cake: vanilla bean & mascarpone whip

I’m kicking off a series of cake recipes with this classic flavor - vanilla.

My goal for this series is to provide you with some solid cake recipes that can be easily customized for your own personal taste or occasion (peep the end of the post for some notes on customizations). Cakes are an incredible playground for flavor, texture, and so much more. That alone calls for a celebration, in my opinion.

Vanilla is very much an underrated flavor in the culinary world. I often prefer it in a creamy, custard-like treat, such as in ice cream or crème brûlée.

Vanilla cake is an exception. It’s not my typical go-to cake flavor, only because it tends to lack…well, vanilla.

However, I do say that if you’re going to make any cake from scratch at home, let it be vanilla. Because you can make it so much better. Here are some tips I suggest when following a vanilla cake recipe:

• double (or triple) the vanilla extract called for in the recipe

• replace some of the granulated sugar for light brown sugar (adds moisture and deepens the flavor of the cake)

• play around with a complimentary flavor to enhance vanilla (these flavors can be incorporated into the cake using a milk soak)

  • some examples are honey, maple, and toasted sugar

---

Now, onto the recipe.

We are flavoring this cake with all the vanilla things. Pure vanilla extract, pure vanilla bean paste, and a vanilla bean.

If you do not have vanilla bean paste, substitute with more pure vanilla extract.

This vanilla bean cake is oil based, with an ultra fluffy mascarpone whipped cream frosting. It can be paired with any frosting recipe of your choice (now that I don’t bake for customers, I find myself making butter-based frostings less and less because…well, they can be a lot of work).

I do prefer a lighter, less sweet frosting for cake anyway. This mascarpone based whip is just that.

For the cake, a lot of the air and structure comes from whipping whole eggs and sugar together, and then slowly streaming in the oil until homogenous. This method provides us with a very tall, tender and light crumb. It’s not too dense, too dry or too moist. It truly is just right.

Because the cake is oil based, I do prefer to use a neutral oil with some prominent buttery notes, such as avocado oil. Oil based vanilla cakes tend to be a little bland or flavorless (due to the lack of butter). Take that as an advantage by really pumping up the vanilla flavor. There’s nothing in this cake to mask the vanilla notes.

---

Notes about oil:

If you do not wish to use avocado oil, canola or grapeseed oil will work fine.

You could also sub in a little olive oil, maybe 20-30% worth. Too much olive oil would easily overpower the vanilla flavor, though it would still be damn delicious.

If you really want to punch up the vanilla flavor, soak a split vanilla bean or two in the oil before baking for up to 2 days.

---

Before baking, the top of the batter is sprinkled with vanilla bean sugar. As the cake bakes, the top of the cake will become crackly, forming a sweet vanilla bean crust.

The vanilla cake layers are then soaked in warm vanilla bean milk before assembling and frosting.

A dusting of confectioner’s sugar is optional, and purely for aesthetic.

Let’s get started.

Tools You’ll Need:

• 8” cake pan with tall sides (3-4 inches)

• parchment paper

• electric handheld mixer or stand mixer

• small offset spatula

---

CAKE: VANILLA BEAN

Makes: 1 8” cake | Cook Time: 40-45 minutes | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 8-12 generous slices

cake dry ingredients (1):

• 236 grams all purpose flour

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

cake wet ingredients (2):

• 200 grams cane sugar

• 25 grams light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 large eggs, 150 grams room temperature

• 120 ml avocado oil see notes about oil above

• 13 grams vanilla bean paste

• 13 grams pure vanilla extract

• 240 ml whole milk room temperature

vanilla bean sugar

• 50 grams granulated sugar

• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

vanilla milk soak:

• 120 ml whole milk

• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

• remaining vanilla bean sugar*

vanilla mascarpone whip:

• 350 ml heavy cream

• 300 grams mascarpone cheese

• 60 grams confectioners’ sugar

• pure vanilla extract, to taste

• large pinch flakey sea salt

Before beginning, it is crucial for all the cake ingredients to be at room temperature.

Prepare the Vanilla Bean Sugar

1. To a small bowl, add 50 grams granulated sugar.

2. Split half of a vanilla bean lengthwise. Save the remaining half for the milk soak later on.

3. Use a small paring knife to scrape the seeds out of the pod, running your knife gently along the split.

4. Use your fingers to rub the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar until evenly distributed and the sugar has specks all throughout.

5. Place the scraped vanilla bean pod into the sugar and set it aside until ready to use. I like making the sugar a day or two ahead for intense flavor.

Bake the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees, and prepare a tall-sided 8” cake pan with non-stick spray and parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (1): 226 grams all-purpose flour and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder. Whisk together until well combined, and set aside.

3. To a small bowl or pitcher, pour 240 ml of whole milk and set aside.

4. To a small glass pitcher or bowl with a spout, prepare the following wet ingredients (2): combine 140 ml avocado oil with 13 grams vanilla bean paste and 13 grams pure vanilla extract. Whisk together well and set aside.

5. To a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), combine 3 large eggs. Using an electric handheld mixer (or whisk attachment), beat the eggs on medium low for 1 minute.

6. Add in 200 grams cane sugar and 25 grams light brown sugar. Beat together on medium speed, gradually increasing the speed to medium high until the mixture is pale, voluminous and ribbons off the beaters. This process can take 3-5 minutes, depending on the device you are using.

7. Next, slowly and steadily stream in the oil and vanilla mixture into the eggs while beating on medium speed. This process should take 2 minutes, allowing the oil to completely emulsify into the batter.

8. After the oil has been added, slowly pour the milk into the batter while mixing on low until just combined.

9. Add in half of the dry ingredients into the batter. Use a whisk (or rubber spatula) to gently mix the flour in, careful to not deflate the airy batter. Repeat with the remaining half of the flour, and mix until no lumps of flour remain. To make your life easier, I recommend sifting the flour in.

10. The batter should be a very light, pale yellow. At this point you’ll have some small air bubbles, which is okay. Give the bowl one last scrape around to ensure everything is incorporated.

11. Pour the batter into the prepared 8” cake pan, and sprinkle the top liberally with about half of the vanilla bean sugar.

12. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes, depending on your oven.

13. The cake is finished when it’s golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake will have formed a crust and may separate or pull from the rest of the cake, which is what we want.

14. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. Feel free to sprinkle a little more vanilla bean sugar on top as it cools.

Make the Vanilla Bean Milk soak

1. In a small saucepan, combine 120 ml whole milk, beans from ½ scraped vanilla bean pod, and the remaining vanilla bean sugar* (including the pod).

2. Heat together on low, stirring until all the sugar has been dissolved into the milk.

3. Cover with a lid and remove from the heat, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Prepare the Mascarpone Whip

1. To a large cold bowl, combine 350 ml heavy cream, 300 grams mascarpone, 60 grams confectioners' sugar, and pure vanilla extract and sea salt to taste.

2. Beat on medium speed using an electric hand mixer, gradually increasing the speed to medium high.

3. Once you’ve achieved medium stiff peaks, taste the cream and add more salt or vanilla as desired. Be sure to not over whip.

4. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Assemble the Cake

1. Transfer the cake to a flat surface. Using a large serrated knife (or a cake cutter), slice the cake into 3 even layers.

2. Handle the layers carefully and gently transfer them to a clean countertop lined with parchment (or a clean sheet pan).

3. Using a spoon or a pastry brush, soak each layer with the warm vanilla milk. Do not soak the top layer, as the crust is very delicate and could crumble.

4. Now, it’s time to assemble the cake on a plate or cake board/platter of your choice.

5. Place the layer with the flattest bottom down first, soaked side up. Generously add about about a third to half of the mascarpone whip, and spread evenly to the edges of the cake.

6. Repeat with the middle layer, and add another third to half of the mascarpone whip.

7. Add the last layer of cake. You can add a small dollop of whip to the top, or dust the top liberally with confectioners’ sugar. I like to leave the top unfrosted, and reserve the remaining whip for serving.

Cake Notes

Keep cake in fridge when not serving. Because the cake layers are oil based, they will not harden. I honestly love the texture of this cake when it’s cold.

Cake can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Customization Notes

• For a more vanilla forward flavor, add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract to the milk soak.

• Cream cheese may be substituted for the mascarpone. I’d suggest using less salt for the frosting since the cream cheese is more tangy.

• This cake will pair beautifully with any sliced seasonal fruit between the layers and on top.