Welcome to the realm of the most ethereal sweetness! Today we’ll prepare together a timeless classic of pastry, the Paradise Cake, but in its softest and lightest imaginable version. This is not just a cake: it is a sensory experience that evokes childhood memories and the delicacy of a cloud.
Perfect for breakfast, tea time or as a refined dessert, the Ultra-Soft Paradise Cake stands out for its melt-in-the-mouth texture and enveloping aroma of butter and vanilla. Forget dry cakes; with this recipe, you’ll get a tall, spongy, and incredibly moist dessert capable of making you exclaim “paradise!” with every bite.

To turn your Paradise Cake into a true cloud dream, focus on these three pillars: temperature, ingredients, and assembly.
1. Butter and Eggs: The Crucial Temperatures
The success of this cake depends on the correct emulsion between fats and sugars:
Room Temperature Ingredients: Take out the butter, the eggs, and if you’re using milk, take that out too, at least 2 hours before starting. The butter must be very soft (pomade consistency), and the eggs must incorporate air more easily.
Initial Assembly: Whip the soft butter with the sugar for at least 10-15 minutes. This step is crucial: you need to obtain a white, fluffy, and doubled in volume cream. It’s the air incorporated here that guarantees the softness.
2. The Magic of Yolks (and a Trick!)
Add the Yolks One at a Time: Incorporate the egg yolks (the fat) one at a time into the butter and sugar cream. Wait for the first to be completely absorbed before adding the next one.
The Flour or Starch Trick: Many great pastry chefs add a teaspoon of flour or starch right after incorporating the last yolk. This helps to bind the emulsion better and prevents the mixture from “curdling”.
3. Dry Ingredients: Lightness is the Key Word
Always Sift: Sift together the flour, the starch (or cornstarch), the baking powder, and the vanillin. Starches are crucial in this recipe, making it more crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth than the classic margherita cake.
Delicate Final Incorporation: Add the sifted powders to the batter in two or three parts, stirring very gently with a spatula, with movements from bottom to top. Do not overwork the dough at this stage, otherwise, you will develop too much gluten and the cake will become rubbery.
4. Optimal Baking
Static and Preheated Oven: Bake in an already hot static oven. The ideal temperature is between 340°F and 355°F.
Door Closed: Never open the oven for the first 30-35 minutes of cooking, otherwise, the temperature drop will cause your “cloud” to collapse. Do the toothpick test only at the end.
Following these steps precisely, you will achieve a tall, fragrant Paradise Cake with an extremely soft and velvety texture!