Vanilla cake is my favorite cake and one of the classics that has been popular for years. Many prefer the sweet and aromatic vanilla base for different occasions, including smash cake, wedding cake, birthday cakes, and celebration cake. It is a light and fluffy butter cake with vanilla as its primary flavor. Vanilla cake can be enjoyed plain (it is simply delicious, trust me 🙂) or elevated to the next level with several frosting flavors. In this blog, we will explore what frosting goes well with vanilla cake.
When it comes to any cake, two things matter the most. First, the cake, and second, the type of frosting that you have used with it. Vanilla and chocolate cake are the two prominent types used by many bakers.
In my opinion, vanilla is such a neutral flavor that mixes well with almost all desserts, much like vanilla ice cream, which I pair with every dessert.
Similarly, vanilla cake pairs beautifully with a range of frosting, may it be a buttery buttercream, rich ganache, or tangy buttercream made from any fruit. It will not only enhance the flavor but also the appearance of layered vanilla cake.
Confused about which option to choose? Don’t worry. I understand. It can be difficult to make a decision, so I have given you with best pairings to pick from.
Classic Buttercream Frosting
When it comes to pairing the best frosting with vanilla cake, basic buttercream is undoubtedly one of the most popular choices among bakers.
Buttercream is a rich, creamy, sweet, smooth frosting that is easy to spread, and pipeable on cakes and cupcakes.
There are different types of buttercream, from American buttercream to Russian buttercream. Each type has a different sweetness and texture.
So, depending on your preferences, you can go with sweet frosting, lighter frosting, or less sweet Swiss meringue buttercream. Anything you choose will undoubtedly enrich your vanilla cake.
Making buttercream requires only a few simple ingredients. For your convenience, I’ve created a list of common buttercreams and their ingredients.
| Sr. No. | Buttercream Type | Ingredients Used |
| 1 | American buttercream | Butter, icing sugar or confectioners sugar or powdered sugar, and whole milk. |
| 2 | Swiss meringue buttercream | Egg whites, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. |
| 3 | Italian meringue buttercream | Egg white, sugar, butter. |
| 4 | French buttercream | Egg yolks, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. |
| 5 | German buttercream | Egg yolks, milk, sugar, cornstarch, butter, and a pinch of salt. |
| 6 | Russian buttercream | Butter, condensed milk, and a pinch of salt. |
It is a good idea to use room temperature ingredients when making any type of frosting flavor. Also, avoid using a very thin layer of frosting. Try to maintain the cake-to-buttercream ratio.
In these buttercream vs whipped cream posts, I discuss the many forms of buttercream, the ingredients used, and the benefits and drawbacks.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is another excellent topping to go with vanilla cake. It provides tanginess and sweetness.
As a result, it provides an excellent contrast to the sweet vanilla cake. I matched my chocolate cream cheese frosting with my buttery vanilla cake, and it’s delicious.
Cream cheese frosting contains butter and cream cheese as primary ingredients and you may add additional flavors like cocoa powder or Nutella to create a range of possibilities.
Although it is usually paired with carrot cake or red velvet cake, I would recommend trying it with vanilla cake. You will not regret it 😉.
Here is a list of ingredients required to make them.
| Sr. No. | Buttercream Type | Ingredients Used |
| 1 | Cream cheese frosting | Butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, flavoring, and a pinch of salt. |
Ganache Frosting
Chocolate ganache is another classic and a favorite among kids. Rich, silky, and chocolatey, ganache gives richness to a vanilla cake.
Ganache’s creamy and velvety texture contrasts perfectly with the light vanilla cake, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth delicacy.
Use the rich ganache as is, or whip it to produce whipped chocolate ganache, a light and fluffy frosting suitable for layer cakes.
Here is a list of ingredients needed to make them.
| Sr. No. | Buttercream Type | Ingredients Used |
| 1 | Chocolate ganache or chocolate frosting | Dark chocolate and heavy cream You can also make this with milk chocolate or white chocolate, the ratio of chocolate to cream will be different for each chocolate |
Fruit-Based Frosting
Fruit-based frosting, in addition to traditional buttercream and ganache frosting, is the greatest option for pairing with classic vanilla cake.
Tangy berries, cherries, or lemons make a refreshing contrast to the buttery, flavorful vanilla cake.
You can use real fruits or fruit purees in buttercream to give the frosting a fruity flavor.
I attempted to match the cake with strawberry frosting (pureed fruit or preserves), raspberry frosting, and lemon frosting.
Fruit-based frostings not only offer vibrant colors but also provide the perfect balance to the sweet vanilla cake, making them an excellent dessert option.
Here is a list of ingredients needed to make them.
| Sr. No. | Buttercream Type | Ingredients Used |
| 1 | Raspberry Frosting | Butter, icing sugar, strawberry preserves, and a pinch of salt Some recipe uses fresh berries along with the buttercream. |
| 2 | Lemon Frosting | Butter, icing sugar, lemon curd, and lemon juice |
Specialty Frostings
if you want to pair your vanilla cake with something other than the traditional options, consider these unique and specialty frostings.
Specialty frostings bring bold flavors to enhance vanilla’s mild sweetness. The key is to find a frosting that compliments the flavor without overpowering it. Try it with maple buttercream, salted caramel frosting or peanut butter frosting, figs frosting, or vanilla custard as used in Boston cream pie cakes.
Here is a list of ingredients needed to make them.
| Sr. No. | Buttercream Type | Ingredients Used |
| 1 | Figs frosting | Butter, icing sugar, figs puree, and a pinch of salt |
Things to consider while frosting the cake
Whether you are making it for some special occasion or simply to satisfy your cake cravings, you must consider certain things irrespective of the type of frosting you use.
- Crumb coat the cake before adding the final layer of frosting.
- Allow enough time for the whole cake to cool completely. Turn the cakes upside down on a wire rack to cool.Â
- To stack the cakes neatly, cut the top of the cake using a serrated knife.
