A delicious, light vanilla sponge birthday cake recipe. Quick and simple to make and perfect for decorating to make a birthday really special.
When I was a child I loved the birthday cakes my mum made and decorated for me. At my parties, I was always really proud to show off my birthday cake to my friends. In the weeks running up to my birthday, I used to look through my mum’s cake decorating book and choose the cake I wanted (actually I always chose the fairy castle, but never got it).
Now I have my own children, it’s important to me to do the same for them. Rather than choosing from a book, I let them describe what they want and then scour the internet for inspiration to achieve it (I don’t know what I’d do without Google Images and Pinterest). Today is my littlest’s second birthday so I thought it would be a good time to share with you the recipe I use for making the vanilla sponge which goes inside most of the cakes I make for my family. The recipe is adapted from a book called Cake Magic by Virginia Welsh and Alison French – the same book I chose my cakes from when I was little.
The theme I was given for today’s cake was Chuggington. I was told it must include an engine shed, three trains (Wilson, Koko and Brewster), and a turntable (they don’t ask for much!). I’m not a professional cake decorator, but what I lack in skill I hopefully make up for in enthusiasm and effort.
Equipment
To make my vanilla sponge I’d recommend the following equipment…
NOTE – These are affiliate links which means that if you purchase from Amazon after clicking on one the product links below I will earn a small commission.
Accurate scales are essential when baking and I love these Electronic Scales from Salter. You can reset the weight every time you add a new ingredient which is perfect for something like this all-in-one sponge. They’re also compact so take up hardly any space in your cupboards.
If I’m making a round cake I use these tins
from Delia Smith (well if it’s good enough for Delia then it’s good enough for me!).
Instead of using greaseproof paper to line your cake tins I recommend trying these Bake-o-Glide reusable liners
. There’s no need to grease the tin as they’re easily removed, and they’re pre-cut to size so there’s no fiddling around trying to get the greaseproof cut to the right shape.
You’ll also need a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer (you can mix by hand if you don’t have a mixer just be prepared for some arm ache!).
Fancy making a chocolate birthday cake instead?
Then try my new CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPE, it’s really chocolatey, easy to make and perfect for decorating.
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Birthday Cake (All-In-One Vanilla Sponge)
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 eggs - I usually use medium but large also work well
- 225 g soft margarine
- 225 g caster sugar
- 6 drops vanilla extract
- 2 tsp milk
RECIPE VIDEO
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan
- Line your baking tins(s) (I usually use 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins or a 20cm x 30cm rectangular tin, depending on the shape of cake I want to make).
- Sift the self-raising flour (225g) and baking powder (2 tsp) into a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients (4 eggs, 225g soft margarine, 225g caster sugar, 6 drops of vanilla extract and 2 tsp milk) and beat until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour into the tin(s)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. To check if the cake is cooked insert a skewer and if it comes out clean the cake is ready.
- Leave to cool in the tin(s) for about 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely – Make sure the cake has cooled completely before decorating.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Nut-Free
- Soy-Free
The ingredients for this recipe are commonly available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
I’m sharing this with the following recipe challenges… #TastyTuesdays with Honest Mum.
Ann says
Hi there, I wondering is it ok to put less sugar to suit my test? will it change the cake texture etc.? thanks
Charlotte Oates says
It will, although it depends on how much you cut it down. The sponge isn’t hugely sweet, whereas the icing is very sweet so if you want to reduce the sweetness, I’d recommend keeping the cake as it is and using less icing. You can cut the sugar in the buttercream in half and still get good results too.
Saadia says
Recipe looks good and looking forward to trying it out. Please can you advise if I will be able to make the sponge a day or two in advance (wrap and leave it in the fridge) and then decorate later? Please can you advise if it will remain moist, if not, any tips to allow it to be moist?
Thank you 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, as long as the cake is stored in an airtight container it’ll stay moist for 4-5 days. Wrapping it will help it maintain its moisture even more so.
Nikki says
I want to use this recipe for a 10in cake. Wound it be ok?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. You need to use my calculator to find the right quantities.
Nikki says
Thanks. I want to cut the cake in half and fill with buttercream so would I use measurements for one layer or two layers?
Charlotte Oates says
Two layers
Michelle Syme says
I’ve used this recipe countless times and the results where great however last twice I’ve made it it sinks in the middle a little and is very soft once baked. The temp of 140 fan seems very low, I’m wondering if it takes too long to rise or is it something else? Any ideas please?
Charlotte Oates says
Given that you’ve made this recipe successfully many times in the past I doubt the oven temperature is suddenly too low as it hasn’t changed since the recipes was first published several years ago. It is lower than you’ll find for many other recipes (which tend to be 160C fan) as I find it gives a softer, lighter sponge which doesn’t have a thick brown crust, which happens at higher temperatures. It may be that your oven calibration has moved slightly so it might be worth getting an oven thermometer to check this. If you’re using a different tin/liner this can sometimes affect how a cake rises too.
Other possibilities…
* Are you baking two layers in one deep tin or splitting it into sandwich tins? I find I get a better rise by splitting the mixture.
* If you’re eggs are on the smaller side of medium then you’ll get a slightly more crumbly cake. It might be worth weighing your eggs before adding them and adding a little more if necessary – you can find out all about egg weights and their impact on baking here.
* Have you changed your flour brand – I find that some seem to have slightly more/less raising agent than others which can impact how cakes rise.
Jess says
Hi,
I am looking to ice and fill a cake as shown in the pic above. Do you have the recipe for that too?
Charlotte Oates says
The cake is covered in my vanilla buttercream and a layer of jam in the middle. It’s either strawberry or raspberry, I can’t remember. The cake is then covered in fondant icing (ready to roll icing from the shop) which I’ve coloured blue. If you want to decorate the cake exactly as in the picture, then I have a tutorial here.
Amy says
Thank you for this recipe – I just baked my one-year-old her first birthday cake using it!
Chris says
I love this recipe and have used it many times.
If I wanted to make it into an easy chocolate sponge, how much flour would you suggest, should be replaced with cocoa?
Charlotte Oates says
For an easy chocolate sponge, try my easy chocolate cake recipe. In addition to switching some flour for cocoa powder I’ve also added melted chocolate which means that cake is full of flavour and lovely and moist. The recipe is made with plain flour and baking powder rather than self-raising flour, but if you want to use SR flour I’ve explained the substitution you need to make in the recipe post.
Lauren says
Hi Charlotte,
Do I need to adjust any of the ingredients to make a square cake?
Charlotte Oates says
Put your tin dimensions into my calculator and it’ll tell you the quantities you need.
Alexandra Howett says
Hi. Does it need to be margarine in this recipe or can you use butter?
Charlotte Oates says
You can use either butter ot margarine, just make sure the butter is soft at room temperature so it mixes in properly.
Diane says
Hi Charlotte,
Can this mix be used for cup cakes
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, I’ve adapted the recipe specifically for cupcakes here.
Sarah says
I have just used this recipe to make my 2 year olds birthday cake and it was so easy to do. It went down a storm at the party too! Thanks for sharing
Hannah L says
This is the best sponge cake recipe I have ever come across, and use it all the time. Everyone comments on how light, moist and tasty they are. Thank you so much for sharing.
Joan Maxwell says
So easy to make. Very light and fluffy and blooming delicious wish I could post a picture.. So proud of myself
Toria says
This sponge is currently in the oven and has been for 35 mins on 140 (which I thought seemed very low) I have just checked it and it is still totally raw in the middle! What have I done wrong?!
Charlotte Oates says
It’s difficult to know what could have happened without a bit more detail…
1) Did you split the mixture between two tins or cook it in one deep tin?
2) Do you have a fan oven?
3) What type of tins did you use? (the way a tin is made and what it’s made from can impact the cooking time)
Assuming you have a fan oven 140C is the right temperature. I know many cake recipes suggest 160, but I find dropping the temperature gives a softer, moister cake.
Susan says
I’m really struggling with my usual cake recipe it’s driving me mad
2ozs of flour/butter/caster sugar
To 1 egg
Pinch of baking powder drop if vanilla essence
But they keep comming out either not cooked in middle
Or just taste a bit stodgy
I’ve tried hours today and I got a cake order I’m so upset
The cooker is on 1/2 gas mark in centre of oven they take cpl hours
Any ideas
Charlotte Oates says
Is yours a fan oven? If not gas mark 1/2 sounds a little low.
If you’ve always made the cake successfully and it’s now suddenly not working then there are three things I think it would be most likely to be.
1) Your oven isn’t working properly – I think this is the most likely one given what you’ve said. Ovens can sometimes go out of calibration over time and if it’s now running at a lower temperature than it should be, cakes will take much longer to cook and won’t bake evenly. You can check your temperature with an oven thermometer – they’re pretty cheap to buy online.
2) Are you using a new tin? Some tins make cakes take longer to cook than others.
3) Is the flour you’re using self-raising – if it’s older (if you’ve got a poor batch) then the raising agents may not be working properly. Maybe try a new bag of flour.
Good luck in getting the problem sorted.
Rim Phillips says
Hi Charlotte
I stumbled across your website when searching for cake recipes for my son’s birthday cake. I used your vanilla sponge recipe and I was not disappointed! I make many novelty cakes now for all 3 of my boys birthdays (and family and friends) and everyone always comments on how light and moist the cakes are! So just wanted to say a huge thank you for a great cake recipe!
Wendy K says
Hi, Could you tell me how long this cake will last? I need it for my grandson’s birthday on Sunday. If I make it on Friday, decorate it Saturday, will it still be ok for Sunday? Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
It’ll be absolutely fine. I would bake on a Friday, decorate on a Saturday if I was making a cake for the Sunday. You should also find it’s fine to eat for a few days afterwards if it’s stored in an airtight container.
edwina says
Amount of exact quantities I need for baking tin size 10″×8″
Charlotte Oates says
If you enter your tin sizes into my calculator it’ll tell you what you need.
Nikki says
Hi
Can I ask what jam you use for your cakes please? Also – do you spread one layer with buttercream and one with jam and then pop together?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Whatever jam I have in the cupboard, usually strawberry or raspberry. I usually spread the jam and then spread the buttercream on top, but (as you’d expect) they kind of mix together and end up a bit messy (but taste good and you don’t really notice once the cake’s built). Your suggestion of spreading the jam on one and buttercream on the other would work well and be neater.
Michelle Turberville says
I was going to give this cake a go tomorrow for my daughters first birthday is it ok to ice it with icing sugar and pink food colouring ? I was gonna decorate it then with peppa pig figures
Charlotte Oates says
I’d recommend usinf either buttercream (vanilla or white chocolate as they’re best to add colour to) coloured with pick colouring, or fondant (shop bought) coloured with pink colouring. If I use fondant I like to add a thin layer of buttercream underneath as I like the flavour and it helps to get the fondant smooth.