Soft Vanilla Cake Recipe – Easy & Quick Homemade Cake
This Soft Vanilla Cake is a simple, classic homemade cake with a light, tender texture and a delicious buttery vanilla flavor. Made with everyday baking ingredients and requiring no complicated decorating, it’s an easy cake to prepare whenever you’re craving something sweet.
The combination of butter, vanilla, and milk powder gives this cake a rich, comforting flavor, while the simple mixing method makes it perfect for everyday baking.
Serve it slightly warm with a cup of tea or coffee, or allow it to cool completely for neat, beautiful slices.
Recipe Overview
Baking Pan: 25 × 11 × 6 cm (3 lb loaf pan)
Oven Temperature: 175°C (350°F)
Baking Time: 30–35 minutes
Measuring Cup: 240 ml
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cake
- 150 g (⅔ cup) salted butter
- 150 g (¾ cup) sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 175 g (1 cup + 3 tablespoons) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 25 g (3 tablespoons) milk powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Note: This recipe uses salted butter. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, you can add a small pinch of salt to the batter.
How to Make Soft Vanilla Cake
1. Prepare the Oven and Baking Pan
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
Line a 25 × 11 × 6 cm (3 lb) loaf pan with baking paper and set it aside while you prepare the cake batter.
For easier mixing, make sure the butter is softened before you begin.
2. Prepare the Dry Ingredients
Add the plain flour, baking powder, and milk powder to a bowl.
Sift the ingredients together to remove any lumps and help distribute the baking powder evenly throughout the flour.
Set the dry mixture aside.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugar
Place the softened salted butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat together for approximately 2–3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and creamy.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
Properly creaming the butter and sugar is an important step in creating a soft, light cake texture.
4. Add the Eggs
Add the eggs and beat on medium-high speed for approximately 2 minutes, or until they are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
Scrape down the bowl again if necessary.
5. Add the Dry Ingredients
Gradually add the sifted flour, baking powder, and milk powder mixture to the wet ingredients.
Mix gently until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
Avoid overmixing the batter once the flour has been added, as excessive mixing can result in a denser cake.
6. Add the Vanilla
Pour in the vanilla extract.
Beat on low speed for approximately 15–20 seconds, just until the vanilla is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Finish with one gentle mix using a spatula, making sure there are no unmixed ingredients around the bottom or sides of the bowl.
7. Transfer to the Pan
Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Use a spatula to gently spread the batter into an even layer and smooth the surface.
8. Bake
Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake at 175°C (350°F) for approximately 30–35 minutes.
The cake is ready when it is lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
Since every oven can bake slightly differently, start checking the cake toward the end of the recommended baking time.
9. Cool and Serve
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly in the pan.
Carefully remove it from the pan and slice once it has cooled enough to handle.
Enjoy it slightly warm for a wonderfully soft and comforting vanilla cake.
Tips for a Soft and Fluffy Vanilla Cake
Use softened butter rather than cold butter. Soft butter creams more effectively with the sugar and helps create a lighter cake texture.
Take enough time to cream the butter and sugar until the mixture looks noticeably lighter and fluffier.
Room-temperature eggs are also helpful because they combine more easily with the butter mixture.
Sifting the flour, baking powder, and milk powder helps remove lumps and distributes the ingredients evenly.
Most importantly, once you begin adding the flour mixture, avoid overmixing. Mix only until the ingredients are incorporated.
Finally, don’t overbake the cake. Check it toward the end of the baking time and remove it once a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
What Does Milk Powder Do in Vanilla Cake?
Milk powder adds extra dairy flavor and richness without introducing additional liquid into the cake batter.
In this recipe, it complements the butter and vanilla and gives the finished cake a richer, more satisfying flavor.
Serving Suggestions
This simple Vanilla Cake is delicious without any frosting or decoration.
Serve a slice slightly warm with tea or coffee for an easy afternoon treat. You can also allow the cake to cool completely and serve it as a simple dessert or snack.
For a little extra sweetness, you can dust the cooled cake lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Storage
Allow the cake to cool completely before storing it.
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for short-term storage. Keeping the cake properly covered will help prevent it from drying out and preserve its soft texture.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Cake
This recipe proves that a delicious homemade cake doesn’t need complicated ingredients or elaborate decoration.
Butter provides a rich flavor, vanilla gives the cake its classic aroma, and milk powder adds an extra layer of creamy richness.
With a straightforward preparation method and only 30–35 minutes of baking time, it’s a lovely everyday cake for family gatherings, afternoon tea, or whenever you want an easy homemade treat.
Soft, buttery, fragrant, and simple—this is the kind of vanilla cake you’ll want to make again and again.