Easy Vanilla Cake Recipes

ONE-BOWL VANILLA CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour or line with parchment paper, an 8" square or round pan. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Add egg, buttermilk, vanilla and oil. Whisk together. Add hot water and whisk well until the batter is smooth. It will be runny but that's okay.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap the pan gently against the counter to release any air bubbles.
• Bake cake for 25 to 28 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean.
• Cool cake completely before frosting.
• To make frosting: place butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat for 7 minutes. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time and beat in well. Add heavy cream and beat in for 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix in. The frosting should be very fluffy. Spread over cooled cake. Decorate with sprinkles.

EASY VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake tin with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Add eggs, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix by hand or use an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add more flour if batter is too runny. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and let cool, 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill slightly, 15 to 30 minutes more. Slice the cooled cake through the middle to make 2 layers.

EASY VANILLA CAKE RECIPE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 non-stick baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Put butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together with a mixer. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.
• Pour the batter in a baking dish. Put the vanilla cake in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
• Let cool completely before frosting. If you are looking for frosting recipes, check out my easy vanilla buttercream frosting.

MY BEST VANILLA CAKE - STAYS MOIST 4 DAYS!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter (Note 8). Place shelf in the middle of the oven.
• Grease 2 x 20cm / 8" cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper. (Note 9 more pan sizes) Best to use cake pan without loose base, if you can.
• Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
• With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.
• Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.
• Heat Milk-Butter: While egg is beating, place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter (or use stove). Do not let milk bubble and boil (foam ok). Don't do this ahead and let the milk cool (this affects rise).
• Gently add flour: When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 - 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can't see flour, stop straight away.
• Lighten hot milk with some Egg Batter: Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about 1 1/2 cups (2 ladles or so) of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter (don't need to be 100% accurate with amount). Use a whisk to mix until smooth - you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy.
• Slowly add milk: Turn beater back on Speed 1 then pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
• Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds - batter should now be smooth and pourable.
• Pour batter into pans.
• Knock out bubbles: Bang each cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles (Note 10 for why)
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
• Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down - slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.
• Frost with frosting of choice, or cream and fresh berries or jam. See list of ideas in post!
• Beat butter with paddle attachment in stand mixer for 3 minutes on high until it changes from yellow to almost white, and it becomes fluffy and creamy.
• Add icing sugar / powdered sugar gradually in 3 lots, beating slowly (to avoid a powder storm) then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 3 minutes until fluffy.
• Add vanilla and milk, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use milk only if needed to make it lovely and soft but still holds it's form (eg for piping). Use immediately. (If you make ahead, refrigerate then beat to re-fluff).

CLASSIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until combined.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through if they seem to be browning unevenly. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny).
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

EASY VANILLA CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
• Butter and line the base of an 8inch/20cm round deep cake pan then dust with flour to ensure the cake doesn't stick.
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. I like to sift onto a sheet of baking paper to save washing up.
• Place all ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low for 30 seconds.
• Scrap the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all the flour has been incorporated. Be sure to scrape the bottom - sometimes the mixer blade doesn't full incorporate the ingredients at the bottom.
• Mix again this time on medium speed for 3 minutes. The cake batter should lighten in color and be thick and creamy.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan on the kitchen bench to remove excess air bubbles and place into the oven.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes. It will be cooked when the cake no longer jiggles, is coming away from the side of the pan, springs back when pressed and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. Flip so that it is up the right way and allow to cool.
• A simple dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs. Can be served warm or cool. Best eaten with 3 days.

VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then set aside.
• To your stand mixer add the butter and sugar and beat them together until light and fluffy on medium speed, 2-3 minutes, then add in the eggs one at a time 15 seconds apart along with the vanilla then lower the speed to low. Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating a little of each at a time.
• Pour into the cake pans evenly and baked for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Once cakes are cooled frost them with your buttercream frosting.

EASY VANILLA SNACK CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In one medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a larger mixing bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Add milk, sour cream, and vegetable oil and mix again until smooth.
• Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients stir until just combined (no dry spots should remain; but the batter will be lumpy).
• Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
• Bake until the center is firm and the cake is golden on top, 33 to 36 minutes.
• Let cake cool in the pan before slicing and serving.

EASY VANILLA SPONGE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven at 180C/375F or 160C/320F (fan oven)
• Prepare the baking tins (2 X 8-Inch). Grease cake tin and line the bottom with a parchment paper.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer
• Start by creaming the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. This should be about 3 to 5 minutes
• Then add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla essence and mix until combined
• Add the flour and (baking powder if using).
• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold the flour into the mixture until well combined. Lastly, add the milk and mix till well incorporated into the batter.
• Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for between 25 to 30 minutes or until skewer/cake tester comes out clean.
• Remove cake from the oven and leave to cool (2 to 5 minutes), remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack.

BASIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly coat an 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust with flour. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
• Beat butter into the flour mixture, one heaping 1/4 teaspoonful at a time, using an electric mixer on low speed, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Beat in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture resembles fine damp sand. Beat in eggs one at a time. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat vanilla and milk just until blended. (Do not over beat.)
• Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer to the rack to cool completely.
• Ice with Browned-Butter Glaze.

HOMEMADE VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9-inch pan.
• Beat sugar and butter together in a medium bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; stir in vanilla extract and almond extract.
• Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until it springs back to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes.

EASY VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a round, deep 20cm tin, then line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
• Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next.
• Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt. Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, followed by the milk.
• Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 20 mins or until well risen and golden - a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup by gently heating 50ml water with the sugar and vanilla in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool for 30 mins in the tin, then use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake, going right to the bottom. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition.
• Leave to cool completely, then either wrap the cake well or fill and ice it. If you wrap it with baking parchment and cling film, the unfilled cake will keep well for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
• For ideas on how to decorate the cake and to try out some variations on this basic cake mixture, have a look at the 'Goes well with' recipes for Simple elegance wedding cake, Birthday bug cake and Summer celebration cake.

EASIEST VANILLA CAKE (NO EGGS, NO MILK, NO BUTTER!)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a square pan with parchment paper, leaving an inch over each side overhanging, for easy removal.
• In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. Form three caves (depressions) in the dry mixture. In one, add the vinegar. In the second, add the vanilla extract, and in the final one, add the Oil. Pour the water over the top and using a whisk or wooden spoon, mix together, until fully combined.
• Transfer your vanilla cake batter in the lined pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out just clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, frost the cooled cake.

EASY VANILLA CAKE RECIPE (VIDEO)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare the desired cake tins: use this recipe for 2 or 3, 8-inch rounds; 2, 10-inch rounds; 13x17-inch jelly roll pan for a sheet cake; also makes 24 cupcakes. Line pans with parchment paper and line cupcake tin with cups.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugar and vanilla for a few minutes, until fluffy. Add the egg whites or eggs and beat again until creamy and smooth. Using only egg whites yields a more 'white' cake; using whole eggs will give the cake a soft yellow color. Next, pour in the milk (I recommend using warm milk).
• NOTE: the batter may look curdled once you add the milk! It is not. This happens because the milk causes the butter particles to clump together. Just continue with the recipe.
• In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the cake batter and whisk by hand to avoid over-mixing the batter.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes for 3, 8-inch rounds; or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely. Frost and fill cake once the cake is completely cooled. IF not using the layers right away, wrap with plastic wrap to avoid drying.

BASIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.) Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

BASIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 195C/fan 175C/gas 3.5
• Cream the butter and sugar together until it becomes a pale yellow/white colour.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder. Then add the eggs and vanilla essence. Fold together until it is all combined.
• Place the mixture in to greased tins or cupcake cases.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and springs back when gently pressed. Once baked leave to cool for 30 minutes.