Cast Iron Vanilla Cake

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When you ask anyone what their favorite cake is, the most likely answer will be chocolate cake.  But the humble vanilla cake may actually be the most delicious cake out there...at least, when it's done right.  I find that after a while you can get tired of chocolate...really...but the appeal and taste of vanilla is eternal.  That's why a vanilla cake made in a cast iron cake pan is a treat unlike any other.  This is about as basic as you can get when it comes to making cakes.  The recipe only has four dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and five wet ingredients (butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and buttermilk).  However, we're doing one thing here that's different from most other recipes: we're baking it in a cast iron cake pan.  That requires a somewhat unorthodox method for baking this cake, as you'll see below.

While other cakes are often made with all-purpose flour, it's best to use cake flour when making a vanilla cake.  Just as important, be sure to weigh the cake flour and sift it.  One reason why vanilla cake is often overlooked is that it can be dry and dense.  And so it's necessary to weigh your cake flour and sift it, to ensure the vanilla cake is light and spongy rather than dense and heavy.

While it's possible to mix the ingredients together by hand, using an electric mixer produces much better results, and this is recommended.

Pans needed: One medium to large bowl for dry ingredients. One small to medium bowl for breaking open the eggs.  A large mixing bowl for wet ingredients plus dry ingredients. A heavy metal bundt cake pan, such as cast iron or thick cast aluminum. Because we're going to be heating the pan to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, you must not use a pan with a nonstick surface. Teflon and similar substances can produce fumes when heated to temperatures of this kind. 

1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened (room temperature)
2 cups white sugar

eggs total: 3 eggs plus two additional egg whites, room temperature
tablespoon (3 teaspoons) vanilla extract
1/2 cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil, for greasing the hot cake pan.

This cake is prepared in a manner similar to traditional Skillet Cornbread. This means we don't grease and flour the pan in advance! Instead, place the dry cast iron pan into the oven, and heat the oven and pan to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

As the oven is heating, prepare your ingredients. Take out three sticks of butter and let them soften.  Take out five eggs and let them come to room temperature.

In a medium to large bowl, prepare 2 and 2/3 cups of cake flour. It's important to use a scale and weigh your cake flour to the right measurement.  Next, sift the cake flour so that it's light and airy.  Taking these two steps will ensure your vanilla cake has a light and spongy texture.  After preparing the cake flour, whisk in baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

When the oven reaches 425°, finish preparing the ingredients.  Let the iron pan stay in the oven to ensure it is thoroughly heated to the right temperature.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar: mix these two ingredients together until they are combined into a paste.

Crack three eggs into a bowl.  Separate the whites from two additional eggs, and add them to the same bowl.  The extra two yolks can be discarded (feed them to your dog!).   Mix in the remaining wet ingredients: eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. When it's all mixed, gently mix the dry ingredients in with the mixer on slow speed. Gently mix everything together into a batter.

Using heavy gloves, carefully remove the hot cake pan from the oven. Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and brush the sides of the pan so the entire baking surface is covered. Place the pan back into the oven for abouit a minute to heat up the oil.  Remove the pan from the oven, add the hot oil to the cake batter, and stir it all together. Pour the batter into the hot cake pan. (As anyone who makes cornbread knows, it isn't right if you don't hear the sizzle.)

Place the cake into the hot oven. Then, without opening the oven, immediately turn the temperature down to 350 degrees, and set the oven timer for fifty (50) minutes. This will let the temperature gradually decrease, and keep the cake from burning.

After 50 minutes, begin testing the cake with a skewer.  When the cake tester comes out dry, this will show the cake is indeed done.

Let the cake rest and cool for twenty minutes before flipping it.

Cast Iron Vanilla Cake

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