Does anyone have a tried and true, great tasting vanilla bean recipe? I've found recipes online, but would like to try one someone has actually tried!

Thank you!

Cake Love vanilla cake. You'll find the links here. There's a video. His recipe is also in his website.

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-707480-0.html

I also like the vanilla buttermilk cake from Sky High.

http://awhiskandaspoon.com/2009/05/28/vanilla-buttermilk-cake-with-vanilla-swiss-meringue-buttercream/

It doesn't need to be refrigerated. I make it often in cupcakes and in one-tier cakes. When I found out about it, I got it from this blog. Debb was making (with no experience at all) a wedding cake for her friend. Here's the link. She might have also fixed the amounts of ingredients for a bigger cake. If you get to the end of the "project" I think she gives you a link to her final cake. I think it was 3 tiers. There might be good tips on the comments too...this thing took a long time and lots of people came to give advice or make it too for themselves.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/07/project-wedding-cake-the-cake-is-baked/

Here is one I've used and really enjoy--I'd make it more often, but real vanilla beans are expensive! It's a cupcake recipe, but I'm sure it would be fine for a cake.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together and set aside.  Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of the mixer with the butter and discard the pod (or reserve for another use.)  Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.
Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition.  Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full (you will likely have batter left over after filling 24 wells.)  Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Replace paper liners and bake remaining batter if desired.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

(I found the recipe online ages ago, but I don't know the original source)

Thank you all so much for your help! I really appreciate it!

imagenthatnj, which do you prefer... Cake Love or Sky High? Are they similar?

Children love the buttermilk one from Sky High. I've had 9-year-olds ask me what kind of batter I used so that they can ask their moms to make it for them. So I make it often for children.

I just finished making the Cake Love one for tomorrow. The flavor is a bit more sophisticated. My boyfriend ate all the scraps before going to bed. I could eat it without frosting. It's so yummy. I have vanilla extract made with brandy for this one. And I made my own half and half with heavy cream like you advised once (thank you!).

For me, to eat, I prefer the Cake Love one.

Good to know. My family eats Cake Love's plain too.

For kids, I still add 1 tbsp Hennessy because it is more mellow than vanilla and the proof is actually much lower. I use vanilla bean paste too.

For adults, I use up to 3 tbsp Hennessy.

I heard you say that the other day and I made notes. But I had nothing else other than the brandy stuff. I started pretty late today and was not prepared at all.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Mpob3cZstmI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMpob3cZstmI

Weird. It goes straight into YouTube for me and shies me Warren Brown video where he teaches how to make it.. Go back up and read the post link from CC where people talk about the cake. I think the recipe and tips are there.