An exceptional, yet simple Vanilla Butter Cake. Adapted from a master Cook’s Illustrated recipe, this sponge cake is made with pantry staples, has a velvety, tender crumb and keeps well for 3 days. An essential addition to every recipe collection!
Want to step it up? Try my ultimate Perfect Vanilla Cake.
Moist and tender Vanilla Sponge Cake
I call this a plain-jane Vanilla Sponge Cake, but it’s really anything but that. Everyone should have a classic vanilla sponge cake in their repertoire, and it took me many years to find the “perfect” one.
This is a classic, simple Vanilla Sponge Cake that is made with basic ingredients – eggs, milk, butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, baking powder and salt. That’s it. No sour cream, no buttermilk – these are not pantry staples in my world – or any other schmancy ingredients. Yes adding sour cream and/or buttermilk makes an even more tender, more moist cake. But I wanted to share a truly great Vanilla Sponge Cake that is made with just pantry staples.
I have a soft spot for old fashioned Vanilla sponge cakes. I am pretty sure the Women’s Weekly Best Ever Sponge was the first cake I ever (attempted?) to make. 🙂 Freshly made, they are lovely, albeit a wee bit dry for my taste. But the biggest issue I’ve always had is that after 12 hours, the sponge is incredibly dry. Even slathered with copious amounts of cream and frosting can’t hide it.
This recipe I’m sharing today is made with the same ingredients as old fashioned Vanilla Sponge Cakes, but there’s one very important step that you won’t see in any Women’s Weekly recipe books from the 1980’s: beating softened butter into the dry ingredients. THIS is the secret to a moist, tender sponge cake made without sour cream or buttermilk.
How do I know this?
Because this is a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. 🙂 They’ve gone and done all the hard work with the recipe testing for us.
Regular readers know I’m never going to win any awards in the cake decorating category. I’m much more focussed on the body of the cake – getting that sponge right. So I kept this simple and just slathered on lots of cream and and sandwiched it with strawberries. In addition to adding some lovely fresh juicy flavours into the cake, the strawberries also stop the cream from oozing out of the cake when you cut into it.
You’ll see in the video. 🙂
Happy weekend everyone! Hope you have a lovely one. I’m off to a festival of some sort – for a friends’ birthday. I’m not really a festival-type gal, so it will be an experience. I don’t even know what the festival is for – music, I’m guessing. Guess I should probably leave my stilettos behind. 😉 – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Vanilla Sponge Cake recipe video!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Butter Cake (Vanilla Sponge Cak)
Ingredients
- 225 g / 2 sticks unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces and softened
Wet:
- 4 large eggs (55 - 65g / 2 - 2.5 oz each), at room temperature
- 1⁄2 cup / 125 ml milk (whole or low fat, not no fat), room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry:
- 1 3/4 cups / 265g plain flour (all purpose flour, 7 oz) (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup cornflour / cornstarch (Note 1)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups / 330g caster sugar / superfine sugar (normal white sugar also ok)
- 3/4 tsp salt
Strawberries & Cream:
- 2 1/2 cups / 625 ml whipping cream
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 400 g/ 14 oz strawberries , halved (1 1/2 punnets)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan / convection). Put the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Butter 2 x 20cm / 8" cake pans (Note 2). Line the base with baking paper.
- Place Wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place Dry ingredients in a bowl and use a handheld beater on speed 1 (slowest) to quickly whisk.
- Add 1/3 of the butter, then put the beater whisk in the butter, and mix using speed 1. Once the butter is incorporated a bit, speed up to 5 and whisk for 10 seconds.
- Add another 1/3 of the butter then repeat, then add remaining butter and repeat again. It should look like wet sand (see video / photos in post).
- Add half the Wet mixture, beat until incorporated. Add remaining Wet mixture, then beat on speed 5 (medium) until almost completely smooth.
- Divide between cake pans, smooth surface (it levels out in the oven), then bake for 25 minutes.
- A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean but moist.
- Cool on cooling rack for at least 15 minutes then remove cake from pan.
Frosting / Decorating with Strawberries & Cream:
- Optional: Use a serrated knife (I use a bread knife) to cut the top off each cake to make it completely flat. This makes neat layers when you cut into the cake.
- Place cream, vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Beat on high with a handheld beater or stand mixer until firm peaks form.
- If piping little swirls around the edge like in the photos, transfer 1 cup of cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
- Place a cake on a serving platter. Spread a thin layer of cream over the top.
- Cover with strawberries, cut side down.
- Top with 1/3 of the cream.
- Place 2nd cake on top. Cover top and sides with remaining cream. Pipe cream around the edge.
- Decorate with remaining strawberries, as desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More cake goodness
LIFE OF DOZER
You do not want to know how big the puddle on the floor was….EEEEWWWW!!!! (watch me teasing him with this in the video!!)
Thilini says
Hi Nagi, this recipe looks great! Hoping to try this very soon. These pictures are mouth watering 🙂
I need an advice from you though. Can I bake this cake in a rice cooker as well? I might have to adjust the cook time, right? But have you tried this in a rice cooker?
Cat says
The sponge was fantastic, best one I’ve ever made. I used the sponge recipe for a marble cake but will def try the rest of it sometime.
Nidhi says
This is the best recipe ever. People go nuts. The first time I made it I finished about 75% of the cake myself because it was so tasty.
Do want to ask if I could make this a rum cake? Would it affect if I add rum into the batter and then also as a glaze?
Ann says
This recipe is da bomb! The texture was sooooo good, still fluffy even just right out from the fridge. I also substituted some honey for sugar and it adds a subtle layer of fragrance to the cake!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Ann, love the idea of honey in it!
Rafat S hussain says
I tried this cake today n it was yummy.. thank u very much for the lovely and easy recipe
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Rafat!
Sabina Jarbandhan says
Hey I’m excited to make this recipe I wanted to make it for my brother’s birthday, I was wondering if this can be baked in a half sheet pan instead of the rounds?
Nagi says
Hi Sabina, yes you can but you’d need to adjust the cook times accordingly – N x
Jyothi says
Hi Nagi. I tried this recipe and it’s just fantastic. I use sponge cakes to make tiramisu. Can I use this recipe for that? Also if I want to make bigger cake. How long should I leave it in the oven?
Nagi says
Oh that sounds great Jyothi, this will definitely work for that. How big did you want to make the cake – it will just need to be in the oven longer – N x
Jyothi says
I want to make it 12-16 servings
Gwen says
hi Nagi,
I am planning to make a birthday cake with your recipe. Picturing it with a bit of height, I’d like to make 3 layers of 6″ pan, how would you alter the ingredients quantity?
Thanks,
Gwen
Cheryl says
Nagi, I love this cake but the mixture curdles every time I make it. Ingredients are always room temperature or close to. Any ideas?
Nagi says
Hi Cheryl, sorry you are having issues here – at what point is it curdling?
Cheryl says
Once all the ingredients are in and it comes together, then it starts breaking down. I still use it but think it would be much nicer if it didn’t break down
Jay says
Hi can I double this recipe ?
Sophia says
OMG, this cake was amazing
Nagi says
Wahoo, thanks Sophia ❤️
Alisia Usher says
Heyy, love your recipes. I was wondering if this recipe would work for vanilla cupcakes aswell? or would i need to alter it?
Nagi says
Hi Alisia, I’m sure it would, just reduce the baking time to about 15 minutes – just check with a skewer ❤️
Keeley says
Hi, I want to make this for my nephew’s birthday next weekend but want to make it a few days beforehand (busy with work). Would the sponge be okay in the freezer for a few days before thawing it out to assemble, ice & decorate or will it ruin the crumb/fluffiness of the sponge? Thanks.
Nagi says
Yes definitely Keeley!
Sabrina says
Love the recipe! To make it tiny bit more moist, would it help to increase amount of milk, let’s say by 1-2 tablespoons? Do you think it would make a difference? Would it change the consistency? Thank you!
Nagi says
Hi Sabrina, I don’t think adding 1-2 tablespoons will make much of a difference – N x
Stania says
Hi Nagi,
Would traditional creaming method achieve the same result? Would the cake be still moist and fluffy?
Nagi says
Hi Stania, yes it should work the same, although I haven’t tried it with this exact recipe – N x
Tulip says
Hi Nagi, I have only had good outcomes using your receipes therefore you are my go to blogger for receipes. As a new Vegan, I was wondering if you have any vegan cooking/baking receipes Thanks
Nagi says
Hi Tulip, I don’t specifically do vegan recipes sorry (and if one is it is usually by accident) – N x
Christopher says
A keeper for sure, thank you again for another delicious Recipe Tin addition.
We usually make a laborious and expensive carrot cake for birthdays, but who’s got the time and money for that?
This is a great, easy, quick cake with tons of flavour.
Recipe was followed almost exactly as written, but we subbed mixed berries for the fresh strawberries. My mistakes to fix next time: use fine caster sugar (as called for), make sure the butter is fully softened (as called for), and bring the milk to room temperature (as called for).
Nagi says
Hi Christopher, this would be great with mixed berries! Yes all the small details really do make a difference when making a sponge – but I’m so glad you loved it!
Megan Pritchard says
My 11yo made this cake this afternoon, she loves to bake! It was delicious 😋
Nagi says
That’s great Megan, it’s great to get kids into the kitchen ❤️
Min says
Hi Nagi,
In this case, can we wash and pat dry the strawberries for filling purpose? Thanks.
Nagi says
Of course Min! – N x
Parveen Atwill says
What am awesome recipe! I’ve been baking birthday cakes for the past 7-8yrs and it’s always been either hit or miss wIth other recipes, but i followed your recipe and the cake rose beautifully and tasted great, so thank you, this is definitely a keeper 😀
Nagi says
Wahoo! That’s great to hear Parveen ❤️
Min says
Hi Nagi, thanks for sharing the recipe. Can I use cake flour instead? What should be the quantity of cake flour to be used? Thanks.
Nagi says
Hi Min – 290 grams of cake flour will replace the flour and corn starch in this recipe – N x