VANILLA BEAN CAKE

* Smooth out the top of the batter and bake for 35 to 45 minutes (see notes) until the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the pan and the top springs bake when touched. A cake tester should also come back clean from the center, and the cake should read an internal temperature of 200°F. *If using 8-inch pans, the cakes will likely need 5 to 7 additional minutes.*

* Immediately after removing from the oven, use a pastry brush to the top of the cakes with some of the **⅓ cup vanilla simple syrup**. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

* After 10 minutes, flip them onto a wire rack and brush the bottoms and sides of the cakes with the remaining simple syrup and allow them to cool completely before frosting. About 1 hour.

## Frosting

* Cream **1 cup unsalted butter** **1 tablespoon vanilla bean extract**, and **½ teaspoon salt** in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment (recommend this method).

* Add **4 cups powdered sugar** 1 cup at a time, alternating with **¼ cup heavy cream** 1 ounce at a time. Mixing at low speed after each addition just until incorporated.

* Increase speed to high and whip for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. *If the frosting looks wet or grainy, add an additional ½ cup of powdered sugar, if it's too stiff, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.*

## Assembly

* Spread a small bit of frosting on your cake stand, board, or plate to help grip the cake.

* Place one of the cake layers on top of that frosting and add some frosting on top to create and thick middle layer of frosting. You can pipe this on and smooth it out with a bench scraper also.

* Place the next layer on top of the frosting, then top with frosting and spread all over to create a thin crumb coat. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

* Remove from the fridge and finish frosting it with the rest of the frosting. I like to make luscious-looking swirls with this cake, but you can pipe it or decorate however you like. Add sprinkles immediately after frosting so they stick before the frosting starts to crust.

* I recommend using European-style butter and letting it sit out overnight before using it for the best results.

* These are the pans I use: 8 or 9-inch will work. Note that the 8-inch pans make pretty thick layers, and the centers of the cakes are likely to have some small bubbles.

* There is a wide range in the doneness time because different ovens and pans bake differently. I recommend starting with 35 minutes and checking for doneness and adding a few minutes at a time as needed. The center of the cake should be 200 degrees F when fully done.

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