One Bowl Vanilla Cake Recipe from Scratch
This one bowl vanilla cake recipe is a simple, easy and effortless recipe and ideal when you need a quick and easy cake. It’s baked from scratch and taste delicious on its own. Works as a great tea time treat, frost it for a quick dessert or decorate to create a celebration cake. Add flavor or fillings to create more variations of this classic.
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Baking a Cake from Scratch
Yes, this is one more addition to my baking from scratch series. By now you know I’m on a mission to get everyone to bake from scratch not just because it’s always better but because it’s so EASY!!
Here’s more of my ONE BOWL RECIPES for you. This is a vanilla and it’s pretty much the basic formula that works every single time.
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The Sweet Success of One Bowl Recipes
I say this in every one bowl recipe that I share with you. Yet, I’ll say it again. The key success of baking a one bowl recipe is the temperature of all your ingredients. All your ingredients must be at room temperature. Butter must be soft room temperature not stiff. We spoke more about this in our One Bowl Coconut Cake Recipe
One Bowl Vanilla Cake Recipe, Vanilla Cake, Best Vanilla Cake Recipe, Easy Vanilla Cake,
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- All-Purpose flour – this is a simple recipe and works really well with regular pain flour or all-purpose. No need to go looking for cake flour or pastry flour.
- Butter – this is a butter based cake and is absolutely delicious. You can also substitute with margarine in equal amounts as well. If you want, you can use about 225 grams of vegetable shortening instead of 200 grams butter.
- Sugar – since this is a one bowl recipe, you want to use a fine grain sugar that will cream into the butter easily.
- Eggs – You do need to use eggs in the recipe. If you can’t use eggs you can use my eggless vanilla cake recipe instead.
- Vanilla – I really like to use pure vanilla bean paste for my vanilla cakes. You can use store bought of homemade vanilla extract, bean paste or even substitute the sugar with vanilla sugar.
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Recipe – One Bowl Vanilla Cake (Save/Pin)
Useful Tips and Tools
- If you bake often, it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer. Because often we try to mix by hand and then we are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So, if you are making this cake go head and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from your kitchen cabinet.You don’t have to buy an expensive stand mixer, a simple hand mixer works great too.
- Having said that, a simple Bowl, whisk and Spatula with a little extra effort will do the trick too.
- Personally, I believe in weighing ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scaleone of the most valuable items when baking.
- The same goes for mymeasuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
- I think one set of baking pans is a must for anyone a home baker. Personally, I like to bake three layers rather than torte my cakes and it bakes faster too. For most of my layer cake recipes on this blog I use 3 x 6-inch round pans or 2 x 8-inch round pans.
- Once baked always invert your cakes on a cooling rack. This encourages air circulation and prevents the steam from pooling at the bottom of the pan.
- Every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of cakes, a skewer inserted in the center is a great indication. If the cake bakes too quick or too slow compared to the time given it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration. An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do then is adjust the temperature accordingly
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- Unsalted butter – 170 grams (1 1/2 sticks)
- White granulated sugar – 200 grams (1 cup)
- Eggs- 3 large
- All-purpose flour – 220 grams
- Baking powder – 1 1/2 tsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Milk – 60 ml (1/2 cup)
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste – 1 tsp
For the Buttercream
- Unsalted butter – 113 grams / 1 stick
- Milk or whipping cream – 1/4 cup
- Powdered sugar/confectioners sugar – 2 cups
- Vanilla extract – 1/2 tsp
Method
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160 C/ 320 F.
- Greece and line two or three 6 inch round baking pan.
- Measure all ingredient into a large bowl.
- Mix well with a whisk until well incorporated and no lumps.
- Pour into your prepared baking pans.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes on the center rack or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once baked let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then on to a rack to cool completely.
Quick Vanilla Buttercream
- Ensure butter is soft room temperature.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl.
- Use a whisk to whip until light and fluffy.
- Adjust consistency by adding a tsp or more of milk or cream.
- Use a spatula to frost the cake.
- Pipe any leftover frosting if desired.
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One Bowl Vanilla Cake Recipe, Vanilla Cake, Best Vanilla Cake Recipe, Easy Vanilla Cake,
If you try my one bowl vanilla cake this time, next time I highly recommend you try my one bowl chocolate cake. You will enjoy it.
One Bowl Vanilla Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 170 grams Unsalted butter
- 200 grams White granulated sugar
- 3 Eggs large
- 220 grams All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 60 ml Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Quick Vanilla Buttercream
- 113 grams Unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup Milk or whipping cream
- 2 cups Powder sugar/confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160 C/ 320 F.
- Greece and line two or three 6 inch round baking pan.
- Measure all ingredient into a large bowl
- Mix well with a whisk until well incorporated and no lumps
- Pour into your prepared baking pans
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes on the center rack or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once baked let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then on to a rack to cool completely
Quick Vanilla Buttercream
- Ensure butter is soft room temperature
- Place all ingredients in a bowl
- Use a whisk to whip until light and fluffy.
- Adjust consistency by adding a tsp or more of milk or cream
- Use a spatula to frost the cake
- Pipe any leftover frosting if desired.
Nutrition Information
Love cake? Want more cake recipes?
Take a look at some of the most delicious cake recipes I have for you on this blog. All recipes are tried and tested. Whether you looking for a simple one bowl vanilla cake recipe, a fruit-flavored recipe for spring or luxurious recipe with decadent frostings. I’m sure you will find something you will love. Alternatively, take a look at my Recipe Index to see a list of all recipes on this blog.
A collection fo cake recipes by Veena Azmanov – Tried and Tested Cake Recipes
maryam yousaf
Hi Veena!
I am looking for a moist cake recipe from long time which goes perfectly under fondant cakes and stay moist after referigerating. please guide me is this recipe suitable. Thanks
Veena Azmanov
Hey Maryam. Sorry for the delay in replying. Just found the message in the spam folder (not sure why)
Most of my cakes are good for fondant unless I state otherwise. This is a one-bowl but winning recipe that works perfectly every single time. I have a chocolate version too and both these will work for fondant covering too.
Louise Beske
Sorry i am confused, sugar-1 cup = 200 grams then it says flour 2 cups = 220 grams. I dont understand how 220 grams is 2 cups? I am new to baking ao sorry if i am wrong.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Louise.. yes, it sounds weird but it’s true – Sugar weight more than flour so 1 cup sugar is 200 grams and since flour is lighter than sugar its volume in weight is more so 2 cups four is just over 200 grams – Here’s a little more explanation – How to measure ingredients for baking
Julia
It’s interesting that the cake is baked at the lower temperature than 350F. I usually bake my cakes at 350 or 375F. I haven’t tried lowering the temperature? What does it do? Does it change the texture somehow? I think my oven would take longer than 30-40 minutes though. For some reason everything takes a lot longer to cook in my oven.
Veena Azmanov
Julia.. almost all my cakes are baked at 160 C or 320 F – that way they do not bake too fast with a huge dome. Nor do the sides bake with a hard crust. Try it. Mine is a conventional fan assisted oven.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
My grandson LOVES vanilla cake. I just might make this for his birthday. Adding some funfetti…he will love it for sure.
Veena Azmanov
Oh that does work great too! I make that sometimes for the kids and they love it.
Sarah @ The Fit Cookie
This looks like such a nice cake for Spring! I bet this would make a great cake for Mother’s Day 🙂
Veena Azmanov
It definitely would be perfect for any celebration.
Melissa
Yum! Sounds so simple, but I bet it is delicious! Good tip on the room temperature. I sometimes rush it when in a hurry and things are still cold and it does not turn out!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Melissa
Shikha Nahar
Hi I want egg less vanilla cske