vegan vanilla cake recipe

Vanilla Cake Recipe

Few desserts capture both comfort and celebration quite like a classic vanilla cake. With its delicate sweetness, tender crumb, and soft texture, it’s perfect for birthdays, holidays, or even a simple afternoon treat. This recipe focuses on producing a moist, flavorful cake that isn’t overly sweet, making it versatile enough to pair with any frosting, filling, or topping you like. By following straightforward steps and using common pantry ingredients, you can create a homemade cake that looks impressive, slices beautifully, and melts in your mouth. Every stage from mixing to baking and cooling is designed to ensure a perfect, tender vanilla cake every time.

small vanilla cake recipe
small vanilla cake recipe

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed until the batter is smooth and uniform.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then carefully invert onto the rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

Serving and Layering Tips

  • To make a layered cake, use a long serrated knife to slice the cooled cake horizontally. Fill the layers with frosting, whipped cream, or jam, then place the top layer back and frost the entire cake.
  • For taller or multi-tiered cakes, triple the recipe and bake in three 8-inch pans. Trim domed tops to create even layers, then assemble with ½ to 1 cup of frosting or filling between each layer.
sponge vanilla cake recipe
sponge vanilla cake recipe

Preparation Times

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45–50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Servings: 10