Baby Vanilla Bean Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the vanilla bean cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms and sides with parchment. Set aside.
• Mix together the milk and half-and-half, set aside. Sift together both flours and baking powder; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Sprinkle in the sugar and salt and beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy in texture. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix until just combined. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl frequently. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; don't overbeat.
• Transfer the batter to the cake pans and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs, about 30 minutes. Let cool at 10 minutes before turning out of the pans onto a rack to cool completely.
• For the lemon curd: In a heat-safe mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, lemon zest, eggs and salt. Place the bowl over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water and stir in the lemon juice. Gradually add the cubed butter and stir until everything is incorporated. Continue to stir over low heat until the curd thickens and becomes lighter in color and a bit fluffy, about 10 minutes. The curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Put plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon curd to avoid a skin from forming and refrigerate.
• For the Italian meringue buttercream: Combine 3/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high, attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and cook until the mixture reaches reach 248 degrees F.
• While the sugar syrup is heating, combine the egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment and whip, slowly sprinkling in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, until you reach medium peaks. When the sugar syrup reaches temperature, pour it very carefully down the side of the bowl of egg whites and continue to whip until you have a white, glossy meringue. Replace the whip with a paddle attachment, add the butter in chunks and beat until the buttercream comes together. Beat in the vanilla bean paste. Set aside.
• For the strawberry filling: Grind or crush the strawberries into a fine consistency, set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese. Add 1 pound of the Italian meringue buttercream and mix just until combined. Add the strawberries and mix just until combined.
• To assemble the cake: Put a layer of cake in the center of a platter. Add a thin layer of lemon curd, then a layer of the strawberry buttercream filling. Add the second layer of cake. Spread with a thin layer of lemon curd, and then a layer of the vanilla Italian meringue buttercream. Top with a final layer of cake and ice the entire tier with the vanilla Italian meringue buttercream.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
• Combine the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl; cream together until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer on medium to high speed, about 2 minutes. One at a time, add the eggs, making sure to mix well between each addition. Split the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife; add to the batter and mix until well incorporated.
• In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour. Pour half of the flour mixture into the batter and mix on low to medium speed until well incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the buttermilk to the batter and continue mixing until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture; mix until all ingredients are well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, making sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely before stacking.
• For the salted caramel filling: Add the sugar to a saucepan and cook on low to medium heat until fully melted and beginning to acquire a caramel color, about 10 minutes. Add the butter and mix until blended. Once the butter is incorporated into the sugar, cook for another 2 minutes over low heat, being sure not to burn the mixture. Add the heavy cream, then turn off the heat and let the mixture bubble, stirring just once. When the bubbling stops, add the sea salt. Let cool.
• For the buttercream frosting: Combine the butter, shortening and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl; blend with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, then blend in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until incorporated. Once all the sugar is incorporated, blend for 1 minute more, or until frosting is smooth.
• Spread the salted caramel filling between the cake layers and then stack the cake. Frost with the buttercream frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Cream butter and vanilla bean scrapings together in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add sugar to mixture slowly. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until well blended.
• Mix buttermilk and vanilla extract together. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk into butter mixture, beating on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat for an additional 20 seconds. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is slightly brown on top, coming away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.