This easy vanilla cake with simple buttercream is delicious and easy to make. Recipe can easily be doubled to make a 3-layer cake or large sheet cake. Vegan friendly with gluten free option included!
With April only a few days away, a delicious spring time treat was just what we needed on our 2nd weekend of #quarantinelife. As a homebody and homeschool mom, it hasn’t been too hard to adjust to being at home 24/7. I’d say the most difficult part is not having access to everyday things, like toilet paper, eggs, almond milk, etc.
It’s a little unnerving going to the grocery store and seeing shelf after shelf completely empty. It’s only creating more panic and urge to hoard things. I’m really hoping things get better in the coming weeks, because we’re literally on our last pack of toilet paper!
I’ve really been relying on the basic staples in my pantry these past couple of weeks. This fluffy vanilla cake couldn’t be more simple and doesn’t even need eggs, which most cakes rely on. Moist cake with an easy 3-ingredient vanilla buttercream is just the yummiest combo, like birthday cake, but without all of the fuss!
I hope you’re able to give this cake a try! It’s one bowl, one pan, and can even be doubled if you want a multi-layer cake or larger sheet cake. Super simple and delish! Enjoy, friends! Hope you’re all staying safe during this time! 💗
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (*For gluten-free: 1 cup gf flour blend
, ¾ cup superfine almond flour
, ¼ cup coconut flour
)
- ¾ cup pure cane sugar
or golden coconut sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk of choice or water
- ½ cup olive oil, vegetable oil, or other oil of choice
- 1 tablespoon (not teaspoon) apple cider or white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- vanilla buttercream, recipe below
- sprinkles, optional
, ¾ cup 
, ¼ cup 
)
or golden 
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter, dairy-free butter, or vegetable shortening
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
(can use up to ½ cup more if you want it sweeter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 teaspoons milk of choice or water, if needed
(can use up to ½ cup more if you want it sweeter)- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour(s), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract, mixing just until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and place in the oven on middle rack.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or just until center is set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.
- In a medium bowl, beat softened butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, blending until well combined. Beat in vanilla extract, and 1-3 teaspoons milk/water, if buttercream is too stiff. Spread over cooled cake and top with sprinkles.
- Cover well and store at a cool room temperature for 2–3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
You May Also Enjoy These Similar Recipes:
Simple Strawberry Snack Cake
Chocolate Sheet Cake with Whipped Ganache
Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Hi hun
This looks like a great recipe I just have one question. Instead of the vinegar could I use lemon juice?
Thank you
Hi Parita, lemon juice also works! Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Joscelyn, thank you for sharing your recipe with us. Could i pls ask if i cld bake cupcakes using this recipe of yours? If yes, approximately how many cupcakes would i end up with? Thanks
Hi Neha, yes you can make cupcakes with this recipe! It will probably make over 1 dozen, maybe 16-20? It really depends on how much you fill the liners. I like to fill them close to the top, so that makes less. 🙂
Depending on how you frost the tops, you may need more buttercream though. If you just frost the top with a knife 1 batch will do, but if you want to pipe frosting then you may need 2-3 batches.
I hope you enjoy these! Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Can I stack and decorate the cakes using this buttercream?
Hi Nailah, sure you can use this buttercream to frost and decorate a cake. For piping decorations, you may just need add a bit more powdered sugar, if the consistency is on the softer side. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Hello, do you think I could use granulated sugar in the cake?
Thank you very much. It looks lovely. ^-^
Hi Brooklyn, yes granulated sugar works fine! Hope you enjoy it!!
Hello, I just made your cake and it was very delicious and fluffy. ^-^
I was wondering… to make it a chocolate cake, how much cocoa should I add? And should I leave out some flour?
I saw that you have a chocolate cake recipe but I really don’t want to make anything different from this recipe, because it is the best one that I’ve ever tried! ^-^
Thank you so much for this perfect recipe!
Hi Brooklyn, it’s really hard to say because chocolate cakes are different than vanilla. If you compare this chocolate sheet cake (https://www.wifemamafoodie.com/chocolate-sheet-cake-with-whipped-ganache/) which has the same amount of flour, it also has a considerable amount of sugar and liquid in the recipe as well. Cocoa powder is bitter and requires more sweetener than vanilla cake. It might just be easier to try a chocolate cake recipe. You can always make 1/2 a recipe if you’re concerned about the results, that way you don’t waste a lot of ingredients.
If you’re still interested in making the vanilla cake chocolate, you can try substituting some of the flour in the vanilla recipe, maybe 1/3-1/2 cup, with cocoa powder, but then I would increase the sugar to 1 1/4 cup at least. Since there are no eggs, you can taste the batter to see if it’s sweet enough before baking. You may also need to add additional milk, if the batter is thicker than normal so that the cake isn’t dry. I can’t confirm what the results would be though, since I’ve never tested it. Whichever you decide, let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!