Baking School In-Depth: Vanilla Extract and Very Vanilla Layer Cake
Vanilla remains a treasured, steadfast ingredient prized for its enchanting essence. Every bean from the vanilla orchid contains tiny seeds, which add depth and complexity to every dish they grace. Vanilla enhances flavors, whether harmonizing with chocolate and butter or accentuating the comforting embrace of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Its versatility and irresistible allure have solidified vanilla’s place as a beloved essential in kitchens worldwide. Follow along as we share a primer on various forms of vanilla flavor, including luscious vanilla paste, aromatic vanilla powder, vanilla sugar, and fragrant extract that enriches every sweet recipe. These vanilla ingredients take center stage in our Very Vanilla Layer Cake, blending to create a symphony of flavor that’s anything but plain.
Be sure to join us for Baking School with Williams Sonoma on Monday, June 17, at 5 p.m. PT. Brian Hart Hoffman will take you step-by-step making Vanilla Extract and our Very Vanilla Layer Cake. This is one baking event you won’t want to miss!
Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson!
INGREDIENT BREAKDOWN
Excellent recipes require wonderful ingredients. Here’s how our recipes’ ingredients contribute to making our vanilla products.
VANILLA BEANS: Vanilla beans, with their lush flavor and aromatic essence, are the basis for creating vanilla extracts, powders, sugars, and paste. Regardless of their form, vanilla beans infuse each product with their heady fragrance and complex flavor. When purchasing vanilla beans, Grade A beans, boasting more than 25% moisture content, tend to be pricier. However, their high moisture content facilitates easy flavor extraction, perfect for scraping the bean’s interior or infusing it into various mixtures. Grade B beans, with less than 25% moisture, are more economical; although they release flavor at a slower pace, once they do, the resulting taste is richer and more concentrated, making them ideal for prolonged infusions such as vanilla extract.
GRANULATED SUGAR: Granulated sugar reigns supreme as vanilla sugar’s go-to ingredient, lending sweetness and texture with its medium-size crystals. In vanilla paste and powder, this sugar takes on a dual role as the primary sweetener and texture enhancer.
TURBINADO SUGAR: Turbinado sugar has larger, coarse crystals with a light brown color due to minimal processing. It adds a subtle molasses flavor and a crunchy texture, enhancing the overall taste and mouthfeel of vanilla sugar.
CASTOR SUGAR: Castor sugar, which is finely ground granulated sugar, helps infuse vanilla flavor rapidly due to its fine texture, resulting in the immediate release of vanilla aroma and taste in vanilla sugar.
CORN SYRUP: Corn syrup in vanilla bean paste contributes to its smooth texture. It helps bind the ingredients together and prevents the paste from becoming too thick or grainy. It also helps prevent the crystallization of sugar in the paste. Corn syrup has hygroscopic properties, like sugar, meaning it attracts and retains moisture. This helps keep it from drying out and extends its shelf life.
CORNSTARCH: Cornstarch contributes to vanilla powder’s texture, giving it a finer, smoother consistency. This ensures that the powder dissolves effortlessly when added to liquids or mixes, leading to consistent flavor distribution. Cornstarch also stabilizes the vanilla powder, extending its shelf life by reducing moisture content and preventing clumping or dehydration.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
BLENDER: A blender proficiently combines vanilla beans, sugar, and liquid into a silky-smooth vanilla bean paste, guaranteeing even distribution of the seeds and a uniform texture throughout. (Pictured below: Breville Fresh & Furious Blender.)
SPICE GRINDER: To create vanilla powder or vanilla sugar, whole vanilla beans must be finely ground to unlock their rich flavor and aroma. A grinder efficiently pulverizes the beans into fine particles, ensuring the even dispersion of vanilla essence throughout the powder or sugar. (Pictured below: Cuisinart Spice & Nut Grinder.)
PARING KNIFE: Characterized by its small size, sharp edge, and precision, a paring knife is ideal when handling delicate tasks like splitting vanilla beans. Its narrow blade facilitates accurate cuts along the length of the bean, resulting in a clean, uniform split. (Pictured below: Zwilling Pro Paring Knife.)
SPATULAS: A silicone spatula is perfect for delicately sweeping across the blade of a paring knife, coaxing off every precious seed and leaving nothing to waste. (Pictured below: Get It Right Mini Spatula, Get It Right Ultimate Spatula.)
SIEVE: We love this heavy-duty stainless steel strainer. It’s fitted with ergonomically shaped handles that make it comfortable to strain the seeds from the extract if you prefer. (Pictured below: All-Clad 3-Piece Stainless-Steel Strainer Set.)
SHEARS: Snipping the ends of whole vanilla beans plumped by soaking in the extract is an efficient method for collecting seeds to make vanilla paste. This process allows you to squeeze the seeds out easily. Additionally, using shears to cut the beans into smaller segments is beneficial when making vanilla extract or infused sugars. This step increases the surface area of the beans, enhancing flavor extraction for a more robust vanilla flavor in your creations. (Pictured below: Zwilling Multi-Purpose Kitchen Shears.)
TALL CYLINDRICAL JARS: Brian loves using tall, narrow Weck jars to store his vanilla extract while it’s developing. These jars are elegant and the perfect size for vanilla beans to stand vertically and be covered entirely with alcohol without needing to be folded or cut to fit. (Pictured below: Weck Cylindrical Jars, 20.2 oz, Set of 6.)
Vanilla Extract
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Vanilla Bean Paste
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Vanilla Sugar
Ingredients
Instructions
Vanilla Powder
Ingredients
Instructions
Very Vanilla Layer Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
Vanilla Simple Syrup
Ingredients
Instructions
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Ingredients
Instructions
Vanilla Custard
Ingredients
Instructions
BRIAN’S WAY
For Brian’s vanilla extract, he steeps whole beans in alcohol; he typically uses vodka, but he has vanilla beans submerged in bourbon and tequila as you read this! After 7 to 12 months, when the extract is lovely and dark, it’s ready to use in countless recipes. Beyond extract, Brian uses the precious beans in everything from vanilla paste to sugar. “For vanilla paste, I cut the end of the bean and squeeze it like a tube of toothpaste, and the caviar that comes out is vanilla bean bliss! Then I dry some of the beans in a jar, sitting in the open air until they are crispy and no moisture remains. They are headed for my big container of turbinado sugar to be used as a finish to muffins, cookies, or anything that needs a little vanilla-studded crunch! Some beans go into my wine bottle extract to keep the potency going. Once I make the initial batch in the open jars, I pour the extract into the bottles with smaller openings at the top, as those are only used for my extract and ‘used beans’ after making a paste. Multiple batches are in progress at all times, and it’s so fun to see them all happen from scratch in my home kitchen.”
His collection of bottles, which he uses for his extracts, tells a story of his love of traveling
and memories of his mother, Phyllis, and grandmother Mimi. “My vanilla extract bottles are all unique in their own way. My first Weck jar came home with me from The Cook’s Atelier in Beaune, France, after I learned their method of vanilla extract-making while taking a class. My most cherished is the one I got from my Mimi’s kitchen after she passed away. My mom found the 1930s Scotch bottle and called me to tell me she had the perfect bottle for my extracts. Then I grab uniquely shaped wine bottles to use, antique jars at the brocantes in France, or whatever strikes me as a fun vessel.”
SIMPLE SWAPS
If you don’t have every kind of vanilla on hand, don’t worry! Here is a simple guide for swapping out one type of vanilla product for another.
1 vanilla bean = 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon (18 grams) vanilla bean paste
1⁄2 teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla powder = 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste, or a 2-inch piece of vanilla bean
SPEEDY EXTRACTION
If you want to speed up the process of making vanilla extract, consider splitting
the beans in half lengthwise. Exposing the seeds to the alcohol enhances the infusion of vanilla flavor into the extract, reducing the overall time required to achieve the desired flavor intensity. However, this is entirely optional if you want to preserve all the seeds in your beans for later use.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOZE
Vodka is commonly because its neutral flavor makes an ideal base for vanilla extract, but you can select other alcohol depending on your preference. Whether it’s rum, bourbon, or another spirit, each can impart unique flavor nuances to the extract. But you don’t need to splurge on expensive alcohol! Economical options can produce amazing results.
THE MANY MANIFESTATIONS OF VANILLA
There’s more than one way to get vanilla flavor into your bakes.
VANILLA BEANS are the most expensive form of vanilla flavor but can elevate desserts to a whole new level. Each bean contains about 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon of seeds. To use vanilla beans, cut the ends off the bean and split it lengthwise to reveal its thousands of tiny black seeds. Scrape out the seeds and add them to ice creams, custards, or light-colored buttercreams to show off all those flecks of flavor. Keep in mind that high temperatures can degrade the complex flavors of vanilla bean seeds.
VANILLA BEAN PASTE is made from the scraped seeds of a vanilla bean, lightly sweetened with sugar, and suspended in a thickener. It can be substituted 1:1 for vanilla extract flavor-wise, and it mimics the look of whole vanilla beans in baked goods because it shows off its coveted seeds.
VANILLA EXTRACT is easily the most common form of vanilla and is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol. Because it’s one of the most economical forms of vanilla, it’s incredibly useful in high-volume baking applications. Its liquid form also makes it easier to evenly incorporate into batters and doughs.
VANILLA SUGAR is commonly used in cakes and cookies, or as a finishing sugar sprinkled or sifted onto pastries, fresh fruit, and other desserts. It’s easy enough to make your own vanilla sugar at home using whole or spent vanilla beans and granulated sugar. Simply let the beans stand with the sugar in an airtight container for a month or more and you’ll have another perfect way to incorporate vanilla into your bakes. incorporate into batters and doughs.
VANILLA POWDER is made from ground vanilla beans, sugar, and a little cornstarch. It contains no liquid, so it can be seamlessly added to buttercreams or batters without adding moisture. Its flavor is also unaffected by heat, making it a wonderful option in baked goods.
VANILLA EXTRACT
1. Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla beans lengthwise, if desired. Place them in an airtight jar or bottle. (Using a knife or kitchen shears, cut the vanilla to the size of your vessel if necessary.) Pour enough alcohol over vanilla beans to completely cover beans. (Keep your container in mind when choosing bean amount, as per FDA guidelines rule of thumb.) Seal, and store in a cool, dry place, shaking and agitating every few days, for at least 3 to 4 months before using. Store for up to 2 years.
VANILLA BEAN PASTE
1. In the container of a high-powered blender, blend sugar, vodka, corn syrup, 3 tablespoons (45 grams) water, and vanilla extract on low speed, gradually increasing blender speed to high, until combined, 2 to 4 minutes.
2. If using fresh vanilla beans, split lengthwise with a sharp knife, and scrape out seeds; add seeds to blender. If using spent vanilla beans, they will be hydrated enough to cut one end and squeeze seeds out into blender. Blend until combined, about 1 minute. If desired, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons (13 to 26 grams) vanilla extract for a thinner consistency. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
VANILLA SUGAR
1. In an airtight container, place sugar and vanilla beans. (Beans may need to be broken or cut to fit into whatever vessel you choose.) Seal, and store in a cool, dry place, shaking every few days. Sugar will be scented and ready to use within 2 to 3 weeks; it will become stronger in flavor the longer it sits. If desired, pulse the mixture in a coffee or spice grinder just until vanilla beans are finely ground. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 years.
VANILLA POWDER
1. In a coffee or spice grinder, grind dried vanilla beans until very finely chopped. Add sugar and cornstarch, and grind until mixture is combined and sugar is very fine. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 years.
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