Vanilla Layer Cake with Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve had it. If the kids on the Kids Baking Championship can do it, so can I! I’ve never baked a cake from scratch before, in fact, I haven’t baked very many box cakes, that I remember. Not a baker, am I. Those kids are amazing. They just throw ingredients together and POOF there’s a drip cake or a doughnut or a lemon bar. They level out their flour and weigh the butter...who does that?

Ingredients :

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 of unsalted butter = 1 stick, softened and cut into 4 chunks 2 tablespoons each
1 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Let your eggs, milk and butter come to room temperature
2. Preheat oven to 350F
3. Butter and flour 2 9” cake pans. Cut a round piece of parchment paper for the bottom of the pans.
4. Put the paddle attachment on your mixer. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
5. On speed 1 add the butter 1 chunk at a time until the mixture forms a grainy consistency about 30 seconds to a minute. Scrape down any mixture on the sides with a rubber spatula.
6. Add vanilla the the milk at a slow stream. Stop to scrape then mix again, keep on a low speed
7. Add the 1st egg and mix on a medium speed until combined, then add in the other one.
8. Pour batter into the pans. Bang pans on the counter a couple of times to get the air bubbles out. Transfer pans to oven
9. Bake 30-35 minutes. Check to see if they are done at 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. The tops will be golden brown, the edges will pull away from the sides of the pan and the cake will spring back when you touch them.
10. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 30 minutes. Then remove them from the pans by running a knife around the edge. Let cool out of the pan on the rack for 1 hour before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups of powdered  sugar, or more if needed
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a mixer on medium speed combine the cream cheese and butter. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar if needed to get  a thick spreadable consistency. Spread on a cool cake. Yum Yum!