Soft, tender and full of fragrant vanilla, this is our go-to vanilla butter cake recipe that turns out perfectly, every time. Dress this vanilla cake up with sprinkles or keep it simple with a swirl of vanilla buttercream. This vanilla cake recipe is versatile – if you want to turn this recipe into cupcakes or mix it up with choc chips or berries, scroll to the bottom of the method section for ingredient conversions.

Prep:
20 min
Cook:
60 min
Serves:
12

Ingredients

Cake

  1. 220g butter, softened

  2. 1 cup (220g) caster sugar

  3. 3 large eggs, room temperature

  4. 2 tsp Queen Organic Vanilla Extract

  5. 1 ½ cups (225g) self-raising flour

  6. ¾ cup (180ml) milk

Buttercream

  1. 125g butter, room temperature

  2. 1 ½ cups (225g) icing sugar, sifted

  3. 2 tsp Queen Vanilla Bean Paste

Method - Cake

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 180°C (fan forced). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.

  2. Step 2

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and Vanilla Extract until light and fluffy - be patient as this will take about 5+ minutes.. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.

  3. Step 3

    Add flour and milk, mixing until combined.

  4. Step 4

    Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Method - Buttecream

  1. Step 1

    Place butter and vanilla in bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 6-8 minutes until pale and fluffy.

  2. Step 2

    With mixer off, sift in icing sugar folding to combine. Return to mixer and beat until combined, approximately 2-3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Spread buttercream over top of cooled cake and decorate as desired.

Convert this recipe

1 x Loaf Tin
Make the vanilla cake recipe as above. Grease and line a 21cm x 11cm loaf tin and bake for 60-65 minutes.

To Make 12 Standard Size Vanilla Butter Cupcakes:
Make the recipe as above. Fill cupcake cases ¾ full (approx. 1/4 cup – 60ml of batter per standard size cupcake case) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cupcake bounces back when pressed.

Buttercream Note: If you want to spread buttercream over the cupcakes, make the buttercream recipe as above. If you want to generously pipe onto cupcakes, just double the recipe.

Recipe additions/alterations:

  • Choc chips – ½ cup of chocolate chips folded through batter.
  • Raspberries, Strawberries or Blueberries – ½ cup fresh or frozen (thawed, drained), folded through batter.
  • Spread with Chocolate Buttercream Icing
  • Make a zesty Lemon, Orange or Lime Butter cake, 2 tbsp of zest to your cake batter.
  • Make a citrus butter cream to match by making buttercream as above and adding 2 tsp of zest and 1 tbsp of juice from either lemon, lime or orange.

For Flavoured Buttercream:

For warmer flavours such as Natural Almond Extract, Rosewater Essence, Lemon Extract and Strawb’ry & Cream Flavour for Icing, we like to keep the Vanilla Bean Paste in the recipe to enhance the flavour and add additional flavours at 1-2 tsp to taste.

For brighter flavours such as Peppermint Extract, Unicorn Dream Flavour for Icing and Bubblegum Flavour for Icing, simply replace the Vanilla Bean Paste for 2-3 tsp of these flavours – adding more flavour if desired or for larger batches.

Buttercream Tutorial

Did you know there are actually several different types of buttercream? Follow our step-by-step tutorial for four delicious varieties – Basic, Ermine, French and Swiss Meringue. Mix things up with Queen Food Colour Gels and a splash of something delicious from our Flavour for Icing range!

Comments & Reviews

This is a lovely moist cake. Really love the addition of extra tutorials and convert options. I am really enjoying the weekly recipes. Thank you

Miriam

I am rediscovering my love of baking. Followed this one to a ‘t’ turned out delicious. So good in fact it only lasted a few hours (2 of us)
Thank you thus s a great base butter cake! A keeper.

Virginia