An easy vanilla cake recipe

This vanilla cake recipe is so easy to make, feel free to go big on the decoration. A simple dusting of icing sugar or edible flowers are our go-to options

By House & Garden | February 1, 2021 | Category

Picture: Unsplash

Yield

6

Cooking Time

50 mins

Preparation Time

10 mins

A simple vanilla cake recipe is one of those cakes you'll come back to again and again. It's a versatile, easy cake recipe that serves as a base for anything you want to add to it, allowing you to expand your baking skills and work on your decoration as you get better. It works happily for birthdays, special occasions, or just plain old afternoon tea. You could even turn it into a Victoria sponge cake if you fancied by simply cutting it in half when it's fairly cool, adding a layer of jam and putting it back together again. You can do most anything with this once it's out of the oven, but one thing's for sure - you'll never regret making it!

If you're looking for something a little more adventurous, we have many cake recipes to try, a whole world of baking recipes in fact. We recommend moving on to our easy chocolate cake if you're a fan of this cake, or chocolate fairy cakes make a nice treat..

Ingredients

175g (6oz) margarine or softened butter

175g (6oz) caster sugar

3 large eggs

175g (6oz) self-raising flour, sifted

1tsp baking powder

1tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Lightly grease an 18cm (7in) round cake tin with a little extra butter or margarine and cut a piece of greaseproof paper or non-stick baking parchment to fit the base of the tin.

Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer for 1 minute, or until just combined. It's important not to beat the batter too much - just long enough to make it smooth.

Pour or spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the top and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45-50 minutes. The cake is cooked when it looks well risen and golden; the top should spring back when lightly touched with a fingertip. Another test is to insert a skewer into the centre of the cake - it should come out clean.

Let the cake sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge and turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Tips

If the idea of being able to bake sounds tempting but a little scary, this is the perfect easy cake for you. It's infinitely variable and incredibly easy to make. Simply place all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until combined. You can mix with a wooden spoon, a hand-held electric mixer or by using the pulse action of a food processor.

Using margarine rather than butter works really well for this cake and saves you the bother and time of having to soften the butter before you start. Don't be tempted to open the oven before 40 minutes - you'll regret it. Put the cake in an airtight container and it can be stored for up to 2 days.

This originally appeared on House & Garden UK.