How to Bake a Vanilla Cake

Learn how to bake a vanilla cake that is soft, moist and even, from scratch, with one simple method you can use again and again for birthday cakes, layer cakes and cupcakes.

How to bake a vanilla cake: what you will learn

By the end of this lesson you will know how to bake a vanilla cake that rises evenly and stays tender. You will practise four skills that every good cake depends on:

• Creaming butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
• Adding eggs without the mixture splitting
• Folding in flour so the sponge stays light
• Telling when a cake is properly baked

What you need

This makes two sponge layers. If you can, weigh the ingredients: a small kitchen scale gives a much more reliable cake than cups.

Ingredients

• 225 g soft butter or baking margarine (soft enough to dent with a finger)
• 225 g caster sugar, or fine granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 225 g self-raising flour, or plain flour with 3 level teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk

Tools

• Two 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tins, greased and lined with baking paper
• A large mixing bowl, and a hand mixer, stand mixer or wooden spoon
• A spatula, a wire cooling rack and a skewer

Would you rather leave the baking to us? You can order our Classic Vanilla Cake from the cake shop. Create a free account to open the full step-by-step method below.