting

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 4-6 tbsp milk of choice
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

6-7,000 ft altitude adjustment: Add one more egg and reduce the baking powder to only 1 tsp.

Instructions

Vanilla Cake

  1. To begin, preheat your oven to 350. Spray two 9" round cake pans with no-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

  2. To a large mixing bowl, add your butter and sugar and cream them together with a mixer. Do not over mix. Add your sour cream, eggs and vanilla and mix together again until just incorporated. Add your flour, baking powder and salt and mix again till you have a thick batter. While mixing, slowly add your buttermilk, till you have a smooth, thick cake batter.

  3. Pour your batter into the two cake pans, filing them evenly. Using a spatula, spread the tops into an even layer.

  4. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or till the cakes are springy to touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

  5. Let the cakes cool entirely before removing them from the cake pans, and before frosting. I recommend chilling your cakes in the fridge prior to frosting.

Vanilla Frosting

  1. To a large mixing bowl, add your butter, 4 tbsp of milk, and vanilla and mix together with a hand mixer till smooth. Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time, and blend till smooth (adding another tbsp of milk, if necessary).

  2. Pipe or spread your frosting on top of your cooled cakes.

  3. Devour!

Recipe Notes

*This cake recipe is made for those baking at about 5,000 ft in altitude. For 6-7,000 ft in altitude you'll need to add another egg and reduce the baking powder to 1 tsp.
*Cake layers can be stored unfrosted, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for about a week in the fridge.
*Cake that's been frosted will last about 3 days (wrapped tightly or in a container) at room temperature. Or, in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Each day that passes will dry the cake out more.