One Bowl Vanilla Cake - incredibly fluffy and moist cake with the best easy vanilla frosting! All you need is one bowl and a whisk to make it! Even kids can make it!
Easy cakes are the best! My One Bowl Chocolate Cake and the Best Chocolate Bundt Cake are the proof. This vanilla version is bound to be a hit!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Cake
Fluffy and moist cake with delicious vanilla flavor, topped with the best and easiest fluffy vanilla frosting makes for an easy dessert you can make in under 30 minutes. It is the best vanilla cake you will ever make!
You can add other flavorings to make other variations, use gluten-free flour or even make it dairy-free with almond milk. This cake could not be easier to make. You only need one mixing bowl and a whisk to make the batter. It's a must-try dessert for every home baker!
How to make one-bowl vanilla cake?
- Star by gathering ingredients. Make sure the egg is at room temperature. If you don't have buttermilk, you can easily make it by mixing apple cider vinegar with half and half or whole milk.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Add wet ingredients (except water) and whisk. Add water and whisk it in. Pour batter into the prepared 8" square or round pan.
- Bake cake in a preheated oven until golden on top, 25 to 28 minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
One-Bowl Cake variations:
- lemon cake: add lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (plus enough water to make ½ cup of liquid)
- berry summer cake: add lemon zest and blueberries or raspberries
- gluten-free cake: use gluten-free flour that can be used in 1:1 ratio
- dairy-free: use almond milk in place of half and half to make buttermilk
- zucchini cake: add shredded zucchini (squeeze out as much liquid out of it as you can before using) and frost with chocolate frosting
- funfetti cake: add sprinkles into the batter and on top of frosting.
The vanilla frosting:
I made my go-to vanilla frosting recipe by creaming butter and powdered sugar, then adding vanilla and a splash of heavy cream. It's fluffy and just perfect with this cake!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! Pour batter into a cupcake pan and bake for 18 minutes, until golden on top. Cool completely before frosting.
You can add fruit to the batter, but I recommend dropping it into the batter while it's already in the pan. You can also add funfetti or other sprinkles.
More Easy Cake Recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
One-Bowl Vanilla Cake recipe
Ingredients
for cake:
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk see note
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
for frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour or line with parchment paper, an 8" square or round pan. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add egg, buttermilk, vanilla and oil. Whisk together. Add hot water and whisk well until the batter is smooth. It will be runny but that's okay.1 large egg, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup buttermilk, ½ cup hot water, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap the pan gently against the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake cake for 25 to 28 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean.
- Cool cake completely before frosting.
- To make frosting: place butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat for 7 minutes. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time and beat in well. Add heavy cream and beat in for 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix in. The frosting should be very fluffy. Spread over cooled cake. Decorate with sprinkles.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Notes
- To make homemade buttermilk: mix 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with enough half-and-half to make ½ cup of liquid. Let stand for 3 to 4 minutes. When the mixture looks thick and curdled, use it in the recipe.
- Use good quality vanilla as that is the primary flavor in this cake.
- For the best frosting: make sure the butter is soft. Otherwise, the frosting won't be fluffy.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
Julie M says
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a larger (stoneware) pan for 25 minutes. It was fluffy, not overly sweet, spongy, and moist - almost like a pudding cake! I live at 6300' and did not alter the recipe for high altitude. This is my new go-to vanilla recipe!
Wyatt says
Moist and fluffy, the vanilla cake came together so quickly. A lovely treat for any occasion
Fabiana says
This one-bowl vanilla cake is so moist and fluffy. It’s perfect for any celebration or just a sweet treat. Thanks Anna 🙂
Zoya says
loved the one-bowl vanilla cake. Simple, quick, and delicious just what I needed. Thanks for your wonderful recipes
Jackson says
This cake is so moist and fluffy! Perfect for any occasion
Tara says
Can I double/triple/etc. this recipe and split it into two/three pans?
Harley K. says
This vanilla cake is wonderful. So light, fluffy, and moist hard to believe it only takes one bowl to make. The recipe was super easy to follow, and the vanilla frosting turned out perfectly creamy and delicious. It’s the kind of simple, classic dessert that everyone loves. I’ll definitely be making this again for birthdays and special occasions. Thank you, Anna, for such a fantastic recipe.
Char says
i love the one bowl chocolate cake recipe, which ive made many times, and it never fails to please. My youngest isn't a fan of chocolate cake, so i thought i'd try the vanilla version and it turned out dense and greasy. I'm an accomplished baker, but this didn't work for me. I thought maybe it could be the addition of hot water- but who knows?!
Nivida Bagga says
This one came out so good! The crust was too good. Perfectly brown from the top & super delicious. Just loved it . 10/10 recommend. I would stick to this recipe only as it came out excellent. Thanks alot for sharing 🙂
Kim says
This recipe looks delicious! So light and fluffy! I only have a 9 inch round pan. Would that still work? Just cook it less time?
Anna says
Hi Kim! Yep, it will work just fine. I suggest checking if the cake is done at about 23 minute mark. Hope this helps!
Cassandra says
Easy and delicious! I topped it with a one minute chocolate frosting.