Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla Birthday Cake And Frosting

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups self rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft
• 8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 grease and lightly flour three 9 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
• 3 in a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
• 4 add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• 5 add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 6 combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.
• 7 divide batter among the cake pans.
• 8 bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
• 9 let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
• 10 remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
• 11 if you're making cupcakes, line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
• 12 spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full.
• 13 bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 to 22 minutes.
• 14 remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on a rack before icing.
• 15 when cake has cooled, ice between the layers, then ice top and sides of cake.
• 16 to make the icing - place the butter in a large mixing bowl.
• 17 add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.
• 18 beat until smooth and creamy.
• 19 gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (you may very well not need all of the sugar).
• 20 if desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.
• 21 use and store icing at room temperature, as icing will set if chilled.
• 22 can store in an airtight container for up to three days.