Plain Cake Recipe

slice taken out of a vanilla cake sitting in front of the rest of the cake and a tea cup

4.59 from 163 votes

This is an easy butter cake recipe that makes the perfect plain cake to either eat as it is, or use as a base to create fabulous decorated birthday cakes

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Course: Baking

Cuisine: Australasia

Keyword: Plain Cake Recipe, Plain Cake, Vanilla Cake, Butter Cake, Butter Cake Recipe

Servings: slices

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Stacey

Equipment

17cm cake tin
Electric beater or stand mixer
Kitchen scales

Ingredients

125 g butter 0.5 Cup | 4.4oz | I use salted butter, if you are using unsalted I would add a pinch of salt to the flour
125 g caster sugar 0.5 Cup | 4.4oz | You can substitute with granuated sugar, although the cake texture is a little better with the finer caster sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla essence You can reduce to 1 teaspoon if you don't want too much vanilla flavour
2 eggs I use size 6 eggs which are medium sized eggs
250 g self rasing flour
250 g milk 1 Cup | 8.5 floz | I use full fat milk

Instructions

Line the sides and base of your cake tin (I use a 17cm cake tin) You will find instructions for how I line my cake tins in the recipe infomration above.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius or approx 360 F
Weigh or measure out the softened room temperature butter and the sugar, and add the vanilla.
.Beat the butter and sugar until well creamed, the mix will get fluffy and will start the colour will change from yellow to closer to white.
.Beat in the eggs, it is best to do this one at a time, otherwise, the creamed mixture can split.
Fold in the flour, I use a wooden spoon or spatula for this step. I tend to weigh this straight into the bowl you can see the scales in the photo.
Fold in the milk, again I tend to weigh this in as it saves me dishes and was how my grandma taught me), but you can use cups to measure if you prefer.
.Pour into your lined cake tin and bake at 180 degrees Celsius (360 F) for 40 mins or until when pierced with a skewer in the centre the skewer comes out clean. The cake should be golden in colour.
Cool in the tin for around 10 minutes before turning out on to a cake rack.
It can be nice to dust the cool cake with a little icing sugar before serving

Video

Notes

This cake will store in an airtight container for up to 5 days
This cake freezes very well, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months

Nutrition