Some recipes are special because they’re delicious. Others are special because of who gave them to you and the memories attached to them.
This Vanilla Butter Cake is both.
I’ve had this recipe for almost 20 years. The original piece of paper is stained, faded, wrinkled, and definitely showing its age. And I wouldn’t replace it for anything.
Every time I pull it out, I’m reminded that some of the best recipes aren’t the ones we find online. They’re the ones somebody made for us, we loved it, and we immediately said:
“Okay, I need this recipe!”
And that’s exactly how this Vanilla Butter Cake came into my life.
The Story Behind My Vanilla Butter Cake
Almost 20 years ago, one of my coworkers brought a cake to a potluck at work.
When I tell you that cake was so moist and delicious! I knew immediately that I needed the recipe.
Apparently, everybody else felt the same way because several of us asked her for it.
This was before social media became what it is today. There was no sending someone a TikTok or Instagram Reel. We weren’t pulling out our phones to AirDrop recipes to each other.
So she did what we did back then.
She typed the recipe out on a piece of paper for us.
And I kept mine.
For almost 20 years.
My coworker has since passed on and gone to heaven, which makes that old piece of paper even more precious to me now.
She probably thought she was simply sharing a good cake recipe with some coworkers. I doubt she realized that all these years later, I would still have it, still make it, and still think of her whenever I pulled that paper out.
I’ve shared this recipe many times over the years, and I’ll continue to share it.
Because I think good recipes are meant to be passed along.
And sometimes, when we share a recipe, we’re sharing a little piece of someone’s story too.
I’ve Been Working on Something…
Lately, I’ve been quietly working on something special, and it has me going back through some of the recipes I’ve collected, loved, and made over the years.
Of course, this Vanilla Butter Cake had to be one of them.
Especially as we head into the holiday season.
One thing I love about this cake is that it feels special without being complicated. The holidays can already have us doing the absolute most—shopping, decorating, cooking, hosting, wrapping gifts and trying to make everything magical.
Your dessert doesn’t have to stress you out too.
This cake starts with a boxed butter cake mix, and we doctor it up with sour cream, eggs, sugar and oil to make it extra moist and delicious.
There are no complicated techniques.
No fancy ingredients.
Just a really good cake.
It’s the kind of recipe I love for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sunday dinner, potlucks or anytime you need something easy that still tastes like you put some love into it.
And About That Baking Time…
One of my favorite things about old recipes is how casually some of the instructions were written.
My original recipe literally says:
“Bake cake at 325 degrees.”
That’s it. 😂
No baking time.
It was very much a you’ll know when it’s done kind of recipe.
Because baking time will depend on the size and type of pan you use, I recommend using the suggested baking time for your pan on the cake-mix box as your starting point. Begin checking the cake a few minutes before the end of that time and remove it when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
One Important Change: Cake Mix Boxes Are Smaller Now
If you’re recreating older cake-mix recipes, this is something you need to know.
The original recipe calls for an 18.25-ounce box of cake mix.
Cake-mix manufacturers have reduced the amount of mix in many boxes over the years. Since I wanted to stay as close to my coworker’s original recipe as possible, I decided not to simply use one of today’s smaller boxes.
Instead, I pulled out my kitchen scale and weighed out 18.25 ounces, or approximately 517 grams, of cake mix.
That meant opening a second box to get enough.
And yes, you could absolutely do it that way.
But if you don’t want to open two boxes of cake mix, there’s another option.
Homemade Cake-Mix Extender
You can make a simple dry cake-mix extender and use it to make up the difference between the size of your current cake-mix box and the 18.25 ounces called for in the original recipe.
Combine:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Whisk everything together really well and keep it in an airtight container.
You do not need to add the entire extender recipe to your cake.
Instead, weigh the contents of your box of cake mix. Then add enough of the extender to bring the total weight of your dry mixture to 18.25 ounces (approximately 517 grams).
Then proceed with the Vanilla Butter Cake recipe as written.
Let’s Talk About the Frosting
I made a cream cheese frosting to go with my Vanilla Butter Cake, and the two together are so good.
The original paper my coworker gave me actually includes a simple cream cheese frosting recipe too.
But I’m going to give that frosting its own moment.
I’ll be sharing my cream cheese frosting recipe separately in another blog post and video because it’s one of those recipes you can use for so many desserts.
And trust me, you’re going to want it with this cake.
Sometimes a Recipe Is More Than a Recipe
Looking at this old piece of paper now makes me a little emotional.
It’s stained.
It’s wrinkled.
It’s faded.
And it’s been with me for almost 20 years.
But I think that makes it even more beautiful.
Because somewhere along the way, it stopped being just a recipe for cake.
It became a memory.
My coworker couldn’t have known when she sat down and typed this recipe for us that I would still have that same piece of paper nearly two decades later.
She couldn’t have known that after she was gone, I would pull it out and remember that potluck.
Or that I would continue making her cake.
Or that one day I would share her recipe and the story behind it with all of you.
But that’s what recipes can do.
They keep little pieces of people, places and seasons of our lives with us.
And I think that’s especially beautiful during the holidays.
So yes, I could retype this recipe, print out a fresh copy and throw that old paper away.
But I never will.
I’ll keep the stained one.
I’ll keep making the cake.
And I’ll keep sharing the recipe.
Because nearly 20 years later, her Vanilla Butter Cake is still bringing people to the table.
And I think she would love that. ❤️
Love Ricki Nicole
Vanilla Butter Cake: The Recipe I’ve Kept for Almost 20 Years
Description
An easy, incredibly moist Vanilla Butter Cake made with a doctored butter cake mix, sour cream, vanilla, and a few simple ingredients. This treasured recipe has been in my collection for nearly 20 years and makes a beautiful, dependable cake for holidays, celebrations, potlucks, or Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the eggs and flavorings. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl to make sure no shells get into the cake. Add the vanilla extract and optional Butter Vanilla Emulsion to the eggs. Set aside.
- Begin the batter.
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl to make sure no shells get into the cake. Add the vanilla extract and optional Butter Vanilla Emulsion to the eggs. Set aside.
- 3. Begin the batter.
Add the cake mix, sugar, water, vegetable oil, and sour cream to a large mixing bowl. Mix until the ingredients begin to come together, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Avoid overmixing. - Add the cake mix, sugar, water, vegetable oil, and sour cream to a large mixing bowl. Mix until the ingredients begin to come together, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Avoid overmixing.
- 4. Add the eggs one at a time.
- Add one egg to the batter and mix just until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining eggs, adding and mixing in one egg at a time. Because the flavorings have already been added to the eggs, they will be incorporated as you add them.
- 5. Finish the batter.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more. Mix only as much as necessary to create a smooth, evenly combined batter.
- 6. Bake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350°F until the cake is done and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour your desired cake pan or prepare it with baking spray. Make sure your eggs and sour cream are at room temperature and measure all ingredients before beginning.
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl to make sure no shells get into the cake. Add the vanilla extract and optional Butter Vanilla Emulsion to the eggs. Set aside.
- Add the cake mix, sugar, water, vegetable oil, and sour cream to a large mixing bowl. Mix until the ingredients begin to come together, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Avoid overmixing.
- Add one egg to the batter and mix just until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining eggs, adding and mixing in one egg at a time. Because the flavorings have already been added to the eggs, they will be incorporated as you add them.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more. Mix only as much as necessary to create a smooth, evenly combined batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350°F until the cake is done and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the pan. Cool completely before frosting.
1. Prepare.
2. Prepare the eggs and flavorings.
3. Begin the batter.
4. Add the eggs one at a time.
5. Finish the batter.
6. Bake.
7. Cool.
Notes
- Cake Mix: This is an older recipe originally made when cake-mix boxes contained 18.25 ounces. For the closest result, I weigh my cake mix and use 18.25 ounces (517 grams). Depending on the size of your current box, you may need to open a second box to reach the correct weight.
Cake-Mix Extender: If you don’t want to open a second box, you can use a homemade cake-mix extender to make up the missing weight. Combine 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Do not add the entire extender to the cake. Add only enough to your boxed cake mix to bring the total dry weight to 18.25 ounces (517 grams).
Room-Temperature Ingredients: Allow the eggs and sour cream to come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the ingredients combine more evenly.
Flavoring: I recommend using the tablespoon of vanilla extract. The PK Elixirs Butter Vanilla Emulsion is an optional addition that I use for even more buttery vanilla flavor.
Mixing: Don’t overmix the batter. Add the eggs one at a time and mix only until each is incorporated before adding the next.
Baking Time: My original nearly 20-year-old recipe simply says, “Bake cake at 350 degrees,” with no baking time listed. Baking time will depend on the pan you use. Use the recommended time for your pan size on your cake-mix box as a starting point and check for doneness.
Frosting: I frost this cake with my homemade cream cheese frosting. I’ll share that recipe separately.
