If you’ve been looking for an easy yet absolutely delicious Homemade Vanilla Cake, this recipe is for you! It’s light, fluffy and great for any occasion.
In this recipe
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How to make vanilla cake
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Cake vs All Purpose Flour?
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What size cake pan to use?
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Store and freeze this cake
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Other sizes of vanilla cake
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Keep the cake light and fluffy
I love baking because it’s pretty awesome to be known as the cake bringer. I’m a big believer in the magic of homemade birthday cakes and I basically want everyone to try them at least once.
Enter this two-pan cake, designed to be easy to put together, like a cardboard cake, and perfect for any party!
How to make vanilla cake
The cake has a soft crumb and goes heavy on the vanilla to hit some nostalgia buttons.
There is a bit of butter incorporated into the dry mixture, which keeps the cake tender and adds a bit of flavor. I also use oil because it keeps the cake from drying out.
The perfect frosting for this cake is plain vanilla buttercream (sometimes called American buttercream), which is a simple mixture of butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and flavoring that is whipped together until fluffy and spreadable. This cake would be great with pretty much any frosting you love.
Cake vs All Purpose Flour?
I tested this cake with both cake flour and all-purpose flour. Both work great! A direct replacement (according to weight) is possible without any problems.
What size cake pan to use?
This cake is baked in a 9×13 inch rectangular cake pan, which is a great size for potlucks and parties.
It can also be baked as two 9-inch rounds for a layered cake. The round layers may be able to bake faster. So be sure to check them after about 22 minutes in the oven.
Store and freeze this cake
I usually make this cake the night before, simply because I like to split my baking and frosting days (a lot of cake wanders through my kitchen!). But this cake is baked on the same day or in advance.
If you make the cake a day in advancejust let cool and wrap tightly in plastic and let sit at room temperature until ready to freeze.
If you want to bake the cake even further in advance, bake and cool as directed. Then turn the cooled cake over and wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze for up to two weeks.
Since buttercream frosting is pretty easy to make, I always wait to glaze the cake the day I’m going to serve it. However, if you prefer, you can make the frosting ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in either the refrigerator (for several days) or the freezer (for several weeks).
Thaw the frosting on the counter at room temperature and beat vigorously with a mixer to fluff it up again.
There is no such thing as too much cake!
- Get ready for some creamy, milky goodness with Tres Leches Cake.
- Vanilla not your thing? I get it. Try this easy Sour Cream Chocolate Cake.
- Get a little fancy and try this vanilla buttermilk layered cake with fresh berries.
- Eat pies and your veggies, too, with Grandma’s Spiced Zucchini Pie.
- This gluten-free Lemon Almond Cake is a light and airy treat.
Other sizes of vanilla cake
Sure, you can make this in a 9×13-inch pan or two 9-inch rounds. But the recipe is great for cupcakes or even a Bundt cake. Bake cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes. Bake for a Bundt cake for 45 to 55 minutes. You should be able to get 24 cupcakes from this recipe.
Keep the cake light and fluffy
- Make sure your baking soda and powder are fresh.
- Spoon the flour into the cup and level with the back of a knife—don’t pack it in. Alternatively, measure the flour with a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement.
- Although you can use all-purpose flour, cake flour will give you a fluffy cake.
- If you want a moister cake, top up the milk with buttermilk.
- Be careful to use a light touch and not mix the batter too much.
Try these frostings for vanilla cake too!
- Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Extra rich chocolate icing
- German buttercream frosting
- Chocolate ganache
- whipped cream icing
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Homemade vanilla cake
ingredients
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2 1/4 cups (288G) cake flouror all purpose
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1 1/2 cups (300G) sugar
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2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 cup (57G) unsalted buttersoftened
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1 Cup whole milk
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1/4 Cup neutral oilsuch as rapeseed, vegetables or safflower
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3 big eggs
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1 1/2 tablespoon (4 1/2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
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1 batch Vanilla buttercream frosting
method
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Preheat the oven and prepare the pan:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 9×13-inch pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. If you plan on turning the cake out rather than serving it out of the pan, line it with parchment to ensure the cake pops out of the pan easily.
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Combine the dry ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
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Add butter:
Using a hand mixer, mix the softened butter into the dry mixture on low speed until the butter is fully blended and the mixture has a gritty texture.
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Combine the wet ingredients:
In a medium bowl or 4-cup measuring cup, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and homogeneous.
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Add the wet to the dry ingredients:
Add the wet ingredients to the flour and butter mixture and beat with a hand mixer until just a few streaks of flour remain. Finish mixing the batter with a silicone spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
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Bake and cool:
Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before turning and/or glazing and decorating.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 294 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 45g | carbohydrates |
| 4g | protein |
