These mini Vanilla Cream Cakes are a soft, dense and perfectly portioned dessert.
Hello, I’m Jen Farley and I’m a sugar addict. If you’ve been following along with my journey this year you are probably aware of my struggle to find a balance between working full time as a food blogger and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
In January I went on a five day juice detox and then began transitioning to an 80/20 paleo lifestyle. I started writing a column over at Parade Magazine detailing my experience. So how am I doing?
Surprisingly well! I bet you didn’t see that coming since I’m sharing a sugary cake recipe today. But I have to share a cake recipe because I’m celebrating.
I’m celebrating the fact that I can prepare these mini vanilla cream cakes, frost them, photograph them and eat only one. That may sound trivial to you, but for me it’s HUGE. I was completely satisfied with one mini cake. I didn’t fall into this old cycle:
- Jen bakes a cake.
- Jen photographs the cake while eating a piece of cake.
- Jen puts the cake away.
- Jen gets more cake 30 minutes later.
- Jen lectures herself for eating the second piece.
- Jen eats more cake.
- Jen feels like a failure.
- More cake.
Does that sound completely ridiculous? Well it is, and it has been my life story for the past two years. I felt completely out of control which was agonizing since I love my job.
By going on a juice detox and then switching to a paleo diet, I feel like I have regained control of my life. I no longer stress about my job and long term health. I’m no longer desperately seeking a solution.
I’ve been slowly bringing some sugar and carbs back into my diet once a week or so. And I’m aware that it’s a slippery slope. But for the first time in ages, I feel like I have a game plan and I know what to do if I fall down.
So I’m celebrating with cake.
Vanilla Cream Cakes
Ingredients
for the cakes
- 8 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 vanilla bean, optional
- 6 ounces unsalted butter, slightly above room temperature
- 5 1/2 ounces granulated sugar (approximately 3/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
for the vanilla cream
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F. Grease a large muffin pan.
- Use a small knife to slice the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds.
- Whisk/sift together the flour, baking powder and vanilla seeds. Set aside.
- Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the eggs, one at a time, allowing them to fully incorporate into the batter.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl all the way down to the bottom to make sure no flour remains.
- Spoon the dough into the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the muffin pan for several minutes and then cool on a wire rack.
- To prepare the vanilla cream, whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla together by hand or on medium speed in a stand mixer until it reaches a soft peak.
- To serve, slice the cakes in half and spread with half of the vanilla cream. Spread the remaining vanilla cream on top of the cakes and serve.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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I’m a little confused about the amount of flour to use. [8 oz = one cup, right???] I am assuming 1-1/2 cups is correct. I’m making them now, so I guess I’ll find out soon enough! Thanks for this recipe. Hope mine turn out as pretty as yours.
A cup of flour varies in weight. You are thinking of liquids. A cup of liquid weighs 8 fluid ounces. A cup of dry ingredients will have vastly different weights depending on what the ingredient is and how it is measured (for example, scooping the flour versus spooning it into the cup). Everyone should really invest in a kitchen scale. They’re cheap. Measuring by weight is the only way to guarantee that your cakes will look like my cakes. I can’t stress this enough and I often don’t include volume measurements for this very reason.
Thank you! You’re right, of course. I do have a kitchen scale but don’t use it often enough. I’m going to try to follow your advice in the future. (Mine turned out pretty good, though.)
i love cupcakes. I am still not over the cupcake craze from last year back. I love how classic and simple yet delicious these are
I am all too familiar with cake consumption. The problem is: I love sweets! I’m currently transitioning from sweet/meat lover to a veggie based diet with one piece of meat per day. We’ll see how it goes. I’m happy to hear that you’re doing well on your Paleo diet. Keep up the good work! These wee cakes are gorgeous.
Being a sugar addict myself – I know what a great feat eating only one is! These look adorable by the way!
These cakes are gorgeous! well done on only eating one, it’s so easy to become heavily addicted to sugar when you are baking with it all the time
I commend your self control and your beautiful little cakes.