An easy classic recipe, this Vanilla Cake is a staple and a delicious treat that you can make for any occasion.
If you haven’t ever noticed, I’m a little obsessed with cake. It is my absolute favorite thing in this world.
I’m not particular to any cake, just all of them. If I am going to choose to make a dessert then it is that – especially when it is this Vanilla Cake!
With super simple ingredients and a fun sprinkle frosting, this is great for any occasion. Parties, baby showers, potlucks, etc.
I also love that this is made in a 9×13-inch pan because sometimes I just do not want to make a layer cake. IYKYK!
With the perfect amount of sweetness, tender, moist and absolutely flavorful this has to be on your must make list.
If you’ve been looking for just a simple easy recipe with no frills, then this Vanilla Cake is what you need.
Some of my other favorite cake recipes we have on our site include: Cookies and Cream Cake, The Best Chocolate Chip Cake and Hummingbird Cake.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Pantry staple ingredients help this come together in no time.
- This is a great cake to bring to any gathering.
- Switch up the frostings for so many different flavors!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):
Cake flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Whole milk
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Rainbow sprinkles (jimmies), plus more for decorating
HOW TO MAKE A VANILLA CAKE, STEP BY STEP:
- Grease and flour bottom of a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk until combined, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, add butter, sugar, and vanilla extract, beat until creamy.
- Beat in the milk then add in eggs one at a time, beating until just combined.
- Add flour into butter mixture in batches and mix until combined.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 32-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, set aside to cool completely.
- Prepare frosting while cake is cooling. To make frosting, add butter and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat until creamy on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar to butter mixture in batches and beat until smooth, then beat in milk.
- Fold in the sprinkles, then frost cooled cake.
- Top with extra sprinkles if desired, cut, and serve.
WHY USE CAKE FLOUR?
We like to use cake flour because it produces a more light and fluffy cake with a tender crumb to it.
This is because it doesn’t produce as much gluten as all-purpose flour, so if you want more light and fluffy tender crumb desserts, cake flour can be used.
WHAT OTHER FROSTINGS CAN I USE FOR THIS CAKE?
Absolutely, that is what I love about a basic vanilla cake is that you can use pretty much ANY frosting that you want. Some of our favorites include:
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese
- Regular Cream Cheese
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Chocolate Cream Cheese
- Strawberry
- Swiss Meringue
- Caramel
- Regular Buttercream
Literally the list can go on and on and on, so feel free to use any of your favorite frostings for this Vanilla Cake Recipe!
CAN I MAKE THIS A LAYER CAKE?
Yes, you can make this into a layer cake if you would rather have that than a 9×13-inch cake.
Bake the cakes in 2 9-inch round baking pans and then I would say 1.5x your frosting so you have enough to fill and frost the outside.
WHAT ELSE CAN I TOP THIS VANILLA CAKE WITH?
If you are wanting to top this cake with other things and not use the sprinkles in frosting, you can absolutely do that.
Some things to top with include: sprinkles, fresh fruit, chopped nuts, toffee bits, crushed cookies, caramel or chocolate drizzle, etc.
HOW TO STORE:
This cake can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze this cake, place in a freezer container and it will keep for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove from the freezer to the refrigerator or countertop until thawed.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can use other frostings, see above for some ideas.
- Make sure you are adding your eggs in one at a time, this helps with the texture of the cake.
- You can freeze this cake, see above on how to do that.
- Top with other things, see above on some ideas.
- This can be made into a layer cake, just bake in 2 9-inch round pans.
- You can use any of your favorite sprinkles in the frosting but we like rainbow (jimmies).
- Make sure your cake is completely cool before frosting.
- We have only tested this cake recipe with cake flour so we do not know how it would turn out with all-purpose flour.
When it comes to a good classic dessert, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this Vanilla Cake!
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this VANILLA CAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cake flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles jimmies, plus more for decorating
Instructions
- Grease and flour bottom of a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk until combined, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, add butter, sugar, and vanilla extract, beat until creamy.
- Beat in the milk then add in eggs one at a time, beating until just combined.
- Add flour into butter mixture in batches and mix until combined.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 32-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, set aside to cool completely.
- Prepare frosting while cake is cooling. To make frosting, add butter and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat until creamy on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar to butter mixture in batches and beat until smooth, then beat in milk.
- Fold in the sprinkles, then frost cooled cake.
- Top with extra sprinkles if desired, cut, and serve.
Notes
- You can use other frostings, see above for some ideas.
- Make sure you are adding your eggs in one at a time, this helps with the texture of the cake.
- You can freeze this cake, see above on how to do that.
- Top with other things, see above on some ideas.
- This can be made into a layer cake, just bake in 2 9-inch round pans.
- You can use any of your favorite sprinkles in the frosting but we like rainbow (jimmies).
- Make sure your cake is completely cool before frosting.
- We have only tested this cake recipe with cake flour so we do not know how it would turn out with all-purpose flour.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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