Mini Vanilla Cake
on Jan 14, 2025, Updated Jan 26, 2025
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This mini vanilla cake recipe makes one 6-inch single layer cake. It’s moist and fluffy with a delicious vanilla flavor and creamy vanilla frosting on top. It will serve about 4 people, or 2 people with leftovers. Perfect for a week night birthday, celebration or whenever you don’t want leftovers.
This small vanilla cake is perfectly moist with a soft cake crumb and buttery vanilla flavor that’s not too sweet. The recipe comes together without much effort and can be decorated with creamy vanilla frosting, or served with berries and whipped cream. It’s the perfect scaled down recipe for a delicious birthday cake. Plus – since it’s made in a single layer, it requires little decorating skills.
How to Make Mini Vanilla Cake
When developing this mini cake, I found that the scaled down cake recipe was very susceptible to overmixing of the batter. Overmixing cake batter leads to a tough, dry cake crumb with air tunnels throughout. Therefore, this recipe uses the reverse creaming method.
The creaming method means that you beat the butter and sugar together, followed by the eggs. Then the dry ingredients are mixed into the batter, alternating with the milk/wet ingredients. In the reverse creaming method, you whisk together the dry ingredients then beat the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in small pieces (think smaller than a pea). Then the egg and milk are mixed into the batter. The reverse creaming method helps to avoid overmixing and ensure a soft, tender cake crumb.
- Start by preheating the oven to 350F (180C). To prepare the cake pan, line the bottom with a round of baking paper and lightly grease the sides.
- In small bowl or liquid measuring cup, you’ll whisk together the milk, egg, a little oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until you no longer see pieces/lumps of egg.
- Then in a separate medium bowl you’ll whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Beat together with the mixer on a low speed until the butter is in small pieces – none larger than a pea. You will not be able to mix the flour into the butter – the mixture with be essentially flour with tiny bits of butter in it as shown in the second photo below.
- Slowly beat the wet ingredients into the flour and butter mixture. I do this by drizzling the wet ingredients into the bowl with the mixer on a low speed. When you’re done – there should no longer be lumps. Top mixing as soon as the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top
- Note: I wrapped the pan in a cake strip soaked in water. Cake strips are to help cakes bake with flat tops. They are optional for this recipe. They can be found in baking stores or online.
- The cake will bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top is set, an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few cake crumbs (but not gooey cake batter) and the edges are starting to pull away from the pan.
After the cake is baked, I make a thick and creamy vanilla frosting. The frosting recipe makes enough for a very thick layer on top. It’s made with butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and whipping cream (or milk). I added a little food coloring – but that’s optional.
Recipe Tip
If you want to make this cake into a layer cake, make the cake as directed. Cool fully, then use a cake leveller or serrated knife to slice the cake layer in half. Double the frosting recipe so that there’s enough frosting for the middle, sides and top.
Moist and fluffy with a delicious vanilla flavor and creamy vanilla frosting – this small vanilla cake is perfect for a when you need a delicious homemade dessert, but want something simple, easy and without a ton of leftovers.
And if you want more small batch recipes, be sure to try:
- Mini Chocolate Cake
- Mini Carrot Cake
- Small Batch Brownies
- Vanilla Mug Cake – if you just need a single serving vanilla treat!
Mini Vanilla Cake
Equipment
- 6-inch (15 cm) round cake pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons milk (90 ml), 2% or whole is best
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil (10 ml), or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (94 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (56 grams), softened, but not starting to melt
Vanilla Frosting
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter (75 grams), softened
- 1 – 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (110 – 165 grams), sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 drops food coloring, optional
- 2-4 teaspoons whipping cream (10-20 ml), or milk
Instructions
Mini Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line the bottom of a 6-inch (15 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides. The sides should be at least 2 inches (5 cm) high.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, vanilla extract and milk until you no longer see pieces or lumps of egg. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- Add the butter (cut into cubes) to the flour mixture. Beat with a hand held mixer on a low speed until the butter is in small pieces – none should be smaller than a pea.
- While mixing on a low speed, drizzle the wet ingredients into the flour and butter mixture. Keep mixing until the batter is smooth and there are no lumps, but stop mixing as soon as it is smooth.
- Pour the bake batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the edges are starting to pull away from the pan.
Vanilla Frosting
- Beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add in 1 cup powdered sugar along with the vanilla, salt and optional food coloring. Beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed until combined.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar a little at a time, alternating with a teaspoon of whipping cream (or milk) until the desired sweetness is reached.
- Gently invert the cake until the plate that you plan to serve it on. Frost the top of the cooled cake with frosting.
Notes
- Flour: Be sure to measure the flour correctly – otherwise the cake will become dry. Whisk first, then spoon into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. Or measure with a scale in grams for the most accurate results.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cake is always best the day that it’s baked.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 slice with frosting, assuming the cake is sliced into 4 uniform pieces and all the frosting is used.
