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Yellow Cake with Raspberry Filling and Vanilla Buttercream
Sometimes the best baking decision isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what works. I’ve baked enough cakes from scratch to know the gamble: sometimes they’re soft, tender, and everything you hoped for and sometimes they’re just fine.Yellow cakes, especially, can be tricky—they tend to lean dry, often because all-purpose flour doesn’t give that delicate, bakery-style crumb we associate with celebration cakes.
The truth is, many of us grew up on cake mix cakes. That flavor, that texture—it’s familiar and hard to beat. So here’s my hot take: for a birthday cake, I often reach for a mix.
That’s exactly what I did for my dad’s birthday this year: a classic yellow cake (from a mix, with a boost of Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Bean Paste), layered with raspberry filling and finished vanilla buttercream.
By Sara Kubiak
Sometimes a cake mix is the best choice. I have made a lot of cakes from scratch. Sometimes they are moist and delicious. Sometimes they are dry and disappointing. It is especially disappointing when you take the extra effort to make a cake from scratch and it is only okay. Especially, the scratch-made yellow cakes are prone to dryness. I am pretty sure it has to do with using all purpose flour instead cake flour. Using all-purpose flour in a scratch cake can make for a rougher-textured cake. I also think that we are hard-coded to have a cake mix cake be the standard; it is what we are used to, and we have many memories of that being how cake is. Hot take -for a birthday party, I often prefer a cake mix cake to a cake made from scratch. I think that the best combination is a cake made from a cake mix, and to spend your energy and time on making homemade fillings and frostings. For my dad's birthday this year, I made a yellow cake with Raspberry Filling and Vanilla Buttercream.
1 yellow cake mix
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Bean Paste
Make and bake the cake according to the instructions on the box. Add a teaspoon of Vanilla Bean Paste to the cake batter if desired.
Raspberry Filling
- 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Bean Paste
Instructions
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Combine raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice together in over medium heat. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes until the berries are thawed and start breaking down.
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Mix water with cornstarch in a very small bowl. Once the raspberries have broken down and are simmering, add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in
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Continue to cook and stir until it begins to bubble and thicken. Once bubbling, cook for 15 seconds. Add the vanilla bean paste
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Pour the filling into a clean bowl and let cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour until thoroughly chilled and set before using.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter
- 4 – 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
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1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Bean Paste
- Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, the milk, and vanilla bean paste. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes.
- Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or more heavy cream if frosting is too thick (add only 1 Tablespoon at a time, beat together, then taste and add more if desired).
To Assemble
Put first layer of cake on the cake stand. Spread a layer of raspberry filling on the first layer. Put the second layer on top of it. Frost with the vanilla buttercream frosting. Decorate with more raspberry filling and fresh mint leaves (if desired).
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