Sorry all you chocolate lovers out there. Today’s recipe is for all the vanilla loving fools like me. This easy to make cake is absolute perfection for all your summer get togethers. It bakes up in a 13 by 9 inch pan making it easy to transport to all those fun summer activities. This tender, melt in your mouth cake is infused with a delectable vanilla flavor and pairs beautifully with summer’s bounty of fresh sweet berries. Make it extra decadent and top it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream for a truly refreshing, decadent, summertime dessert. It may not be the fanciest cake, but it’s truly one of the tastiest! You’re going to love this one!
How To Make Vanilla Poke Cake:
Preheat oven to 325℉. Grease a 13X9 inch oven safe baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients; buttermilk, eggs and yolk, vanilla paste, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Set aside.
I make this cake with a vanilla bean paste I purchase from Trader Joe’s like the one pictured below instead of vanilla extract. I think it gives this cake a more intense vanilla flavor. If you have trouble finding vanilla paste you can most certainly use vanilla extract and still bake up a stellar tasting cake.
Next it’s time to prepare the dry ingredients. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and place them in the bowl of a stand mixer.
With mixer on low speed, add the two sicks of softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until incorporated.
Increase speed to medium and blend until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
Add half the buttermilk/egg mixture and blend to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients together.
Add the second half of the wet ingredients and blend on medium speed just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and blend together, about 10-15 seconds more.
Batter will look a little lumpy and bumpy like the picture below, but that’s ok. Do not over-mix the batter or the cake texture will be tough. We’re going for a light, melt-in-your-mouth, tender cake texture.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it out in an even layer.
Bake for 45 minutes until edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. A few crumbs on the tooth pick is fine. You want to avoid over baking the cake or it will be dry and crumbly instead of moist and tender.
Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool sightly for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare the glaze.
Make the glaze:
Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat (you can also melt the butter in the microwave instead of on the stovetop). Once the butter is completely melted, turn off the heat.
Add the brown sugar, and vanilla paste to the melted butter. Whisk to combine.
Once combined add the powdered sugar and the buttermilk to the bowl.
Whisk together vigorously until all the sugar is completely dissolved and you have a smooth lump free glaze that looks like the picture below.
Use a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Slowly pour the warm glaze onto the still warm cake. Use a rubber spatula to encourage the glaze to soak down into the holes of the cake.
Cover the entire surface of the cake with an even layer of glaze.
Let the glaze set up for 45 minutes to an hour before cutting into the cake.
Serve cake at room temperature with your favorite fresh berries and a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream if desired.
Just take a look at that moist, tender crumb! This cake utterly melts in your mouth. It’s infused with a rich vanilla flavor that will have you going back for a second generous serving. If you love all things vanilla, you are going to love this easy to make vanilla poke cake. Go get your stretchy pants! You’re going to need them.
Looking for recipes to use up that leftover buttermilk after making this luscious cake? Until someone gets in touch with the buttermilk people to let them know that it would be most helpful if they sold buttermilk in a pint sized container you can use up any excess you may have hanging out in the fridge to make any one of the tasty recipes below. Go on and give one of them a try. You can thank me later!
Learn how to get freshly baked, light and fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits with a tender crumb on the table in just a few quick minutes. These easy to make biscuits are a staple and pair beautifully with all your meals.
Or how about serving up a fluffy stack of Buttermilk Pancakes drizzled with maple syrup for breakfast? Ditch the packaged mixes. Making pancakes from scratch is just as easy as using a pancake mix, and they taste oh so much better!
Buttermilk gives this easy to make Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread a soft, tender crumb and baking it in a cast iron skillet gives it a delectable golden crisp edge. This is a personal favorite of mine!!!
You’ll never have to toss out extra buttermilk if you use it to make this Copycat Chili’s Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. This is what you’re craving when you get a hankering for a truly delicious Ranch dressing. It’s inexpensive and oh so quick and easy to make too. Dunk away…
A huge shout out to Kara at iscreamforicecream.com for providing the inspiration for this delectable cake! I’m a vanilla loving fool and this cake is absolutely divine and speaks to my vanilla loving heart! Thank you Kara for this fantastic poke cake recipe! Be sure to check out her beautiful website for loads and loads of delicious cakes and baked desserts! If you’ve got a sweet tooth you are going to love her website! I know I’ll be trying more recipes from her website.
Vanilla Poke Cake
Equipment
- stand mixer with paddle attachment
- whisk
- 13X9 inch oven safe baking dish
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla paste
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- non-stick cooking spray
For the glaze:
- 1 stick butter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉.
- Grease a 13X9 inch oven safe baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients; buttermilk, eggs and yolk, vanilla paste, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and place in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- With mixer on low speed, add the two sicks of softened butter to the dry ingredients a tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and blend until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add half the buttermilk/egg mixture and blend to incorporate. Add the second half and blend on medium speed just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and blend together, about 10-15 seconds. Batter will look a little lumpy that's ok. Do not over-mix the batter or the cake texture will be tough.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes until edges are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. A few crumbs on the tooth pick is fine.
- Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool sightly for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare the glaze.
Make the glaze:
- Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is completely melted, turn off heat. You can also melt the butter in the microwave instead of on the stovetop.
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla paste, and buttermilk to the melted butter. Whisk to combine.
- Once combined add the powdered sugar to the bowl and whisk vigorously until all the sugar is completely dissolved and you have a smooth glaze.
- Use a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Slowly pour the warm glaze onto the still warm cake. Use a rubber spatula to encourage the glaze to soak into the holes in the cake. Cover the entire surface of the cake with the glaze.
- Let the glaze set up for 45 minutes to an hour before cutting into the cake.
- Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature with your favorite fresh berries and a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream if desired.
Notes
Did You Make This?
Be sure to snap a pic and tag it #naturewayblog I love, love, love hearing from my readers! Please, don’t forget to leave a comment and a review below, and be sure to follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, TELEGRAM or TWITTER for all the latest happening here at Nature Way!
May I ask a small favor? If you enjoyed this blogpost would you be so kind and like the page? Just click the “like” button down at the very bottom, at the end of the post. It lets me know what you are enjoying the most. It also helps me focus my attention on creating content that will be most meaningful and beneficial to you, my readers. And don’t forget to subscribe:
When you sign up you’ll never miss out on all the latest that’s happening here at Nature Way. I promise to never spam you, ever! Cross my heart. Thank you and God bless!
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!